Grade Level: 7-10
Subject: Cold War History
Lesson for October 15, 2002
Revisiting the Cuban Missile Crisis
and officials from the United States, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union
met on the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis to review recently
declassified documents, hear eyewitness testimony, and compare notes.
Among the new findings, conferees discovered that the world was much closer
to a nuclear holocaust during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis than governments
knew. They learned that on October 27, 1962, a Soviet submarine depth
charged by a U.S. destroyer was carrying a nuclear weapon. The submarine
captain ordered his crew to load a nuclear tipped torpedo, but he eventually
decided to surface instead of firing.
day the crisis appeared to be spinning out of control, according to declassified
documents discussed by Cuban leader Fidel Castro and former Secretary
of Defense Robert McNamara. The next day, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
ordered the withdrawal of missiles secretly deployed in Cuba, pressed
by U.S. photographic evidence and a naval blockade imposed on the island
by President John F. Kennedy.
was not only the most dangerous moment of the Cold War. It was the most
dangerous moment in human history," said Kennedy aide and historian Arthur
Schlesinger. "Never before had two contending powers possessed between
them the technical capacity to blow up the world."
This week's online lesson revisits the events of the most
dangerous moment in the cold war, the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Fourteen Days in October
of the best places on the Web to learn essential information about the
Cuban Missile Crisis is a ThinkQuest site, developed by students, called
Days in October: The Cuban Missile Crisis. Read the introduction
without clicking on any words, and then scroll down a bit to the heading
Where can I go on this site? Here you can navigate to the various
information features on the site.
Start with the Crisis
Center and read the overview of the crisis. Click on any of the
links that interest you, but be sure to go back and continue reading.
Who were the key leaders involved in the crisis? Why was the Soviet Union
motivated to place nuclear arms in Cuba? Why was Cuba so willing to cooperate?
What event marked the start of the crisis? Which agreement finally began
to ease the tension?
skip to The
Situation Room for access to some original documents and multimedia
files from 1962. Among the material available here, read letters
between Kennedy and Khrushchev, see or hear Kennedy's speech
to the nation, and read Dobrynin's critical cable
to Khrushchev that marked the turning point in the conflict. How
would you characterize the tone of the letters between Kennedy and Khrushchev?
Were they intimidating and threatening, or were they polite and cooperative?
Which leader seemed to be the most truthful or sincere?
You may want to learn more about the key people involved in
the conflict, in which case you should go to The
Players page and read the dossiers available. Based on the leaders'
backgrounds, what personality traits or personal experience came into
play during the conflict?
There are other areas to visit, but for now go to the Debriefing
Room and take the Quiz
to check your understanding thus far.
Cuban Missile Crisis really heated up when Kennedy was presented with
photographic evidence that the Soviet Union had been placing nuclear arms
in Cuba, close enough to strike nearly any city in the U.S. Most of these
photographs have been declassified and are now available online. A good
source is the Federation of American Scientists' Intelligence
Resource Program. Here on the Cuban Missile Crisis page, scroll
down to see photos from U-2 and RF-101 reconnaissance aircraft, the latter
flying at treetop level. Click the thumbnail images to see a larger picture.
Compare the dates of the photos with the timeline of the crisis.
To see photos of the aircraft and photographic equipment involved
in the reconnaissance, visit the Wright-Patterson
Air Force Museum site. What is a strip camera and why was it needed
for high-level, high-speed photography? What was unusual about the design
of the U-2 aircraft?
Heroes and Villains
Kennedy a hero or a villain for his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Consider this question at Learning Curve's Heroes
and Villains site, an interactive debate that lets you read both
sides of the crisis issue. Start by reading the summary page, which presents
both praise and criticism of the late president. Then click the links
on the left to investigate further and reach your own conclusion. First
Death of a President and learn how Kennedy's traumatic and untimely
death probably softened public and critical opinion of him. Click the
link at the bottom of the page to continue on to the next topic. When
you get to Judgment
Time, use the interactive form fields to add your own ideas to
both sides of the debate. State your verdict and then click Submit. You
can choose to print your verdict or e-mail it to a teacher or parent.
Returning now to the international conference in Havana, visit
the George Washington University conference site, The
Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962: A Political Perspective After 40 Years.
Explore the press releases listed on this page to see what conference
participants are learning and to read the same documents they're reading.
Among other resources, the site features audio
clips of recorded meetings from the Kennedy White House, newly
released reconnaissance photos,
and lots of original documents. What new information can you locate that
isn't mentioned in the previous sites you visited? How does it change
the historical perspective of the crisis?
Some historians and political commentators are comparing the
current crisis in Iraq to the Cuban Missile Crisis. In both cases there
are real or perceived threats involving weapons of mass destruction, as
well as threats to American and allied interests. In both cases the conflict
appears to be escalating to the brink of war. Follow the events of the
Iraq military crisis as they unfold by reading reports in The Cincinnati Enquirer over the coming weeks. What other
similarities between the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Iraq crisis can
you see? Think about the time of year and the coming election. Is there
a political motive in the crisis? Was there in JFK's case? What about
diplomatic solutions? Diplomacy ended the crisis in 1962; is there a diplomatic
solution to the Iraq crisis? Can you see any clear differences between
the two events, so much so that any comparison would be inherently unfair?