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.
These two days, being the days when there was a faceoff at the American blocade of Cuba and when there was an incident whihc involved an American plane beiong shot down, were the days when conflicts caused war to be as realistic of a possability as it ever was.
2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?
I think it was a very valid possability. Both countrys had the ability to devistate eachother, and tentions between the two were just about as high as possible without full scale war breaking out.
3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.
I would think that the cartoon was an American one, because the Soviet leader is depicted as sweating heavily, whale JFK looks calm and collected.
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
This is a likely reason, because it happened.
To test the USA
This is likely because at the time the US was not in very good standing with the world stage.
To trap the USA
This suggests that the USSR was trying to start a nuclear war, but because this never actually happened, it is unlikely this is a valid reason.
To get the upper hand in the arms race
This is a very likely reason because with the missles so close to the US it would be very easy for the USSR to launch an attack.
To defend Cuba
It is unlikely this was the reason because the USSR was makeing such a public deal about the missles being there. They were makeing a statement of somemkind.
5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis. Explain your choice.
I feel it was a mixture of trying to gain the upper hand in the arms race and to bargin with the US. They did even the score of the arms race by haveing ready to launch missles in such close geographical proximity to the US. Also, they could use this as a way to bargin the US into removeing some of their missles, which would also be helpful in the arms race between the two superpowers.
Showing posts with label Khrushchev. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Khrushchev. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
The U.S. Attempts to Contain Cuba
1. Why was Cuba so important to the United States?
Cuba was important to America because of its closeness to the US both economically and geographically. Its importance grograpahically was important because of a military base the US had on the island.
2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
It was too dangerous to directly invade the USSR friendly Cuban nation because this could have been taken as an act of war by the Soviet Union, which could have caused a nuclear war.
3. Why did the invasion fail?
The invasion failed because the US did not provide the necessary air support to the Cuban rebels. Tey were outnumbered and faceing a much stronger, better equipped, and better trained adversary without the help they depended on.
4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.
The USSR's ability to have missles in Cuba took away the US advantage of stratigic missle location. Before this point, the US had missles that could strike the Soviet Union in a very short amount of time, but after this the USSR had missles that could be equally quick and devistateing if ever used.
Cuba was important to America because of its closeness to the US both economically and geographically. Its importance grograpahically was important because of a military base the US had on the island.
2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
It was too dangerous to directly invade the USSR friendly Cuban nation because this could have been taken as an act of war by the Soviet Union, which could have caused a nuclear war.
3. Why did the invasion fail?
The invasion failed because the US did not provide the necessary air support to the Cuban rebels. Tey were outnumbered and faceing a much stronger, better equipped, and better trained adversary without the help they depended on.
4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.
The USSR's ability to have missles in Cuba took away the US advantage of stratigic missle location. Before this point, the US had missles that could strike the Soviet Union in a very short amount of time, but after this the USSR had missles that could be equally quick and devistateing if ever used.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Arms Race
1. Read Source 12. What methods do you think Dulles had in mind to 'liberate captive peoples' without a war?
Dulles probably wanted to stop the spread of communism by spreading capatilist influence and pushing back the borders of communism in USSR controled nations. This way full out war with the Soviet Union could likely be avoided but the US could still limit communist influence.
2. Look at Source 13. Would you agree that the Communist world was encircled? Explain your answer.
I feel this statement is accurate because the pre WWI like alliance systems that were formeing around the world were mostly non-communist, except for the Warasaw pact, which was surrounded by capatilst pro-US alliances on all sides.
3. Carefully examine the verticle timeline on page 343. Then look back at Source 12. Do you think the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind?
It is likely that the development of the H-bomb had something to do with the confidence Dulles showes in source 12. He seams to be be very confident about the ability of the US to push back the borders of communism is states with Soviet influence. If countries knew that the US had H-bomb abilitys, they would be less likely to stand up to US attempts at spreading capatilism.
4. Look at Source 16. What is the Soviet cartoon saying about the U-2 plane?
It is saying that the US is useing the UR plane to spy on the USSR, and dipicting this to be an unapproprate act.
5. Read the Factfile on page 344. Explain why the USSR was so angry about the US spy flights.
The USSR was upset about the U2 flights because they felt the US had been dishonest with them. The Soviets had already turned down a treaty proposed by the US asking for open airs above both contries. The USSR thought that fact that the Americans went ahead and did so anyways was a dishonest action.
6. How would the USA justify this violation of Soviet territory?
The fact that the USSR was continueing to develop nuclear weapons proves that the spying was necessary. The US had to know the nuclear ability of the USSR, because if they attacket the US, we had to be able to retaliate.
7. If the USSR had had U-2 planes, do you think it would have used them? Why?
They would have not hesitated to use them. The USSr was just as curious as the US as to what the other country was doing domestically. Both countries were continueing to prepare for a possible war, and any knowledge about the other country was a great advantage.
8. Look at Source 17. Why do you think the USA had missiles based in Europe?
The US had missiles based in Europe so that they could respnd in minuits to an attack by the USSR. If they were to only send missiles that were based in the US than it would take 30 minuits for them to reach the USSR. This would give Soviet forces to cause great damage to the US.
9. Define the term 'nuclear deterrent' in not more than 20 words.
The theory adopted by the US and the USSR during the Cold Warthat haveing a surpuls of nuclear weapons with the ability to destroy the other country would avoid war because no country would dare attact the other with the knowledge that doing so would call for a response.
Dulles probably wanted to stop the spread of communism by spreading capatilist influence and pushing back the borders of communism in USSR controled nations. This way full out war with the Soviet Union could likely be avoided but the US could still limit communist influence.
2. Look at Source 13. Would you agree that the Communist world was encircled? Explain your answer.
I feel this statement is accurate because the pre WWI like alliance systems that were formeing around the world were mostly non-communist, except for the Warasaw pact, which was surrounded by capatilst pro-US alliances on all sides.
3. Carefully examine the verticle timeline on page 343. Then look back at Source 12. Do you think the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind?
It is likely that the development of the H-bomb had something to do with the confidence Dulles showes in source 12. He seams to be be very confident about the ability of the US to push back the borders of communism is states with Soviet influence. If countries knew that the US had H-bomb abilitys, they would be less likely to stand up to US attempts at spreading capatilism.
4. Look at Source 16. What is the Soviet cartoon saying about the U-2 plane?
It is saying that the US is useing the UR plane to spy on the USSR, and dipicting this to be an unapproprate act.
5. Read the Factfile on page 344. Explain why the USSR was so angry about the US spy flights.
The USSR was upset about the U2 flights because they felt the US had been dishonest with them. The Soviets had already turned down a treaty proposed by the US asking for open airs above both contries. The USSR thought that fact that the Americans went ahead and did so anyways was a dishonest action.
6. How would the USA justify this violation of Soviet territory?
The fact that the USSR was continueing to develop nuclear weapons proves that the spying was necessary. The US had to know the nuclear ability of the USSR, because if they attacket the US, we had to be able to retaliate.
7. If the USSR had had U-2 planes, do you think it would have used them? Why?
They would have not hesitated to use them. The USSr was just as curious as the US as to what the other country was doing domestically. Both countries were continueing to prepare for a possible war, and any knowledge about the other country was a great advantage.
8. Look at Source 17. Why do you think the USA had missiles based in Europe?
The US had missiles based in Europe so that they could respnd in minuits to an attack by the USSR. If they were to only send missiles that were based in the US than it would take 30 minuits for them to reach the USSR. This would give Soviet forces to cause great damage to the US.
9. Define the term 'nuclear deterrent' in not more than 20 words.
The theory adopted by the US and the USSR during the Cold Warthat haveing a surpuls of nuclear weapons with the ability to destroy the other country would avoid war because no country would dare attact the other with the knowledge that doing so would call for a response.
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