Cuban Missile Crisis

Read background and history together, outloud

Your task (if you choose to accept it, which you must since you are going to be either the President of part of his cabinet)
- Get into groups of 5-6
- elect one person to be President - Decide who will be supporting Option 1, Option 2, Option 3, Option 4, and Option 5 - Cabinet Members: Spend 5-10 minutes reading your option, and coming up with an argument that you will present to the rest Cabinet - Presidents: While the cabinet is spending time going over their option, meet with Mr. Schwarze to discuss presidential things - President has the final say for which option to choose - Presidents will then vote; majority will win

Options
1. Invade Cuba 2. Bomb the missile sites 3. Set up a quarantine to prevent offensive weapons from reaching Cuba 4. Negotiate a settlement 5. Allow the missiles to stay.

Cuba- Background
1950s
Led by Fulgenico Batista
Most Cubans were poor under Batista Not tolerant of Communists Received support of USA (exploited for sugarcane) Army on his side

Young Cubans read about socialism and tried to overthrow Batista

Failure Flee to Sierra Mastra Helped the poor work their land

Cuba- Background II
1959
Castro led the rebels against Batista Achieved overthrow of Batista with popular support

Castros changes
Executed those who abused the poor Nationalized all American firms
Took money and spent it on health case system

Introduced major land reforms

Cuba- Background III

1960
USA puts a trade embargo on Cuba (will not trade) Castro refers to himself as a socialist, not a communist USSR steps in and buys Cubas sugar and other exports

US Response to Castro
Eisenhower authorized an anti-Castro plan
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) trained antiCastro Cuban exiles in Guatemala

JFK approves the plan

Plan to invade Cuba, raise anti-Castro support, then overthrow Castro

Bay of Pigs
Complete and total disaster
Castro mobilized his troops and was able to corner the invading force.

JFK is asked for extra support

Kennedy keeps the US directly out of the battle- did nothing

Humiliation for JFK, US

Castro/Cuba, Khrushev/Soviet Union triumphant
US forced to pay $53 million in food and medical supplies in return for prisoners

How successful were early attempts at containment?

Castro takes over US businesses January 1961, US breaks off diplomatic relations April, 1961, Bay of Pigs 1,400 anti-Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Castro Autumn 1962, Cuba has received 1000s of USSR missiles, jets, boats & personnel

The US committed $100 million to overthrowing Castro, the CIA tried to sabotage the economy, they even planned to send him an exploding cigar! Why did they go to such lengths after April 1961?

Why was the USSR interested in helping Cuba?

Cuba was a new Communist state Cuba provided a launch base for USSR inter-continental missiles (ICMs) Khrushchev wanted to test strength of new US president, JFK Khrushchev wanted to force JFK into bargaining over US missile in Europe

Why does this cartoonist think that Khrushchev was interested in Cuba?

Options
1. Invade Cuba 2. Bomb the missile sites 3. Set up a quarantine to prevent offensive weapons from reaching Cuba 4. Negotiate a settlement 5. Allow the missiles to stay.

What happened during the October Crisis?

Why have some modern historians questioned the accuracy of these spy plane pictures?

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 15 October US spy planes identify 20 Soviet ships bound for Cuba carrying missiles

What happened during the October Crisis?

20 October, Kennedy decides to blockade Cuba 22 October, Kennedy publicly calls on Khrushchev to remove weapons

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

What happened during the October Crisis?

24 October, 10:32 am, Soviet ships stop and turn round 25 October, aerial photos show continued construction of missile sites 26 October, Kennedy receives another letter offering to negotiate over missiles in Cuba with removal of blockade and US invasion threat 27 October, Kennedy receives second letter calling for withdrawal of US missiles in Turkey too

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

What is this cartoonist trying to say about the difficulties facing Kennedy during the Crisis?

What was the outcome of the crisis?

Cuba remained Communist & heavily armed (without nuclear missiles) Both leaders didnt lose face and came away with concessions Helped renew the thaw world saw the futility of MAD Permanent hotline between White House & Kremlin set up Supported theory of containment & co-existence because alternatives unimaginable Nuclear Arms Test Ban + Treaty

Go to:
http://www.armageddonletters.com/graphics

Read through the graphic novel about the Cuban Missile Crisis

 Your task
President John F Kennedy was faced with a number of extremely difficult decisions that could decide the fate of the world! Look in your envelope. Place the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis in order. Good luck, you have five minutes.

 Extension task
Divide into student A or B. Student A must produce a short press release explaining the background, key events & outcome for the Soviet news agency Pravda. Student B must do the same for the White House spokesmens speech to journalists.