Lesson with tasks on Cuban Missile Crisis

2. 1.Reasons for the Cuban Missile Crisis – the
Background
2.Who is to be blamed – US, USSR, Cuba?
3.The actual proceeding of the crisis –What
happened?
4.The outcome/impact - Concept of victory vs
failure
1. Who won? – US, USSR, Cuba?
2. Who lost? – US, USSR, Cuba?
KeyThings to note for this topic:
Possible SBQ directions

4. How would you characterise the difference
between the Communist and the democratic
system?
Try to think of one reason why someone will
be attracted to communism and one reason
why one might be attracted to capitalism?
List at least one reason each why one would
hate communism or capitalism.
Historical Background

5. Where is Cuba?
5

6. What was the background to the
events in Cuba?
Cuba, small island, 160 km
from coast of Florida
US ally, US businesses & US
military base (Guantanamo)
1959, Fidel Castro
overthrows Battista (US-
backed dictator),
establishing Communist
government.
Why was Cuba soWhy was Cuba so
important to theimportant to the
Americans?Americans?

8. The main characters of this
event
Nikita KhruschevNikita Khruschev
Fidel CastroFidel Castro
John F KennedyJohn F Kennedy

10. Anti- castro
Castro government using
seizure of american business to
fatten themselves
fat castro govt vs
skinny malnourished cubans
American people trying to get
the Cubans to think what will
happen when they run out of
foreigners
Will target the local company
next
discredit the castro govt
Source published in the
washington post 1960
What happens when they run out of foreigners?

12. Public show of unity and
friendship during the UN
Conference
Castro and Khrushchev at the UN
conference

13. NO
America did not respect
self determination
YES
1)Castro Government – not
legitimate : Gain control
through revolution
2)Domino effect – fear of
Latin american countries
falling into communist hands
3)Anger over nationalisation
of am coys
Did the US have the right to try to change
the government in Cuba by force?

15. Bay of Pigs
unsuccessful April 1961 invasion to overthrow the government of
President Fidel Castro.
United States CIA-backed invasion by 1,400 Cuban exiles and a
number of American citizens formed into Brigade 2506
Claimed to be directed by President John F. Kennedy

16. Khrushchev’s view

17. Kennedy’s view

18. American Perspective
Castro government
illegitimate and
unpopular
Need to ensure self
determination and
protectWest from
communist
encroachment.
Soviet Perspective
US actions threaten
world peace
Need to protect Cuba
Differences in viewpoints

20. SS-4 SANDAL MRBM on parade in Red Square, Moscow. It could launch a 3 megaton warhead in an
estimated range of 1020 nautical miles.

21. The story unfolds…

28. What happened during the October
Crisis?
14 October 1962, US U2 spy plane
takes photos of suspected USSR
missile sites on Cuba
Sites nearing completion, experts
believe they could be ready in 7
days
US spy planes identify 20 Soviet
ships bound for Cuba carrying
missiles

29. Events –The danger of Cuba
Kennedy’s
advisers told
him he had 10
days before
Cuba could fire
the missiles at
targets in
America.
Kennedy
realised he had
to act

30. The danger of Cuba
30

31. The video you are about to see is
a reenactment of theWhite
House Meeting in 1962, from
the movie “Thirteen Days”
(2000)
It depicted the various options
available for John F Kennedy
with regards to the Cuban
Missile Crisis
Watch the video and write down
the options available in the
worksheet and discuss the
possible implications of his
actions
Video

32. Response Likely outcome
Least
aggressive
response
Moderate
aggressive
response
?? ??
Most
aggressive
response
Full scale war to invade Cuba • Image of US? – Act of
war
• USSR into the picture to
help Cuba – full scale war
– WW3?
• Nuclear weapons to be
used on both sides –
M.A.D?

33. What happened during the
October Crisis?
20 October, Kennedy
decides to blockade
Cuba
22 October, Kennedy
publicly calls on
Khrushchev to
remove weapons

34. What happened during the October
Crisis?
23 October Khrushchev
refuses to acknowledge
blockade or presence of
Soviet missiles on Cuba
24 October, 1st
Soviet ships
(accompanied by
submarine) approach 800
km exclusion zone

35. What happened during the
October Crisis?
24 October, 10:32 am, Soviet ships stop & turn round
25 October, aerial photos showed continued
construction of missile sites
26 October, Kennedy receives a letter offering to
negotiate over missiles in Cuba with removal of
blockade & US invasion threat
27 October, Kennedy receives second letter calling
for withdrawal of US missiles inTurkey too

36. What happened during the
October Crisis?
27 October, US U2 plane shot down over
Cuba & pilot killed. Kennedy decides to
ignore second letter, but accepts terms of 1st
letter
28 October, Khrushchev agrees to dismantle
Soviet missiles in Cuba

38. THE USSR HONOURS ITS AGREEMENT
A U2 photo on November 5 shows Soviet military equipment being
reloaded for transportation back to the USSR.

39. What was the outcome of the
crisis?
Cuba remained Communist & heavily armed (without
nuclear missiles)
Both leaders didn’t lose face and came away with
concessions
Helped renew the thaw – world saw the futility of MAD
•In 1963, they agreed a NuclearTest BanTreaty.
• Cuba was the start of the end of the ColdWar.
Moscow-Washington permanent hotline betweenWhite
House & Kremlin set up
•Supported theory of containment & co-existence because
alternatives were unimaginable