Cuban missile crisis primary source analysis

The students in groups will work through a series of primary source documents related to the cuban missile crisis of october 1962. For thirteen days in october 1962 the world waitedseemingly on the brink of nuclear warand hoped for a peaceful resolution to the cuban missile crisis. Students will determine to what extent the cuban missile crisis changed the cold war. Just prior to the cuban missile crisis, it appeared that the soviet union was winning. Cuban missile crisis to detente primary sources and historical documents for cold war.

Cuban missile crisis primary source lesson postwwii america. After several days of increasing tensions, the soviet union finally agreed to remove the missiles. Off campus access instructions for ebooks anatomy of the cuban missile crisis by james a. Sep 21, 2010 in this lesson plan students will examine primary sources to determine the level of threat caused by the buildup of soviet nuclear missiles and weapons sites in cuba during the cuban missile crisis and will analyze president kennedys response. Here you will find primary sources such as historical photographs, key documents, and audio and video resources, all of which help bring the crisis to life and show how it was experienced by key players. Causes summary the cuban missile crisis gcse history. The american government soon decided that he was acting like a communist, and in 1961 they backed a disastrous attempt to overthrow him the bay of pigs disaster. Most are organized by date and link to the documents themselves. Cia special national intelligence estimate, major consequences of certain u.

Students will apply the analysis of the primary and secondary sources to create a map of what they believe occurred in the event being described in the documents. If the cuban missile crisis was the most dangerous passage of the cold war, the most dangerous moment of the cuban missile crisis was the evening of saturday, 27 october 1962, when the resolution of the crisiswar or peace appeared to hang in the balance. This page allows you to explore some of the raw evidence from the cuban missile crisis. Harvard kennedy schools belfer center has created this site as a resource for the cuban missile crisis. Mar 27, 2020 cuban missile crisis and aftermath by u. The cuban missile war was the most devastating war in world history. With the push of a button on either side, a nuclear. At a minimum, the primary and secondary sources found on this site will help speed up the process of investigating, examining, and understanding what happened during this crucial and potentially devastating period in the history of our country.

This 2page, commoncore aligned activity will help students analyze the causes of the cuban missile crisis during the cold war. Key documents cuban missile crisiscuban missile crisis. Primary source analysis worksheets cuban missile crisis. Dec 12, 2017 forty years later, what is now known as the cuban missile crisis, which lasted for several weeks, is remembered as the hottest moment in the cold war between east and west and a defining moment in kennedys presidency. Click the title for location and availability information. Explain why events in cuba would be carefully watched by. Kennedy made public the presence of soviet missiles in cuba in this speech to the american people. The conflict cannot really be viewe d from a bove looking.

It will also allow students to conceptualize other inquiries related to the cuban missile crisis for further investigation. Forty years later, what is now known as the cuban missile crisis, which lasted for several weeks, is remembered as the hottest moment in the cold war between east and west and a defining moment in kennedys presidency. The cuban missile crisis involved two major super powers u. Some also contain analysis and articles detailing the peopleplacesevents. Diverse types of sources are included for your students to analyze. Cuban missile crisis smithsonians history explorer. Cold war cuban missile crisis soapstone primary sources. Analyze primary sources to evaluate the decisions made during the cuban missile crisis.

Garthoff, a participant in the cuban missile crisis deliberations of the u. The cuban missile crisis in october 1962, experts examining photographs of cuba taken by u2 spy planes saw what they believed to be evidence that the russians were building nuclear missile sites. Cuban missile crisis, national security agencycentral security service. Kennedy library and museum cuban missile crisis page. Primary sources cuban missile crisis research at boston. Analysis of the cuban missile crisis essay 2520 words. The cuban missile crisis sourcework exercise introduction in 1959, a revolution in cuba brought fidel castro to power.

Documents concerning the cuban missile crisis of october 1962a major confrontation that brought the soviet union and the united states close to war over the presence of soviet missiles in cuba. Cuban missile crisis briefing paper historywiz primary. The us historian has their view for a variety of reasons, the main one being that khrushchev backed. Illingworth likens the confrontation between president kennedy and soviet premier krushchev during the 1962 cuban missile crisis to an old western showdown. Ussr, draft directive, directive to the commander of soviet forces in cuba on transfer of il28s and luna missiles, and authority on use of tactical nuclear weapons, september 8, 1962. This is the opposite of the view taken in source j, which says that the cuban missile crisis was a triumph of soviet foreign policy. Dod, transcripts, secret, notes taken from transcripts of meetings of the joint chiefs of staff, octobernovember 1962. Dec 09, 2018 munton and welch, authors of the cuban missile crisis. Double, perhaps even quadruple that number of soviet, eastern european, and chinese citizens perished, and no one had any reliable data on how many western europeans, africans, asians, australians, and others were killed by the radioactive fallout as it. Kennedy inaugural address, fidel castro, bay of pigs, missiles, russia, sviet union, john f. The estimated number of north american deaths was upwards of 200 million. On october 15, 1962, the soviet union was discovered attempting to install nuclear missiles in cuba.

Cold war, us and world history after world war ii during the cuban missile crisis, kennedys advisors discussed many options regarding how they might respond to the installation of soviet missiles in cuba. The 47th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis passed with little public notice. After the cuban missile crisis, most of the uss oversea policy was focused on the americanization of vietnam and the vietnam war, which required full attention from the usa military resources rich 2003, p. For the primary source analysis tool, students will choose one written document to observe, reflect, and question the source. The cuban missile crisis was one of the major climaxes of the cold war, bringing the world the closest it has ever been to a nuclear war. An analysis of conflict, i think must be conducted from the point of view of one or other or both participa nts. During the cuban missile crisis nuclear weapons in cuba were aimed at the us, and at the same time nuclear weapons in the us were aimed at cuba. Kennedy made public the presence of soviet missiles in cuba in. These missiles would have been capable of quickly reaching the united states. Designed to help policymakers, students, and interested citizens draw lessons from these critical events half a century ago, this site not only provides background on the crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster in october 1962 but also offers tools to understand how. The cuban missile crisis marked the climax of an acutely antagonistic period in u. Caroline and erwin swann collection of caricature and cartoon library of congress. Kennedy addresses the people about the cold war and the presence of soviet missiles in cuba.

In this speech he explains that him and the government are doing everything they can to keep this crisis under control. In conclusion, the major events prior to the cuban missile crisis were the cuban revolution, and the bay of pigs invasion. Cuban missile crisis primary sources search this guide search. Cuban missile crisis a selection of booksebooks available in trible library. Khrushchev primary source analysis takes students back to october 27th, 1962 during the cuban missile crisis. Americans at war by the smithsonians national museum of american history. Access the kennedy library digital archives, which includes 300,000 scanned documents, films, and audio clips with materials such as early drafts of the john f. Kennedys speech about the cuban missile crisis 1962 historywiz primary source president john f. The day showdown brought the worlds two superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the missile scare, was a 2 week period in october of 1962 that was a result of increasing tensions amongst the united states and the soviet union. This resource was produced to accompany the exhibition the price of freedom.

Learn about 19 short video clips where scholars discuss the cuban missile crisis. Feb 11, 2020 in considering a primary source as opposed to secondary source, the difference can be summed up this way. The cuban missile crisis was among the scariest events of the cold war. The crisis also marked the closest point that the world had ever come to global nuclear war. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the october crisis of 1962 spanish. Educational materials were developed through the teaching. Assess the roles of kennedy, khrushchev, and castro in the crisis. Source 1 states that kennedy and the us won the cuban missile crisis, and effectively beat the ussr. In using the primary sources, the students will confront the difficulties of negotiating at the highest levels in this crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.