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Sputnik
Sputnik was operated under the USSR and was launched oct. 4, 1957. It was the first artificial satellite ever put into orbit, it looks 98 minutes to orbit and returned to earth on Dec. 9th. The second sputnik was launched a month later, and the third was launched in 1958. -
Period: to
Sputnik to JFK visiting Berlin Wall
TIMELINE -
U2 incident
The US feared falling behind the soviet union. Soviets shot down US plane. The U-2 plane made the conference collapse between the US, USSR United Kingdom, and France. The pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured. He was sentenced to 10 years but only served two, after a spy swap. This created more tension between the soviets and US. -
JFK election
First catholic president, people were afraid the pope would be in charge. This happened when Mitt Romney ran for president(first mormon president). Religion plays apart in people's viewpoints. He sets up the peace corps. And wants to the economy after we come out of the 50s. Trade expansion act reduces tariffs. (youngest president ever) Did not take presidency seriously since he did not attend all government meetings. He was a civil rights activists. Assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. -
Bay of Pigs
More than 1,400 cuban exiles that were supported by the united states CIA invaded Cuba, trying to overthrow the cuban gov’t and Fidel Castro.
US, Cuba, and the USSR were involved.
US assisted exiles in florida, USSR moved nuclear missiles into cuba, making the US fear that Cuba would work with USSR and start WW3.
Cuban exiles were killed or imprisoned, Castro stayed in power and the nuclear missiles stayed in Cuba. -
JFKs speech to Congress
JFK had the ambitous goal of sending an american to the moon, this became the Apollo project. He called the space race urgent national needs and asked for 7-9 billion dollars over the next 5 years to fund the space program. -
Kennedy meets with Khrushchev
JFK went to Europe to talk to Khruschev, Khrechev is not threatened by JFK and still puts up berlin wall. This was called the vienna summit. JFK said this was the “worse thing in his life”. Krsuchev thought that JFK was inmature. JFK stated that he found soviet and US forces to be equally balanced(US officials did not like this). Krucshev threatened war even though that was something both countries did not want. -
Building of Berlin Wall
Communist gov’t of Germany began to build barbed wire and concrete wall between east and west Berlin. This kept western “Fascists” from entering the east and undermining the socialist state. The wall stretched over 100 miles. Ran through the center and wrapped around west Berlin, cutting off the east. It was first barbed wire and concrete but then became a sturdier structure with concrete blocks topped with barbed wire. This divided families who were on other sides. Many died trying to cross. -
U-2 flying over western Cuba
A U-2 flying over western Cuba discovers missile sites.
Photographs obtained by this flight provide hard evidence that Soviets have missiles in Cuba. He was the first to take photos of the soviets. -
U2 spotted-starts war
photographs are taken of a Cuban missile and this is start of the war, U2 plane is seen. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
USSR deployed missiles in Cuba to counteract US missiles in Italy. Military leaders urged an airstrike. JFK said US would intercept all shipments with a naval blockade. The act of aggression was called and act of war. After six days US demanded the removal of missiles. A spy plane was shot down by soviets and a soviet submarine was hit by US trying to signal it to come up. The sub commander did not hear it and thought the war started. They prepared to send a torpedo, close to DEFCON. -
Kennedy's speech for the Cuban missile crisis
The USSR planted a missile in cuba so that means that there could be a possible attack on major cities in the United States. His speech was to inform the public about the soviet missiles in cuba and the threat they pose. The speech created panic. -
Military forces go to DEFCON 2
The Cuban Missile crisis led to US being on DEFCON 2. This means that they are prepared for nuclear war. Military forces were ready and engaged, they could attack within six hours. -
An American U-2 is shot down
An American U-2 is shot down over Cuba killing the pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson. The soviets thought that he might be taking photos, so they ordered to have the plane shot down. JFK was urged to launch an airstrike in return, both sides felt out of control. This made both sides realize how close they were to war. -
Khrushchev announces he is removing the missiles
After JFK wrote a letter to Khrushchev saying that they would not invade the USSR if they took the missiles out of Cuba, Khrushchev announces over Moscow radio that he agreed to remove the missiles . This diffused the "nuclear holocaust" between the two world superpowers. -
Kennedy's visit to wall
John F. Kennedy visited the west berlin wall. He showed his support for the west. “Let them come”. People did not like living in connumist Germany so JFK’s speech was very popular in Berlin.
