Download The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

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This week
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Wednesday: Cuban Missile Crisis
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Thursday: Cuban Missile Crisis
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Overview
Cuban Missile Crisis on Facebook
Document Analysis: Cuban Perspective
Friday: Study day
Nelson Mandela questions
 Civil Rights Timeline
 DeMarco on American Civil Rights
 Research project
 Cuban Missile Crisis on Facebook
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Lesson overview
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What was the background to the events in
Cuba?
How successful were early attempts at
‘containment’?
Why was the USSR interested in helping Cuba?
What happened during the October Crisis?
What was the outcome of the crisis?
What was the background to the
events in Cuba?
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Cuba, small island, 160
km from coast of Florida
US ally, US businesses &
US military base
(Guantanamo)
1959, Fidel Castro
overthrows Battista (USbacked dictator),
establishing Communist
government.
Why was Cuba so important to the
Americans?
How successful were early attempts
at ‘containment’?
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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?
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
Why was the USSR interested in
helping Cuba?
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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
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Why does this cartoonist think that Khrushchev was
interested in Cuba?
What happened during the October
Crisis?
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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
 Your task
(In Pairs)
President John F Kennedy was faced with a number of
extremely difficult decisions that could decide the fate of
the world! Read through the list of options on your task
sheet. Reduce the options to 2 and explain your reasons
to the class.
Problem-solving task
Thoughts on what to do...
HAWKS-Doves-Owls
Thoughts on what to do...
Hawks-DOVES-Owls
Thoughts on what to do...
Hawks-Doves-OWLS
So Remember:
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HAWKS “invaders”
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DOVES “traders”
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OWLS
“persuaders”
These birds were not of the same feather,
and therefore did not flock together...
 Your task
You are about to find out what actually happened during
the Cuban Missile Crisis. Complete a timeline in your
notes. There are 10 key events to include.
What happened during the October
Crisis?
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20 October, Kennedy
decides to blockade
Cuba
22 October, Kennedy
publicly calls on
Khrushchev to remove
weapons
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Video of Kennedy’s public address
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W50RNAbmy3
M
What happened during the October
Crisis?
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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?
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24 October, 10:32 am, Soviet ships stop and turn around
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?
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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?
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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
Permanent hotline between White House & Kremlin
set up
Supported theory of containment & co-existence
because alternatives unimaginable
 Your task
Sources
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Create a Facebook news feed outlining the
events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
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Examples, instructions, criteria on Moodle
Use your notes, your textbooks
(Mitchner pp.190-191 DeMarco pp.223-228)
Neat website that might be useful:
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http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/cmc/
The Cuban Missile Crisis
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The CUBAN Perspective
Questions for Today
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Was the Cuban government justified in believing
that an American attack was imminent?
Did Castro have reason to believe that Cuba
needed defense against an American attack?
 Was Castro justified in seeking assistance from
the Soviet Union?
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Khrushchev & Castro
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Individually: Read these documents
Make notes on:
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What are the major CONCERNS presented in these
documents?
Next we will come together as a class and make
a list of the concerns
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Be prepared to SHARE your ideas
Document Analysis
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You will receive a primary document
Use Intelligence Analysis Guide to analyze your
document (individually)
Next, you will be put in to groups and will
discuss your document
Next, your groups will share your conclusions
and ideas with the rest of the class
Class Discussion
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What were Cuban fears during this time? Were
these fears founded?
If you were a Cuban leader at the time, what
would you have done in the face of this threat?
From what you know of the American
perspective on the Cuban missile crisis, did the
United States understand Cuban fears?
Would the U.S. Approach have changed if
leaders had understood?