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Cold War Tensions
Activities
Activity 1
Read the following comment on the Cuban Crisis written by Robert Kennedy, brother of the President. It suggested that both Kennedy and Khrushchev behaved responsibly in the crisis.
Even after it was all over the President made no statement attempting to take credit for himself or for his administration for what had occurred. He instructed all his staff that no interview should be given, no statement made, which would claim any kind of victory. He respected Khrushchev for properly determining what was in his own country’s interests and in the interests of mankind. If it was a triumph, it was a triumph for the next generation and not for any particular government or people.
Watch the programme carefully, and look through the Quotations. Make a list of all the evidence which
- supports the view put forward by Kennedy
- contradicts the view put forward by Kennedy
Activity 2
Some historians have argued that the Cuban Crisis actually helped to reduce Cold War tensions. Use the Quotations, the Background Information and the recommended web sites to see why they say this. When you have researched the issue, prepare a list of bullet points, entitled
"5 Ways In Which the Cuban Crisis Improved Superpower Relations"
Activity 3
The year is 1992. You are creating a web site about the Cuban missile crisis 30 years after the event. However, it is not enough to simply throw information into this site. Your task is to put across your views about the crisis. Your site will have two main areas:
- Who was responsible for the crisis? (This could be Khrushchev, Kennedy or Castro. You may think others were to blame as well. Analyse the motives of each one and look for evidence in the papers to support your view.)
- Who should get the credit for the fact that it was solved peacefully in the end? (This could be Khrushchev, Kennedy or Castro, but it might also be the people of the USSR, USA, Britain, especially the young people.
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