SS5H8 The student will describe the
importance of key people, events,
and developments between 19501975.
a. Discuss the importance of the
Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam
War.
Important world leaders during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Fidel Castro, Cuba
President Kennedy
Nikita Khrushchev, U.S.S.R.
The Cuban Missile Crisis is considered by many to be
the closest the world has come to a nuclear war. The
Crisis really began in October, 1959, when the U.S. set
up missiles along the border of Turkey and the Soviet
Union for protection.
Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, in the meantime is
concerned with an attack by the U.S., and he turns to
Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev for assistance.
Khrushchev is more than ready to help Cuba. Nuclear
missiles were placed by U.S.S.R. in Cuba, just 90 miles
off the U.S. border.
October 15, 1962, a U-2 obtains photographs of missile sites in Cuba.
U.S. patrol plane flying
over Soviet freighter during
the Crisis.
Photo taken by U-2 of
missile sites in Cuba
Missile range shown on this map demonstrates
clearly the threat facing Americans.
On October 22, 1962, JFK addresses the nation with concerns.
Click on picture to hear Kennedy’s address to citizens on October 22, 1962
This was not an easy decision to make for the President
and his advisors. What should the President do? He was
given five main choices by his advisors.
Do Nothing
Invade Cuba by air
Invasion
Diplomatic pressure
Blockade
If President Kennedy does nothing, America would be threatened by
the U.S.S.R.’s missiles.
Go back
If President Kennedy attacks by air, the U.S.S.R. might retaliate
or launch missiles.
Go back
If Kennedy invades Cuba, the U.S.S.R.
will get involved, possibly forcing
the use of nuclear weapons. World
War III would be imminent.
Go back
Placing diplomatic pressure
on U.S.S.R. by the United
Nations would be interpreted
as a weakness by the United
States. They could force
America to back down.
Go back
Placing a blockade is not seen as an act of war.
This would place a burden on Khrushchev as
he would have to decide what to do next.
Move on
And the decision is:
Naval quarantine (blockade) begins
on October 24, 1962.
“You, Mr. President, are not declaring a
quarantine, but rather are setting forth an
ultimatum and threatening that if we do not
give in to your demands you will use force.
Consider what you are saying! And you want
to persuade me to agree to this!… You are no
longer appealing to reason, but wish to
intimidate us.”
N. Khrushchev,
Excerpt of letter sent to President Kennedy, October 24
October 25, Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson,
challenges Soviet ambassador and shows him the photos of the
missile sites. Kennedy sends a letter to Khrushchev, placing blame
on the Soviet Union and urging him to “change the course of events.”
October 26, A Soviet ship arrives at the blockade. It is searched for
and allowed to proceed to Cuba. In a long letter from Khrushchev,
he suggests a possible deal with America if they promise not to invade
Cuba.
October 27, Tensions remain high. A second letter arrives from
Khrushchev demanding removal of the missiles in Turkey. An American
U-2 plane is shot down, the pilot killed. Robert Kennedy, the President’s
brother, meets with a Soviet Ambassador and agrees not to invade
Cuba, and remove missiles.
Kennedy and Khrushchev in negotiations
Excerpt from Letter From Chairman Khrushchev to President Kennedy, October 28, 1962
OFFICIAL ENGLISH TEXT OF KHRUSHCHEV MESSAGE
MOSCOW TASS IN ENGLISH TO EUROPE NO.11, 28 OCT 62
Dear Mr. President:
I have received your message of October 27. I express my satisfaction and thank you for the sense of
proportion you have displayed and for realization of the responsibility which now devolves on you for
the preservation of the peace of the world.
I regard with great understanding your concern and the concern of the United States people in
connection with the fact that the weapons you describe as offensive are formidable weapons indeed.
Both you and we understand what kind of weapons these are.
In order to eliminate as rapidly as possible the conflict which endangers the cause of peace, to give an
assurance to all people who crave peace, and to reassure the American people, who, I am certain, also
want peace, as do the people of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Government, in addition to earlier
instructions on the discontinuation of further work on weapons construction sites, has given a new
order to dismantle the arms which you described as offensive, and to crate and return them to the
Soviet Union….
President Kennedy’s letter
successfully ends the Cuban Missile
Crisis.
http://www.bing.com/images?FORM=Z9LH
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/kennedy_cuban_missile_01.shtml
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/missiles-october-cuban-missile-crisis-1962
http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/cmc/oct25/index.html
http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/evans/his135/Events/Cuba62.htm
http://wars.mrdonn.org/powerpoints/cubanmissile-crisis.html