The 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.

Wednesday, October 24 was one of the darkest days of the crisis because the Soviet Union ships that painstakingly close to the blockade zone stopped or turned around right before it. The ships kept coming at first and Kennedy might have thought that the Soviet Union was going to attack them and start the war or even use their nuclear weapons on them. Also, the ships tha stopped probably caused a lot of stress and anxiety because he didn't know if they were going to attack them or just turn around or stay there. The atmosphere was intense that day for Kennedy because he didn't know what the Soviets were going to do. October 27th was another one of the darkest days because one he decides to remove his missiles from Turkey making the United States a little more vulnerable and a U-2 plane is shot down. The missiles that he agreed to take away definitely left America a little more vulnerable and this probably made Kennedy uneasy. More importantly, a U-2 plane was shot down over Cuba and the pilot was killed, which made Kennedy believe that the Soviet Union was going to attack. Also, Kennedy almost attacked the Soviet Union after the U-2 incident, however he delayed the attack. The delayed attack probably was the closest point at which the United States almost started a war against the Soviet Union. This probably made Kennedy very stressed and possibly scared as to what the Soviet Union might do next or what could have happened if he didn't delay the attack.

2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?

I believe that both sides were too afraid to send the first nuclear bomb, which makes me believe that a nuclear war wasn't a possibility. Both sides were too afraid of the consequences of sending a nuclear bomb to the other side. There might've been a close call of a nuclear war but I don't think either said would have ever gone through with it.

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

I believe that Source 26 is a Soviet cartoon. In the cartoon Khrushchev is sweating, which indicates that he is working hard and having trouble. He is trying a lot harder than JFK because JFK is not sweating so USSR is working a lot harder. Also, they are having an arm wrestle, where again Khrushchev is sweating and working harder. It also shows that JFK (or the United States) and Khrushchev (or the Soviet Union) are fighting against each other. In the arm wrestle neither person is moving, at least their hands and arms, which shows that each person is afraid to make the first major move or waiting for an element of surprise. Since neither person is moving it also shows that each of them are working just as hard but are handling it differently. The two players are sitting on a nuclear bomb, so essentially the one to make the first move would set off the bomb towards the other person, triggering the start of a war. The cartoon puts America in a bad viewpoint because it shows Khrushchev struggling which could make the Soviets angry and more willing to fight harder. Since the cartoon does this I believe that it is a Soviet cartoon trying to make the Soviets want to fight harder.

4. Using Source 27 list any evidence you can find for and against each of the explanations.

I. To Bargain with the USA
A. For
1. The Cuban Missile crisis did lead to bargaining between USA and USSR
a. Khrushchev wanted missiles taken out of Turkey and USA wanted missiles taken out of Cuba
2. Khrushchev never fought or made an attack against USA
a. showing that the Soviets didn't want to fight with America and would rather compromise and talk
B. Against
1. The Soviets had lied about having missiles on Cuba
a. showing that they were possibly ready to fight or planned a sneak attack
II. To Test the USA
A. For
1. The Soviet Union continued to push the United States' buttons
a. the ships kept going towards Cuba until they were extremely close
b. At first Khrushchev didn't agree to take out their missiles as Kennedy had asked
c. By putting the missiles there in the first place pushed America's buttons because they didn't know what the Soviets were going to do
B. Against
1. The Soviets never really did anything extreme, they just did little things.
III. To Trap the USA
A. For
1. Cuba is very close to America making it easier and quicker to send missiles to America and cover more area
B. Against
1. That was the only place where the Soviet Union had missiles besides USSR
a. The USA was never surrounded or 'trapped'
IV. To Get the Upper Hand in the Arms Race
A. For
1. the Soviet Union was already outnumbered with nuclear weapons
a. USA had nukes in America and in Eastern Europe, whiled USSR only had nukes in homeland
b. by putting them so close to America it made America fearful and possibly making them willing to succumb to the Soviet Union
B. Against
1. The Soviet Union never really outnumbered America in the amount of nukes they had
a. they were still pretty dead even with the amount of nukes they had
V. To Defend Cuba
A. For
1. Cuba became a Soviet ally
a. they became a communist state which made the Soviet Union almost have to defend or protect Cuba from attack
I. in order to spread communism they would have to protect Cuba from American influence and control
B. Against
1. If they were there to spread communism why did they need nuclear weapons?
a. nuclear weapons were over-the-top to just protect Cuba
2. Cuba and USSR never really signed a pact or anything so how do we know if they were allies or not
a. if they were allies it seems normal to protect them, but there was no pact or anything
3. How do we know if USSR was just using Cuba to get closer to America and make an easier surprise attack
a. they could've just taken advantage of Cuba seeing that they had turned communist and therefore making it safer for them to be there and etcetera.

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 Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles on Cuba to be able to bargain with the USA and to test the USA. The missiles that were placed on Cuba ultimately did this. During the time where missiles were on Cuba Khrushchev and Kennedy did end up conversing and bargaining. Kennedy said he would take the missiles out of Turkey as long as Khrushchev took the missiles out of Cuba. Also, the USSR never made an attack or anything on the United States, which goes to show that they were not ready or willing to fight. The Soviets wanted to talk and bargain first before making an attack on the United States. The missiles on Cuba had also tested the United States, which could be another possibility on why the Soviets had put missiles on Cuba in the first place. The Soviet Union never really did anything in Cuba besides put missiles and make bases on there, they never really spoke or attacked America. Although, a U-2 plane was taken down and the pilot was shot, which happened because America saw that the USSR was putting missiles on Cuba, but this was all that America did. USSR just waited for some first attack or something, but when the U-2 plane was shot down it was another test on America. However, there is no indication on who shot the plane down, America might have assumed that it was the Soviet Union and if it was then they would have been waiting to see if America would attack back or begin a war. Finally, until America clearly was not going to attack the Soviet Union took away the missiles, which showed to the Soviets that America was not going to make a first move to start a war where the Soviet Union was probably hoping for.

The U.S. Attempts to Contain Cuba

1. Why was Cuba so important to the United States?

Cuba was so important to the United States because America owned most of the business there, there was a U.S. naval base, and it is 160 km away from the tip of Florida. If the Soviet Union or communism were to take over Cuba than most likely America would lose it's business there. Also, America would lose a lot of profit from Cuba if it were to lose business. The U.S. naval base was key for America in their placement in the world; Cuba is in-between America and South and Central America making the naval base key in keeping in touch and having close contact with South and Central America. The U.S. naval base in Cuba is also good placement because America could reach another country in South or Central America much easier than if it was in America somewhere. Since Cuba is only 160 km it really is a perfect spot, as I said before. As one can see, Cuba was so important to the United States because it was so close, America owned most of the business there, and there was already a U.S. naval base there.

2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?

I believe that the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves because they thought that it would be more powerful and possibly easier for Cuba to succumb to them and if the Soviet Union were to accuse America for attacking an ally America could deny it. If the exiles were to attack Cuba there could be a stronger possibility that they could win, the exiled persons could be so filled up with anger and revenge that they would be unstoppable. Also, there could have been a possibility that Castro would be sympathetic towards the exiled persons and would easily succumb to them. Lastly, if the Soviet Union were to accuse America of attacking one of their allies, America could deny it because technically Americans were not involved in the fighting. Cuban exiles did all the fighting and attacked Cuba, the Soviet Union probably would not be able to provide any proof of America influencing the Cuban exiles.

3. Why did the invasion fail?

The invasion failed because when the Cuban exiles entered Cuba through the Bay of Pigs they were met by 20,000 Cuban troops armed with tanks and more. With far more people and better weapons Castro was easily able to defeat and kill all of the exiled persons within a few days. The invasion failed because the soldiers were not equiped with sufficient weaponry, were not as trained as the others, and were greatly outnumbered.

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.

In Source 17 in the Arms Race.pdf there are both long range and short range nuclear weapons that America owns. The short range weapons are in NATO European countries where they are much closer to the Soviet Union and will get to the Soviet Union much quicker. In Source 24 in the Cuban Missile Crisis.pdf the Soviet Union now how nuclear weapons in Cuba where it's much easier and quicker to reach the United States and more possible places to strike the United States. The Cold War power became almost equal, the Soviet Union got more power with the missiles in Cuba. America used to have the only short range nuclear weapons that threatened the USSR, but now the Soviets had weapons where they could easily attack the United States and greatly threatened them. Also, there would be more areas in the United States where the missiles could hit which would make more damage. In summary, after the Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba the balance of power during the Cold War greatly shifted to the Soviet Union.