1961 : His policy against USSR

JFK became president in a time of big troubles with the Cold War. He often had to deal with USSR and the rise of the communism in the world. First contacts with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev weren't really good. He first reacted agressively to a Krushchev speech on Cold War confrontation in 1961. This speech was in fact adressed to the Soviet Union but Kennedy took it personaly. This mistake created some tensions during the next summits between occidental countries and USSR. Kennedy has been told (especially by the french president Charles de Gaulle) to ignore Krushchev's agressive style.

Kennedy and Krushchev meeting

On June 4, 1961, Kennedy had a meeting with Krushchev and left angry and disappointed that made him looks weak for the Soviet Premier. But later he succeeded to made historical treaties between USA and USSR like the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Construction of the Berlin Wall

He made decisions to reinforce the fight against Soviet Union by adding 3,25 billion dollars to the defense budget an add 200,000 additional troops. These decisions helped the president to regain the faith of the american people but it led to new tensions with the construction of the Berlin Wall between west an east. This made west berliners lost their confidence in the defence of their position by the United States. Kennedy tried to disengage the tensions by a meeting with the USSR premier but he appeared depressed and angry and his only option had been to prepare the country for nuclear war which he was not convinced of the success.

See more about Berlin : http://bbd3matitsisabelle2013.blogspot.be/