The American Promise: Printed Page 833

The American Promise, Value Edition: Printed Page 756

The American Promise: A Concise History: Printed Page 862

New Frontiers in Foreign Policy

The American Promise: Printed Page 833

The American Promise, Value Edition: Printed Page 756

The American Promise: A Concise History: Printed Page 862

Page 833

John F. Kennedy moved quickly to pursue containment more aggressively and with more flexible means. In contrast to the Eisenhower administration’s emphasis on nuclear weapons, Kennedy expanded both the nation’s nuclear capacity and its ability to fight conventional battles and engage in guerrilla warfare. Kennedy also accelerated the nation’s space exploration program and increased engagement with the third world. When the Soviets tried to establish a nuclear outpost in Cuba in 1962, Kennedy took the United States to the brink of war. Less dramatically, Kennedy sent increasing amounts of American arms and personnel to save the South Vietnamese government from Communist insurgents.