The Cuban Missile Crisis

In your Cold War file folder in your Google Docs account, read pages 350 to 351 of Cuban Missile Crisis.

1. Kennedy described Wednesday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 27 as the darkest days of the crisis. Use the information on page 350 to explain why.
On Wednesday, October 24, the blockade of Soviets into Cuba begins. This would not directly be an action of war, but also doesn't fix the main problem of missiles in Cuba, since they are already there.
On Saturday, Oct. 27, an American U-2 plane is shot down over Cuba. The pilot is killed. The president is advised to launch immediate attack back on Cuba, but Kennedy decides to delay an attack. Also, Kennedy ignores the second letter Krushchev sent to him, and accepts the first. Kennedy says that if the Soviet Union doesn't withdraw than an attack will follow.


2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?
Yes I do think that nuclear was was a possibility in this crisis because the missiles were set up already. If someone had done something that angered the other side even a little too much, it could have turned into nuclear war.

3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.

Kennedy and Krushchev are arm wrestling. They are both sitting on hydrogen bombs, but Kennedy is about to push a button to detonate the Soviet bomb. I think this is a Soviet cartoon because it is implying that Kennedy's actions will spark a nuclear war, the Soviets will fire their bomb and then the Americans will fight back.

4. Using Source 27 list any evidence you can find for and against each of the explanations.
Why did the Soviet Union place nuclear missiles on Cuba?

To bargain with the USA
-Having missiles on Cuba could be used in a bargain with the US. Krushchev could agree to remove the missiles in return for something from the US.

To test the USA
-The Soviets wanted to see what the US would do if they put missiles in Cuba, whether they would confront the situation or not do anything. Krushchev thought Kennedy was young an inexperienced (compared to Eisenhower), and he wanted to test him and see what he was capable of.

To trap the USA
-The Soviets wanted to start a war with the US, but wanted to start it indirectly. The Soviets could use Cuba to do this.

To get the upper hand in the arms race
-The Soviets and the US were racing to have better arms than each other because in a war this would be extremely important. Each side wanted to be prepared and wanted to know, if they were fighting against the other, that they would win. Since Cuba is a lot closer to the US than the USSR is, this made the Soviets more confident.

To defend Cuba
-The soviets wanted to help Cuba because they might not have had enough power if they were in trouble

5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis. Explain your choice.
I think that the Soviets put missiles on Cuba to get the upper hand in the arms race. This makes most since because if they ever did have a nuclear war, which was a possibility, it would be important that they had more missiles and that they would be close by and ready to be used if necessary.

The U.S. Attempts to Contain Cuba

In your Cold War file folder in your Google Docs account, read pages 347 to 349 of Cuban Missile Crisis.

1. Why was Cuba so important to the United States?
Cuba had been an American ally for a long time. Americans owned most of the businesses on the island and they had a huge naval bade there.

2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
They didn't want to anger the Soviets so they gave weapons to Cuban exiles so they weren't directly fighting.

3. Why did the invasion fail?
The exiles were met by 20,000 Cuban troops armed with tanks and modern weapons. Castro killed or captured all within days. To Cuba and the USSR, the failed invasion suggested that the US was unwilling to get directly involved in Cuba.

4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.
Before, the US had the power, and their missiles were directed toward the Soviets. Now, the Soviets have missiles on Cuba with a large range of destruction, giving them power.