Kennedy's foreign policy, known as the Flexible Response doctrine, involved using all means necessary - including military, economic, covert and diplomatic actions - to oppose the spread of communism and assure liberty's survival globally. The six stages of Flexible Response were: 1) maintaining nuclear weapons while pursuing alternatives to deterrence, 2) increasing conventional weapons and special forces like the Green Berets, 3) economic aid programs like the Alliance for Progress, 4) the Peace Corps to promote democracy, and 5) diplomacy to solve problems through communication.

1. Kennedy Doctrine
• “Let every nation know,
whether it wishes us
well or ill, that we shall
pay any price, bear any
burden, meet any
hardship, support any
friend, oppose any foe,
in order to assure the
survival and the success
of liberty.

2. Foreign Policy-Flexible Response
•6 Stages to JFK’s Foreign Policy
•1. Nukes
•2. Conventional Weapons
•3. Covert Operations
•4. Economic Aid
•5. Peace Corps
•6. Diplomacy

3. 1. Nuclear Weapons
• JFK wanted a variety of
options to deal with
international conflicts
• Unlike Ike-didn’t want nukes
to be the only option
• Failure of Brinkmanship
• Hungary (1956)
• Missile Gap?? Were the
Russians ahead?
• 1961-63 ICBM’s-could
annihilate USSR
• 1963-424 ICBM’s

4. 2. Conventional Weapons + 3. Green
Berets
• 2. Conventional
Weapons-Increase in
Defense Budget by 15%
• 3. Green Berets created
for covert operations
• Special Military Units for
wars of national liberation
• Vietnam, Cuba

5. 4. Economic Aid
• Alliance for Progress
• Marshall Plan for Latin
America
• $20 Billion in aid
• Most of the $$ never got
to the people that
needed it!

6. 5. Peace Corps + 6. Diplomacy
• Sent Young volunteers to
work in developing
countries for 2 years
• Taught people democracy
and capitalism
• First went to Ghana &
Tanzania
• Diplomacy-work through
communication to solve
international problems