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Beth Meyer
Mr. Douville
English Period 5
November 21, 2014
Cuban Missile Crisis
Backround:
In John F. Kennedys speech to the American people about the Cuban Missile
Crisis on October 22, 1962 he states at the closing of his speech:
...Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right- -not peace at
the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom, here in this hemisphere,
and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved.
(Address to the American People about the Cuban Missile Crisis)
America and the Soviet Union came within a hair of having an all out nuclear war and
one of the thin strands that stopped the war from happening was JFKs heroic
leadership all throughout the crisis.
Some of the numerous important events or facts of the cold war include, the Yalta
conference, the Iron Curtain, the Truman doctrine, the Marshall plan, the Berlin
Blockade, NATO, the Warsaw pact, and the Vietnam/Korean wars. During one of the
most important meetings of the Cold War, called the Yalta Conference, Stalin, Churchill,
and Roosevelt meet to converse about the postwar and current world (Yalta conference
milestone). The Iron Curtain is also declared during the Cold War by Churchill. The
Iron Curtain was basically an imaginary line separating communist controlled East
Europe from democratic and American supported West Europe (Britannica). The
Truman Doctrine is declared in support of all countries that are democratic and wish to
resist the spread of communism (The Truman Doctrine).The Marshall plan is a great

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example of the Truman doctrine because it states that America will lend aid to any
countries that are economically failing. Two countries that were supported by the
Truman Doctrine and the Marshall plan were Greece and Turkey, both Greece and
Turkey were economically in need and they received assistance from the United States
(George C. Marshall). In Berlin, Stalin had set up the Berlin Blockade to stop travel to
the Western Allies portion of Berlin. He set up a giant blockade surrounding all exits and
entrances including supplies (Berlin Blockade). In response to Stalins blockade,
America began the Berlin Airlift to send the starving people in Berlin assistance. The
airlift brought in nearly 13 tons of supplies every day and almost 200,000 flights were
made in support (history). America then created N.A.T.O, or the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, in a military alliance with all who wanted in. NATO stated that if any
country included in the alliance was attacked, it would be taken as an attack on all the
countries included in the alliance and they would retaliate as one (NATO). After NATO,
the USSR created the Warsaw pact which was just an imitation of NATO but it included
the communist countries in Eastern Europe (The Warsaw pact is formed). A bit later, the
Berlin wall is built to stop people from fleeing from Eastern Europe to a safer and calmer
West Berlin (Berlin wall built).
Europe during the cold war. Before the Cuban MIssile Crisis even began, the Iron
curtain was created or more accurately it was imagined and the name spread. British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill said on March 5, 1946, From Stettin in the Baltic to
Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. . This was
where the name Iron Curtain came from. The Iron Curtain was basically just an
imaginary line that separated communist East Europe from non-communist West

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Europe (The History Place). At the conclusion of WWII Germany was split into 4
sectors, American, British, Soviet, and French. Berlin was divided that same way. A
while after the division, The 3 different sectors of America, France, and Britain combined
into one sector. There were also many issues in Berlin prior the Cuban Missile Crisis.
One such issue was the Berlin Blockade. Stalin decided that he wanted to block the
Western portion of Berlin off, this was called the Berlin Blockade. He put armed guard
blockades at the borders of Western Berlin and stopped all the trading routes. In
response to the Berlin Blockade, the US began the Berlin Airlift in support of the starving
people in Berlin. The Airlift brought 13 tons of supplies nearly every day and there were
nearly 200,000 flights in support of the starving people in Berlin (Berlin Blockade).
The US containment policy and the Truman Doctrine were background to the
Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States containment policy was instituted in an attempt
to keep communism bottled up in the Eastern Hemisphere (The containment policy and
cold war). There was also the Truman Doctrine that was a policy of support. The
Doctrine stated that America would lend economical support to any countries that were
failing and needed assistance to fight back against communism. President Harry
S. Truman created the Truman Doctrine in support of the containment policy to try and
help countries resist communism thus keeping it as effectively contained as possible
(The Truman Doctrine).
The Cuban Revolution also happened before the Cuban Missile Crisis and was a
major cause of it. The beginning cause to the Cuban Revolution was the perception of
Fulgencio Batista. The Cubans thought he was a cruel leader and so, Fidel Castro
worked up enough people to start a guerilla army. He marched on Batista and overcame

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his larger army. He then proceeded to take control of Cuba and quickly converted it to a
communist country. After hearing about what Castro had done, America cut off supply
lines and support to Cuba but after Russia heard, they extended a hand of friendship.
They then proceeded to install missile sites in Cuba that would be capable of reaching
almost anywhere in the United States (Christopher Minster).
There were also several Elections held before the Crisis. After President
Eisenhower stepped down, John F. Kennedy stepped up into the position of president.
JFK created ExComm as a presidential advice comity. There were also changes in
Russia. Stalin died of a Cerebral Hemorrhage and Nikita Khrushchev took up his place
as the leader of Russia. The two new leaders inherited the struggling relationship
between Russia and America. Even before the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russia and
America were at a bit of a standoff (The Leaders Cuban Missile Crisis). Although
Kennedys legacy was tainted during the Bay of Pigs and his dealing
with Khrushchev, he was still heroic during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy made
mistakes like the Bay of Pigs.
Bay of Pigs:
The Bay of Pigs was an all out disaster because of the bad planning, information
leaking out, and the lack of proper preparation. For a start, the CIA tried to hide their
involvement by recruiting exiled Cubans in Miami to perform the assault. The Bay of
Pigs ended up an enormous failure partly because of the bad or lack of proper planning.
Nobody took into consideration the time shift that would occur so arrivals were
displaced and the synchronization of the attack was off. Castro already had wind of the
air strike force that was heading to his air force and by the time that the US air force had

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reached Castros, he had already moved his grounded air force into sheltered areas.
The plan was never truly thought through and steps were missed. The scout team that
went first to find a secluded area for the troops to land failed to see a radio station so as
the real force landed their boats, the radio station broadcast the details of what was
happening to listeners all over Cuba so by the time the American forces had gotten their
boats to shore, Castro already had soldiers at the beach when the US troops landed.
Another problem for the boats were unexpected reefs. Some of the reefs managed to
sink a few of the boats carrying troops and making the already outnumbered force even
smaller. The fighting didn't even last for a full day before the troops surrendered. The
Bay of Pigs really couldn't have been much more of a disaster with the lack of
preparation, the leaking information, and the absence of a full on effort (Bay of Pigs
invasion).
Khrushchev:
Another one of Kennedys failures includes how he dealt with Khrushchev and
this shows because of how disastrous the Vienna Summit Talks ended up, some of the
letters Kennedy sent and received, the impressions he made and perceived of and to
Khrushchev, and the results of his dealings. During the Vienna Summit Talks, JFK and
Khrushchev discussed the crisis in Berlin (John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev).
JFK was also bullied, Khrushchev saw Kennedy as too young to be a leader so he
talked down to Kennedy more than was appropriate. By the end of the Summit talks,
JFK felt that it was a complete and utter failure, he described it as the worst day of my
life (Thrall, Nathan, and Jesse James Wilkins).
The letters that Kennedy and Khrushchev sent back and forth to each other were

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not a great example of leadership. Many of the letters exchanged between Kennedy
and Khrushchev were vicious and accusatory and some of the demands made by the
USSR outraged ExComm (Cuban Missile Crisis). The impressions that Kennedy and
Khrushchev made and received of each other were also none to high. Khrushchev
thought that Kennedy was too young to be an effective leader. Kennedy in turn thought
Khrushchev was the single most cold hearted person he had met. Kennedy told a
reporter after the Summit talks,[I] talked about how a nuclear exchange would kill 70
million people in 10 minutes, and he just looked at me as if to say, So what? (Andrew
Glass) Kennedy and Khrushchev were not on the same terms at all when it came to the
Vienna Summit Talks, they were accusing of each other in most letter and were only
diplomatic in a handful, and neither of them respected the other very much (U.S.-Soviet
Summit Meeting Collapses). The letters that Kennedy sent and received were one of
Kennedys mistakes because of how accusatory/brutal a few of the letters were (John
F. Kennedy) and (Albert Marin)
Kennedy was Hero:
Kennedy was a heroic leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis as his actions show
when he chose to take a peaceful pursuit rather than violent, and when he set up a
naval blockade around Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis has 7 main events throughout
the 13 days of fear. The first main event was the discovery. Spy planes flying over Cuba
picked up traces of radiation. they then went and took pictures of missile launch sites in
Cuba. Second, Kennedy is visited by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko who tells
Kennedy that their support of Cuba is not an aggressive act against the United States.
The next day, ExComm of Kennedys presidential advisors spent the entire day

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discussing the possible actions and what the consequences and effects of the might be
and then they informed Kennedy of what his options were. Then, Kennedy orders a
naval blockade to surround Cuba. This was one of the most non-violent options that
ExComm could come up with. Kennedy and Khrushchev then exchange many letters,
some more diplomatic and others brutally accusatory. Kennedy and Khrushchev
exchange demands and some of the demands that were made by the USSR angered
ExComm. Finally, the two sides come to an agreement and the crisis is over (Cuban
Missile Crisis Timeline). The options that Kennedy could take were both violent and
peaceful. The violent options included sending the air force to assault Cuba, he could
send a Nuclear missile into Cuba but since Kennedy was trying very hard to avoid
nuclear warfare that option was basically out of the question, Kennedy could also begin
a ground assault similar to the Bay of Pigs but learn from their mistakes and find a
different beach with better conditions to land at (Bay of Pigs invasion). Some of his
more peaceful options include putting up a naval blockade, which Kennedy did do, or he
could try to take a purely diplomatic approach to the whole situation. Taking a
completely diplomatic approach probably wouldn't have been the best idea as Fidel
Castro, the person who led the guerilla army and took over from Fulgencio Batista, was
a pro-communist person and likely wouldn't listen to the United States as they were
trying their best to keep communism contained in the Eastern Hemisphere (About the
Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis). Kennedys actions may have been unwise to start with but
he was still a good leader. His actions during the Bay of Pigs were almost completely
justified. He chose the least bloody option, an air strike would kill anyone even if they
were utterly innocent and a Nuclear war would kill millions of people so sending in a

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ground force that could aim and kill only their targets was the best choice that Kennedy
could have made. Kennedys action of the naval blockade also prove how he was a
great leader. Kennedy even made the blockade as peaceful as possible, instead of
ordering the ships to blow up any other approaching ships on sight, he had them stop
the ships, board them, and if there were no warheads or weapons the ships would be
allowed to carry on without harm. In the end, Kennedys actions make him out to be a
heroic leader because of his constant pursuit of non-violence, the naval blockade and
how he ended up dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis (Cuban Missile Crisis).
Importance and Effects:
The Cuban Missile crisis impacted the world in ways that some people might not
even know about and in other ways that are more evident such as how it caused
heightened awareness to just how fast the world can drop into chaos, The crisis causes
some relations between countries to become a bit more shaky, and it also caused the
creation of the red telephone. One of the main lasting effects of the Cuban Missile
Crisis was the fear that it embedded in Americans. They became aware of just how fast
the world can escalate into chaos, within just a few days, Russia and the United States
were extremely close to having an all out nuclear war. Another effect of the Crisis was
unsteady relations. Even before the crisis Russia and America were not too friendly so
after the near disaster, the relationship was even worse and even less trusting. The
relations between Cuba and America changed to. Before Castro took over Cuba, Batista
was the leader and he was American backed. He did little to impede American factories
and farms on Cuba but when Castro came into power, he seized the farms and factories
for his own. Since Castro was a communist, he was most certainly not supported by

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America so they cut off all supply lines and trading with Cuba. To this day, Cuba still
remains communist and it can't be said that Cuba and America are close allies. (The 9
Most Important Lessons) One other effect of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the
installation of the Red Telephone Line This directly connects the Pentagon to the
Kremlin. The way of communication during the Cuban Missile Crisis was mainly just
letters. These were slow and took a lot of time to get to and from Russia and America.
Many people thought and still think that if there was a faster method that letters as
communication, the Crisis might have been solved sooner and with less nationwide
panic. The Red Telephone Line was mainly a lasting effect because it is still up today
in case there is another emergency like the one America and Russia experienced.(The
U.S.-Soviet "hot Line" Goes into Operation) The Crisis changed this world in more ways
than one as it instilled fear in America, Relations between countries changed, and the
Red Telephone Line came into existence.
Conclusion:
The Cuban Missile Crisis barely stayed a verbal exchange between countries
instead of turning into a full on nuclear war and even though some of Kennedys
mistakes before and during the Cuban Missile Crisis such as the Bay of Pigs and how
he dealt with Khrushchev, he still showed heroic leadership in the events of the Cuban
Missile Crisis. The lesson of the Cuban Missile Crisis is plain: Strength prevents war;
weakness invites it. We need a commander-in-chief who understands that - and who
won't leave us facing a foe who thinks he doesn't. (Arthur L. Herman)

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Works Cited
Primary Sources:
"Address to the American People about the Cuban Missile Crisis." Digital
History. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1170>
"Arthur L. Herman Quote."BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/arthurlhe529578.html>.
Kennedy, John F. "American Experience: TV's Most-watched History
Series."PBS. PBS, Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primaryresources/jfk-negotiate/>.

Marshall, George C. "Marshall_Plan." National Archives and Records

Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 21

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Nov. 2014.
<http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/marshall_plan/>.

The Truman Doctrine." The Truman Doctrine, 1947 - 19451952 - Milestones Office of the Historian. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
<https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/truman-doctrine>.
Secondary Sources:
"About the Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis." Cuban Missile Crisis. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/background/>.
"Bay of Pigs Invasion."History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 12 Nov.
2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion>.

"Berlin Wall Built." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-wall-built>
"Containment and Cold War, 1945-1961 - Short History - Department History Office of the Historian."Containment and Cold War, 1945-1961 - Short History Department History - Office of the Historian. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/shorthistory/containmentandcoldwar>.
"Cuban Missile Crisis."Cuban Missile Crisis Timeline. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.datesandevents.org/events-timelines/04-cuban-missile-crisis-timeline.htm>.
"Cuban Missile Crisis." - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. Web. 11 Nov.
2014. <http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx>.
"Iron Curtain (European History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia
Britannica. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/294419/Iron-Curtain>.
Minster, Christopher. "The Cuban Revolution." About. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
<http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/historyofthecaribbean/p/08cubanrevo.htm>.

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Winston Churchill Speech."The History Place - Great Speeches Collection: Winston

Churchill Speech - Iron Curtain. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/ironcurtain.htm>.
"The Leaders Cuban Missile Crisis." Cuban Missile Crisis. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/background/dramatis-personae/the-leaders/>

"The Warsaw Pact Is Formed."History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 10

Nov. 2014. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-warsaw-pact-isformed>.

Thrall, Nathan, and Jesse James Wilkins. "Kennedy Talked, Khrushchev

Triumphed." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 May 2008. Web. 13
Nov. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/opinion/22thrall.html?_r=0>.

"NATO." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State. Web. 10 Nov.

2014. <http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rt/nato/>.
"U.S.-Soviet Summit Meeting Collapses." History.com. A&E Television Networks.
Web. 13 Nov. 2014. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-sovietsummit-meeting-collapses>

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