1. You Make the Call

2. What is a political cartoon? Drawings that express the artist’s point of view about a situation or event Can criticize, show approval, or draw attention to an issue Can be serious or funny Use symbols & other visual clues to communicate their message

7. 1945 America successfully tests world’s 1 st atomic bomb 1949 Soviet Union developed Both sides compete in a race to build enough nuclear weapons to defeat the other & more powerful Both test ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missiles)

8. 1958-U.S. spy plan shot down while taking photos of Soviet military instillations 1961-Soviets build the Berlin Wall to divide democratic West Berlin, communist East Berlin 1961-Communist Revolution in Cuba Fidel Castro suspends elections, jails & executes opponents, controls media, takes over economy Soviet Union & China are allies & provide aid Bay of Pigs-we helped Cubans try to overthrow Castro…huge disaster

9. 1962- A U.S. spy plane photographed Soviet offensive nuclear missile sites in Cuba. The site at the top right hand corner is labeled MRBM (medium range ballistic missile) with a range of 2,200 miles.

10. You are an advisor to President Kennedy. What do you advise the president to do?

11. The president asks you to assess these 5 possible responses. How would you prioritize these possible response? What are the positives and negatives of each? 1. Ignore the missiles. 2.Initiate a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from bringing further supplies to the island. 3. Invade Cuba. 4. Launch an airstrike against the missile sites. 5. Send an diplomat to discuss the matter with Soviet leader Krushchev

12. Respond to the 3 situations the President might face and offer your recommendation for what the president should do if: 1. The soviets fire on American naval vessels enforcing the blockade. 2. Cuban commanders launch one of the missiles already in Cuba toward the U.S. 3. The Soviets wait it out for a few weeks or months until the crisis ends.

14. The Cuban Missile Crisis is the perfect example of brinkmanship : the willingness to go to the brink or edge of war. Create your own political cartoon that expresses brinkmanship during the Cold War. Make sure the visuals and symbols you use help express a clear message.