History 485

Devine

Fall 2015

Study Questions: Mark White, Missiles in Cuba

1. How did Kennedy and his advisors approach foreign affairs? What were their goals?

2. Prior to the missile crisis, how had Kennedy decided to deal with Cuba? What options did he have and what/who influenced his decisions?

3. What was the goal of Operation Mongoose? In what additional ways did the Kennedy Administration attempt to contain Cuba’s/Castro’s influence in Latin America?

4. Who was General Edward Lansdale and why was he significant with regard to Cuba?

5. What were the various possible motives Khrushchev had for placing Soviet missiles in Cuba?

6. Why did Khrushchev believe that Cuba needed the protection of Soviet missiles? Why did Khrushchev consider Cuba important to Soviet interests?

7. Why was secrecy crucial to Khrushchev’s plans for Cuba? What concerns did Khrushchev’s advisors have regarding his plan and how did Khrushchev make the case for Operation Anadyr?

8. What did Castro think about the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba?

9. Why did Khrushchev believe that nuclear weapons as opposed to conventional weapons were necessary for Cuba’s defense?

10. What assumptions on the part of the Soviets and the Americans contributed to heightened tensions in the weeks leading up to the crisis?

11. What domestic considerations caused additional concern for the Kennedy administration? How did Kennedy respond to domestic pressures from the Republicans and the media?

12. What role did America’s Jupiter missiles in Turkey play in the development of the crisis?

13. Prior to the crisis, what military preparations did the United States military make – and why?

14. How did Kennedy respond to the news that the Soviets had placed missiles in Cuba? How (and why) did his response change during the first few days of the crisis?

15. What factors did Kennedy take into consideration as he tried to develop an appropriate response to the Soviets?

16. What were the pros and cons of a military strike on the missiles in Cuba? What were the pros and cons of a quarantine?

17. What role did Adlai Stevenson play in the crisis? Overall, would you say it was a positive or negative one?

18. What does the author think about the make-up of ExComm? Did Kennedy have access to a wide variety of views during the crisis?

19. What steps did Kennedy and Khrushchev take to reduce the risk of the crisis spiraling out of their control?

20. How did Khrushchev respond to President Kennedy’s televised address regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis?

21. At what point during the crisis did the “other fellow blink”? How did this shape the outcome of the crisis?

22. What role did reporter John Scali and KGB officer Aleksandr Feklisov play in the crisis?

23. Why does the author believe Washington’s abiding desire to remove Castro from power interfered with crisis diplomacy?

24. To what extent was Fidel Castro consulted by the Soviets during the crisis?

25. What remaining sticking points were there in the deal that Kennedy and Khrushchev struck to end the crisis?

26. How does the author evaluate Kennedy and Khrushchev’s pre-crisis and crisis diplomacy?

27. Does the author believe that the unfolding and outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis provide any lessons for current diplomats?