Policies of U.S. Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter Cold War in the Americas IB History 12
Policies of U.S. Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon,
and CarterCold War in the Americas
IB History 12
Policies of John F Kennedy• President Kennedy’s Cold War Foreign
Policies were:
• Escalation of US military involvement in Vietnam
• Successfully avoided war with USSR during Cuban Missile Crisis
• Failed attempt to create positive relationships with Latin American countries through a direct assistance program, called the Alliance for Progress, as opposed to espionage and military intimidation.
Policies of Lyndon B Johnson• President Johnson’s Cold War Foreign
Policies were mostly a continuation of President Kennedy’s policies because he became President as a result of Kennedy’sassassination.
• Johnson is considered responsible for the escalation of American involvement in the Vietnam War, but he only carried out that policy because it was planned by Kennedy.
• As the US involvement in the Vietnam War continued less resources were available for the Alliance for Progress program to improve relationships with Latin American Countries.
Policies of Richard M Nixon• President Nixon’s Cold War Foreign
Policies were:
• Ending the Alliance for Progress program with Latin American Countries because he felt it wasn’t effective.
• The withdrawal of the US from the Vietnam War
• Establishing a relationship with Communist China
Policies of President Jimmy Carter• President Carter’s Cold War Foreign Policies
were:
• Reducing the American military presence abroad, reducing nuclear weapons stockpiling, and asking countries not to depend on the United States for their defense.
• Attempting to reduce human rights abuses by refusing to provide aid to countries with evidence of human rights abuse.
• However, his policies were met with resistance becasue the USSR invaded Afghanistan and the Iranian Revolution led to a crisis involving American hostages.
Research Simulation• The Cold War policies of President’s
Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter were all different despite some policies being similar to each other.
• If you were a United States Citizen born in the early 1940’s you would have been an adult for the Presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter.
• Which of these President’s Cold War policies would you have been most supportive of?