All Subjects
Light
Practice Quizzes
AP US History
Unit 8 – The Postwar Period and Cold War, 1945–1980
Topic 8.2
Why did President Kennedy adopt a policy of flexible response instead of massive retaliation during his administration?
Kennedy thought that massive retaliation would lead to immediate global nuclear war.
He wanted multiple options for responding to Soviet aggression beyond just nuclear war.
He believed massive retaliation was not an effective deterrent against Soviet advancement.
Flexible response allowed for negotiations with other communist countries apart from USSR.
Related content
Practice quizzes
Practice this subject
Practice this unit
Practice this topic
Study guides (1)
AP US History - 8.2 The Cold War from 1945 to 1980
Key terms
Administration
Massive retaliation
Policy of flexible response
President Kennedy
About Us
About Fiveable
Blog
Careers
Testimonials
Code of Conduct
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
CCPA Privacy Policy
Resources
Cram Mode
AP Score Calculators
Study Guides
Practice Quizzes
Glossary
Crisis Text Line
Request a Feature
Report an Issue
Stay Connected
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.
About Us
About Fiveable
Blog
Careers
Testimonials
Code of Conduct
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
CCPA Privacy Policy
Resources
Cram Mode
AP Score Calculators
Study Guides
Practice Quizzes
Glossary
Crisis Text Line
Request a Feature
Report an Issue
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.
Back
Practice Quiz
Guides
Glossary
Guides
Glossary
Next
