Preview

Kennedy Response To The Cuban Missile Crisis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
797 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Kennedy Response To The Cuban Missile Crisis
On October 16th, 1962, both the United States and the Soviet Union partook in a thirteen-day impasse concerning the construction of nuclear missile sites located in Cuba, merely 90 miles away from the coast of Florida, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Realizing exactly how close this installation was, President Kennedy and the Executive Community, a group of fifteen members meant to advise the president and commonly recognized as Excomm, convened for the next twelve days in hopes to solve the dilemma at hand. Determined to not repeat the same errors as in the Bay of Pigs, Kennedy made sure that the consideration of all options and consequences would be accredited using the most factual data available. Therefore, many arguments transpired scrutinizing how to respond to such a situation at the Excomm meeting on October 16th. Though attacking in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis was not Kennedy’s preferred reaction, …show more content…
Wanting to decrease the chances of a nuclear war, Kennedy asked the members of Excomm how they felt they should respond to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Because many opposed air strikes for the sake that it might make matters worse, they came up with alternatives. While General Maxwell Taylor felt that U.S. troops should fight, Robert McNamara believed that our troops would be overrun by Soviet troops. Therefore, Llewellyn Thompson suggested that maybe Nikita Khrushchev was using this entire situation as a preparation for a negotiation, and to reach this outcome, a naval blockade should be used to prevent excessive damage. President Kennedy called for the blockades, but if necessary, he was prepared to attack. If the U.S. were to send airstrikes, they could remove the missiles, but they also risk the retaliation of the Soviet Union which could mean war, so a naval blockade was, at the moment, the safest yet most practical route. (Source
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Unit 9 Final Project
    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Unit 9 Final Project

    In 1962, The United States caught The Soviet Union building nuclear installations In Cuba. This event embodied the dangerousness of the nuclear arms race in that it very nearly caused the end of the world. The article title reads, “Khrushehev Offers to Scrap Cuba Bases.” This event was brought to its heights when Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba preventing any ships from coming or leaving the island. The Soviet ships actually closed within miles of the blockade before being ordered to turn around by their president. Had the Soviets crossed the blockade they would have surely been blown out of the water thus starting a likely nuclear holocaust.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John F Kennedy Speech Ethos Pathos Logos
    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages

    John F Kennedy Speech Ethos Pathos Logos

    The Cuban Missile Crisis took place in the 1960’s not long after President John F. Kennedy’s failure in the Bay of Pigs. In October of 62’ photographs of Soviet missiles were taken from planes flying over Cuban soil. This put Americans on the edge of their seat, not prepared for another war. Kennedy already looking like a “soft president” states to the public he must take action. In his speech he states seven steps that will be taken. Any of which are not followed peacefully, will be consider an attack on the United States.…

    • 363 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    How Did Kennedy's Decision To Authorize The Invasion Of The Bay Of Pigs?
    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages

    How Did Kennedy's Decision To Authorize The Invasion Of The Bay Of Pigs?

    In 1961, President John F. Kennedy made the decision to authorize the CIA plan to attempt to overthrow the Castro administration. The approval of this invasion was a failure because approximately 1,400 Cuban exiles were killed or captured and damage to Kennedy’s political image during the Kennedy Administration. In this paper, by using Anderson’s decision-making framework, I will argue that the presence of deference and personal values of the individual process criteria and the presence of persuasion of the group process criteria led to Kennedy’s poor decision, which led to the failure of the Bay of Pigs attack. Individual Process Criteria The individual process criteria demonstrated that Kennedy’s decision to authorize the invasion of the Bay of Pigs was a failure.…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of President Kennedy's Effective Communication During The Cuban Missile Crisis
    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of President Kennedy's Effective Communication During The Cuban Missile Crisis

    Throughout the Cuban Missile Crisis President Kennedy exemplifies effective communication by being open-minded and listening to others opinions. In Robert Kennedy’s book Thirteen Days, he states how President Kennedy “went to considerable heights to ensure that he was…

    • 630 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dr. Strangelove Notes
    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dr. Strangelove Notes

    On the Cuban Missile Crisis, “The situation would be even graver if there were any LeMay counterparts on the Soviet side. Each side might increase its alert levels to protect its forces, but the other side would see it as preparation for war and be increasingly tempted to launch a preemptive strike (page 5)”…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Did Kennedy Use The Bay Of Pigs?
    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Did Kennedy Use The Bay Of Pigs?

    First of all, the decisions to setup a quarantine to prevent any offensive weapons reaching cuba did not the problem but byed time to come up wit a better solution. Kennedy was given many options that would further protect his country but choose with option 3 that could possibly makhsoom into World…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did John F Kennedy Avoid The Cuban Missile Crisis
    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did John F Kennedy Avoid The Cuban Missile Crisis

    The blockade approach was not meant to harbor necessities needed for living, only to limit the transportation of military cargo. John F. Kennedy was very meticulous during this terrifying time with daily meetings, strategic plans, and thoroughly thought out decisions for America’s well-being (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum n.d.). Although John F. Kennedy wanted an as peaceful approach as possible, other options were taken into…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cuban Missile Crisis Dbq
    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Cuban Missile Crisis Dbq

    To what extent was the outbreak of the Cuban Missile Crisis due to Castro’s provocative actions?…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did John F Kennedy Prevent The Cold War
    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did John F Kennedy Prevent The Cold War

    Kennedy explains, “it was possible that either side could take a step that – for reasons of “security” or “pride” or “face” – would require response by the other side, which, in turn …would bring an escalation into armed conflict” (Kennedy, 49). The Kennedy administration understood how dangerous the nature of any miscalculations to their responses would be. Kennedy of course couldn’t predict exactly how the Soviets would react to every response, but he did realize the severity of this issue and the damage there would be if he were to miscalculate a response in this cause and effect scenario. Therefore taking the most plausible course of action necessary trying to avoid any harmful after effects and consequences was Kennedy’s goal. For instance, when an air-force pilot flying over Cuba ,Major Rudolph Anderson Jr., was shot down and killed, the Kennedy administration kept quiet and stayed patience with a response and any immediate military attacks to try once more to negotiate with Prime Minister Khrushchev. Kennedys patience and caution that he took throughout the Cuban Missile Crisis is a testimony to why mankind avoided a nuclear war. Every step of the way Kennedy carefully analyzed and anticipated the Soviets response to his best understanding, and only executed prudent courses of…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John F Kennedy Ethos In Jfk Speech
    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    John F Kennedy Ethos In Jfk Speech

    In October of 1962, John F. Kennedy was faced with the first crisis of his administration. The Soviets were building nuclear missile sites on Cuba, and one of JFK’s first actions was to give his famous Cuban Missile Crisis speech on October 22, 1962. JFK uses repetition, ethos, and pathos to discredit the USSR’s international standing in the world. JFK give his speech to show the people that the government has their best interests at heart. He tells the citizens about what the government has learned and what they intend to do about it. To reassure the people of the US, he describes what he has done so far, and what he plans to do in the future. In the main part of the speech, JFK turns to what the Soviets have done and the implications of this. He does this to unify the country against the Soviets. To unify them he explains how the Soviets have endangered everyone who lives in the western hemisphere, and how this has never been done before. He reinforces this by repeatedly stating that what the Soviets have said are lies. To further discredit the Soviets he shows their disregard for international agreements and for the people living in the western hemisphere.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cold War Dbq
    • 1276 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Cold War Dbq

    In September, 1962 United States President John F. Kennedy received intelligence reports on a possible nuclear missile buildup in Cuba. American U-2 spy planes photographed Cuba for the next month while American intelligence noted the increasing number of Soviet ships going into and out of Cuba. On October 16th, President Kennedy was informed that the Soviets were building offensive missile sites in Cuba. Kennedy and his advisors developed three possible responses. The first was diplomatic action followed by military action if needed. The second option was to send military forces to Cuba without warning. The third option was to give a political warning to the Soviets and to blockade Cuba. In a speech on October 22, Kennedy informed Americans and the world populace of the presence of missiles in Cuba, announced a quarantine (blockade) of Cuba, and asserted that any nuclear missile launched at the…

    • 1276 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis
    • 2042 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis

    Faced with the evidence of Soviet nuclear-capable weapons in Cuba, Kennedy found his available methods of response limited. There were several factors that likely weighed heavily on Kennedy’s mind as he debated what action to take. First, the humiliation of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion attempt still resonated in the President’s mind. Kennedy believed he could not risk another disaster in Cuba without crippling U.S. prestige as well as his own. Second, during the 1960 Presidential election, John F. Kennedy made the “missile gap” between the U.S. and USSR as a major topic of his campaigning rhetoric. If the Soviets successfully established nuclear missile silos, he would appear to have failed to uphold his commitments to the American people. Third, the Joint Chief of Staff put severe pressure on President Kennedy not only to react militarily to the Soviet’s missile deployment in Cuba, but suggested that the president authorize an airstrike on the Soviet missile bases. Lastly, and perhaps the important factor that kept President Kennedy from escalating the crisis into a direct conflict, was his fear of Soviet retaliation for an American attack on Soviet or Cuban military assets or personnel. Instead of authorizing military intervention, President Kennedy sought to resolve the…

    • 2042 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Cuban Missile Crisis
    • 1676 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Cuban Missile Crisis

    Kennedy and other officials that served on his cabinet had difficulty determining the reason for the transportation of the missiles to Cuba. The reason Khrushchev gave to the United States was that it "was to avoid a war between the United States and Cuba that could escalate into a world war" (Document B). The United States had been planning another invasion following the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion. As soon as Cuban officials discovered the secret invasion, it relied on the help of the Soviet Union. The Soviet immediately came to the aid of Castro by sending nuclear missiles to Cuba (Document C).…

    • 1676 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Cuban Missile Crisis: The October Crisis
    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Cuban Missile Crisis: The October Crisis

    The Cuban Missile Crises also can be called the October Crisis, had occurred on October of 1962 for 13 nerve wreaking days. Nerves were high not only for the American people who believed the Soviets could and would annihilate their very existence, but also the people of Cuba and the whole world. The blockade of navy ships surrounding the island of Cuba would only be a reaction to a nuclear war and cause a World War III. Everyone was on edge, the whole world would be affected in one way or another and millions would die. The fate of the world laid with three men, U.S. President John Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Fidel Castro. “It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization.”…

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Rise Of Communism
    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Rise Of Communism

    In President Kennedy’s University of Washington Speech, Kennedy said that his main goal was to work for peace, but he was willing to defend freedom with military use. So even though he wants to work peacefully there is always a military option he isn’t afraid to use. One of Kennedy’s main tactics to work towards stopping communism peacefully was Alliance for Progress. Billions of dollars were spent on this to build schools, hospitals, and roads in Latin America (Ayers 886). Kennedy did this to gain a better relationship with countries in Latin America because many of the relationships had been earlier destroyed. Another way Kennedy helped poorer nations gain stability was through the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps sent volunteers to help countries have more experienced workers (Ayers 886). The end goal of this was to get countries functioning on their own again. Even though Kennedy liked stopping communism peacefully, he did have to use military tactics. He was willing to send arms to any countries that needed help, but he can’t send them the will to use those arms (Kennedy). Kennedy thought it was important to help all countries resist communism. Flexible Response was one of his main military tactics, and this was used to make American Forces stronger so that there would be more options other than nuclear weapons (Ayers 886). This was a negotiation so that the US could get what they want. The bay of Pigs Invasion started on April 15, 1961. The invasion was a group of unmarked US bombers flown from Nicaragua by cuban exiles in attempt to destroy Cuba’s air force, but it ended up failing (Ayers 881). As a result the U.S. agreed to leave Cuba alone and get rid of the missiles in Turkey if the Soviets would remove missiles from Cuba (Ayers 881). The Bay of Pigs Invasion is an example of flexible…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More