The Cuban Missile Crisis

The answers are due on Wednesday prior to class.

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.
Oct. 24 -The blockade begins and the first missile-carrying ships, accompanied by a Soviet submarine, approach the 5OO-mile (800 km) blockade zone. Then at 10.32 a.m., the 20 Sovietships which are closest to the zone stop or turn around.
and on the 27 -Khrushchev revises his proposals - saying that the condition forremoving the missiles from Cuba is that the USA withdraw its missiles from Turkey. Kennedy cannot accept this condition.An American U-2 plane is shot down over Cuba. The pilot is killed. The President is advised to launch an immediate reprisal attack on Cuba. Kennedy decides to delay an attack. He also decides to ignore the second Khrushchev lettel~ but accepts the terms suggested by Khrushchevon 26 October. He says that if the Soviet Union does not withdraw, an attack will follow.

2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?
Yes i believe they were moments away from nulcear war at several pionts in the crisis.

3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.
American because it is the soviet leader who is strugiling in the Nuclear Arms War while JFK is cool and calm againts him.

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: Yes, they planed to get thing out of us, in return for not fireing a missile.

-To test the USA: Yes Kireiedahafi, Soviet Ruler, wanted to test how good Kennedy was.

-To trap the USA: The missiles were a trap. Khrushchev wanted the Americans to find them and be drawn into a nuclear war. He did not even try to hide them.

-To get the upper hand in the arms race: Khrushchev was so concerned about the missile gap between the USSR and the USA that he would seize any opportunity he could to close it.

-To defend Cuba: The missiles were genuinely meant to defend Cuba.

5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis.
Explain your choice.
I believe the Soviets wanted to test the Americans, especialy Kennedy, Because he looked so young. And i also believe they might haved used this to try and get supplies out tof the US on return for not fiering the misslies.