1. Cuban Missile Crisis
F.A.Q Harris & Tro

2. Thesis/Argument
From a holistic approach, The Cuban Missile Crisis served as an inhibitor in the context of high tensions throughout the Cold War as it incited new legislation to regulate Nuclear Weapons and foreshadowed the ending of the war.

3. Cuban Missile Crisis Background
After seizing power in the Caribbean island nation of Cuba in 1959, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro (1926-) aligned himself with the Soviet Union.
Under Castro, Cuba grew dependent on the Soviets for military and economic aid.
During this time, the U.S. and the Soviets (and their respective allies) were engaged in the Cold War ( ), an ongoing series of largely political and economic clashes.
Let it also be known that the Bay of Pigs had a cause and effects relationship to the commencement of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In search of protection from the United States, Cuba asked the Soviet Union for aid.

4. Cuban Missile Crisis- Overview
Soviet leader, Nikita Kruschchev agreed to Cuba’s request to place nuclear missiles in Cuba for safety (prevention of further harassment).
The United States at the time was facing elections, however a U2 spy plane gathered hard evidence capturing photographs of missile facilities in Cuba. With fear of missile attack only 90 miles away from Florida, the United States placed a military blockade announcing prevention of missiles into the country and the removal of all placed missiles.
Kennedy and ExCom determined that the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba was unacceptable.
Kennedy ultimately decided on a more measured approach. First, he would employ the U.S. Navy to establish a blockade, or quarantine, of the island to prevent the Soviets from delivering additional missiles and military equipment. Second, he would deliver an ultimatum that the existing missiles be removed.

5. Cuban Missile Crisis- Overview
When missiles and light bombers were all removed from Cuba, the blockade was formally ended on November 20, 1962.
The negotiations between the United State and the Soviet Union led to the creation of the Moscow - Washington hotline. This resulted in a series of agreements which in turn would lead to reduced tensions amongst the two nations.

6. Why Cuba requested missiles and Why U.S.S.R. agreed?
The Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba for two primary reasons:
(1) to boost the Soviet Union’s power, threatening the U.S. with nuclear attack from the Caribbean and
(2) to bolster the Soviet Union’s bargaining position in its attempts to force West Berlin to join East Germany.
Additional reasons included defending Cuba from American invasion and bolstering Soviet prestige.
The U.S. had already prepared for a possible war in Europe by placing nuclear weapons in allied countries. Bombers and ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons were intended as a deterrent against a Soviet invasion of Germany and other NATO countries.
Nuclear missiles were placed in Turkey, a NATO member that shared a border with two Soviet republics, because of its proximity to the Soviet Union.

7. The American Response
The Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or EXCOMM, was a group of American officials within the White House who were consulted during the Cuban Missile Crisis. EXCOMM served as an advisory council to Kennedy during the Crisis.
Many members of EXCOMM argued in favor of a military strike to destroy the nuclear missiles in Cuba before they became operational. President Kennedy, however, did not want to escalate to war so quickly.
He decided to blockade Cuba to prevent the installation of additional Soviet
nuclear missiles.
While this step did not defuse the crisis, it bought the President time and avoided
a direct attack against Cuba.

8. Resolution
Soviet Supply ships were incoming and a confrontation with the U.S. Navy was imminent. One U.S. plane was shot down and both sides prepared for war.
Despite the tensions, On October 27, President Kennedy dispatched his brother Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to make an offer to the Soviet ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Dobrynin, in the hope of defusing the crisis.
Kennedy offered Dobrynin two things in exchange for Soviet removal of the Cuban missiles:
(1) the U.S. would publically pledge never to invade Cuba
(2) the U.S. would secretly withdraw missiles from Turkey. The U.S. refused to publicly admit to removing the Turkish missiles because it did not want to appear weak. The Soviet Union accepted this offer the next day.
Khrushchev agreed. Here are some reasons backing his decision:
(1) Khrushchev knew that war over Cuba could quickly escalate into nuclear war that would destroy both superpowers
(2) the Soviet government won what Khrushchev considered significant concessions from the U.S: the pledge never to invade Cuba and to remove American missiles from Turkey.

9. Resolution Cont...
The Cuban Missile Crisis provided a major impetus for reinvigorating test ban talks.
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963)-
banned nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water.
In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, prohibiting “any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion.” President Bill Clinton (1946-) was the first world leader to sign the treaty, which eventually was signed by more than 180 nations
As Khrushchev described it, "The two most powerful nations had been squared off against each other, each with its finger on the button."
JFK shared this concern, once remarking at a White House meeting, "It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization."
Hence, The Cuban Missile crisis served as a catalyst towards world peace as it led to a global agreement on Nuclear weapons

10. SIMULATION!
You will be divided into 3 groups: United States, Cuba, and The Soviet Union

11. United States
The challenge facing the U.S. was to orchestrate the removal of the Soviet Union and its weapons without initiating a wider conflict–and possibly a nuclear war.
Opposed the spread of Communism, and therefore relationships with Castro were dwindling
Important Historical Facts to use:
Cold War

12. Cuba Important Historical Facts to use in the argument:
Castro frayed the relationship with America when he threatened, and ultimately undertook, reforms that would harm American-owned property in the country.
The increasingly hostile relationship with the U.S. provided an opening for the Soviet Union. Castro formed trade ties with Moscow and as Cuba grew closer to the USSR, relations with Washington deteriorated further. The U.S. revoked its diplomatic recognition of Cuba at the beginning of 1961.
Important Historical Facts to use in the argument:
Failed Bay of Pigs invasion

13. U.S.S.R.
The Soviets had long felt uneasy about the number of nuclear weapons that were targeted at them from sites in Western Europe and Turkey, and they saw the deployment of missiles in Cuba as a way to level the playing field. Another key factor in the Soviet missile scheme was the hostile relationship between the U.S. and Cuba.
The Kennedy administration had already launched one attack on the island–the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961–and Castro and Khrushchev saw the missiles as a means of deterring further U.S. aggression.
Important Historical Facts to use:
US Nuclear weapons presence in Turkey

14. SIMULATION!
Situation: The U.S. has just recently failed in its attempt to invade Cuba and Cuba has just asked the Soviet Union for nuclear weapons.

15. References
"Cuban Missile Crisis." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015.
"Frequently Asked Questions | Cuban Missile Crisis." Cuban Missile Crisis. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015.
"Nuclear Test Ban Treaty." - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. JOHN F. KENNEDY PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015.
Images:
Blackadar, Andy. "Who Cares About the Cuban Missile Crisis? | Global Conversation." Global Conversation. Watson Institute, Oct Web. 18 May 2015.
Dvorkin, Alex. "What Cuban Missile Crisis Can Teach Us About The Nuclear World War 3 - Invest With Alex." Invest With Alex. N.p., 29 July Web. 18 May 2015.
Bartram, Michele. "Hawks vs. Doves: The Joint Chiefs and the Cuban Missile Crisis." Government Book Talk. N.p., 18 Oct Web. 18 May 2015.