When was kennedys flexible response

In all, over thirty sites were constructed, capable of delivering missiles with and mile ranges. Kennedy immediately demanded that the Soviets remove the missiles from the island.

Privately, the president contemplated his options, which included air strikes, a military invasion, or a blockade of the island. Kennedy chose to blockade the island and went on television and radio on October 22 to inform the American people of the missiles and his decision to quarantine Cuba.

Meanwhile, American forces began practicing in Florida for a possible invasion of Cuba while Strategic Air Command kept a fleet of nuclear bomb carrying Bs in the air at all times. In exchange for reassurances from Kennedy that the United States would not invade Cuba, the Soviets removed the missiles from Cuba and the crisis passed. At the same time, however, flexibility made it also improbable that the U. In effect Flexible Response called for the continued presence in Europe of sizable conventional.

Printer Friendly. Conventional forces were to serve two functions, a deterrent function and the function to fight limited wars. The main argument of the Eisenhower administration had been that conventional forces were too costly and nuclear weapons would have "more bang for the buck. Kennedy wanted to deter all wars, general or limited, nuclear or conventional, large or small. Eisenhower and Dulles wanted to achieve similar goals but at minimal cost.

Their risk was to either not act at all or respond at all levels of threat beyond the original provocation. Dean Rusk continued to serve as Secretary of State and stressed to the new President the necessity of continuity in foreign policy. President Johnson continued the U. Escalation followed with the August Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.

Johnson won the landslide election shortly after. In early , the U. Shortly after, Johnson introduced U. By , nearly , troops were in Vietnam. Following the Tet Offensive in and facing dwindling public support for the war, Johnson announced that he would not seek a second term as President.

Though preoccupied with Vietnam, the Johnson administration faced challenges elsewhere. In Latin America, riots in Panama in led to concessions that still preserved U. In an unpopular move, Johnson sent troops to the Dominican Republic in to intervene in their civil war and prevent another Cuba.

Johnson warned that the United States would oppose aggression by any state in the area but encouraged diplomatic negotiations. In , the administration faced another major crisis when the Soviet Union led Warsaw Pact troops in an invasion of Czechoslovakia. Following the election of Republican Richard M.

Nixon, Johnson left office on January 20, Menu Menu.