I am investigating both sides of the situation on Cuba with the missiles, which were in range of USA, I am exploring the information presented in sources showing sides of what happened in that time and will explain my view of the situation.

Karim Abouahmed

11J

Cuban Missile Crises

In this coursework I am investigating both sides of the situation on Cuba with the missiles, which were in range of USA, I am exploring the information presented in sources showing sides of what happened in that time and will explain my view of the situation.

Background

Source A1 illustrates dangers, which faced both sides during the cold war by showing both sides doing nuclear test explosions. This shows that both sides are trying to out-do each other by both sides running tests with both trying to get better results from their experiments. Previously they had a three-year agreement, which Khrushchev broke by starting an arms race. The arms race became more serious during the late 1950s and 1960s because a new weapon had changed the strategy and the thinking of the Cold War because of new submarines that hardly had to come up above the water. The Polaris-type submarine could be the prevention of a nuclear war. Fidel Castro’s movement’s aims were to create a new government and new jobs for people to make their lives better than the ones they currently led. This also included better pay and giving the people more rights for the welfare of their country. America ignored Fidel Castro and then they learnt that they should not have ignored him and should have paid more attention to the work he was achieving in Cuba. Fidel Castro had made all the people in Cuba work for this revolution everyone had joined up to revolt which made America pay attention. Once America took notice off Fidel Castro it created friction between America and Cuba because they had found out that there were missiles on Cuba that could reach most of the US, which posed as a threat to the US Fidel Castro was known as ‘unquestionably the most credible political and military leader in Cuba’. Source A4 and A5 suggest that the Cuban revolution was a development which the American would have to take seriously because at first the Americans ignored Fidel Castro but then he started to get a name for himself in Cuba: ‘unquestionably the most credible political and military leader in Cuba’. The people supported him so America had to take notice of what he was doing in Cuba such as getting all the people to revolt making the whole of Cuba join in on this revolution. The Cuban revolution was likely to increase tension between the two sides in the Cold War the missiles were a threat to America because they were in range and were able to bomb part of America this increased tension because Russia had even the odds like what America did to Russia. The Cuban revolution was likely to increase tension as America knew very little of Castro’s capabilities or politics so America became wary of him as he appeared powerful.

The Cuban Missile Crisis: The American point of view

This is a preview of the whole essay

The Cuban Missile Crisis: The American point of view

Source B1 are pictures taken from a US aircraft it shows pictures of a Cuban Missile Base this is important because it shows that Russia has arms with America well within their range and can fire nuclear missiles if necessary. Source B2 shows a circle of the strike range from the Soviet missiles installed on Cuba. The radius shows that the missiles can reach the USA this is important because it shows Russia is a legitimate threat to America. This supports Source B2 by the evidence of missile bases on Cuba; together they confirm that the USA is in real danger. Source B3 isn’t very reliable because it isn’t a primary source where as Source B4 and B5 are more reliable because they were written in 1962, which is closer to, when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened. Source B4 and B5 are extracts from what was actually said where as Source B3 isn’t this makes Source B4 and Source B5 the most reliable out of the 3 sources. The Americans regard the Cuban missile crisis as the most serious confrontation that occurred during the Cold War because Russia had missiles which were in range of America this was a big threat because they could launch the missiles anytime they wanted which created a lot of friction between America and Cuba.

The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Cuban and Soviet point of view

Source C1 explains how ignorant the Americans were to Fidel Castro and his rise to power and to create a revolution. They chose to ignore Fidel Castro and his revolution. Fidel Castro felt that the Americans were very ignorant and that by putting missiles on Cuba, which were in range of bombing America, makes them understand what he is capable of and America did pay attention after they found out about the missiles. Everyone in Cuba done their part to make the revolution that Fidel Castro led work because they were all part of it because Fidel Castro involved everyone on Cuba with this revolution so people done their part to make sure it worked. I think Source C3 provides the most useful evidence about the Soviet point of view during the Cuban missile crisis because it shows the radius of where America had installed missiles on Turkey which are right next to them which shows America were the ones who started the threats with bombing. Source C5 is reliable in the fact that the Russians did fear that the Americans wanted a ‘first strike’ attack but it is also unreliable because it wasn’t done at the time of the Cuban Missile crisis which makes it a secondary source.

Were contemporaries correct in regarding President Kennedy as the saviour of the Western world after the Cuban missile crisis?

Source D3 and Source D5 support the interpretation that President Kennedy was the saviour of the western world after the Cuban missile crisis. Source D3 shows Kennedy as a cowboy against the enemies in a showdown this shows that Kennedy is brave and wouldn’t back down. Source D5 explains how after the Cuban missile crisis was over President Kennedy’s reputation had increased greatly.

Source D4 shows a cartoon about nuclear tests with Kennedy trying to clear it up presuming they are his own mistakes by allowing the tests to be done. This is having a laugh at President Kennedy.

I feel that President Kennedy wasn’t the saviour of the western world because he ignored Fidel Castro until he found out about the missiles on Cuba and the revolution, which was taking place. A saviour wouldn’t let it go that far where as President Kennedy let it, which was a very big mistake on his part.

I have explained to the best of my knowledge of the events what happened in this time period I have shown both sides of the story and how Fidel Castro was ignored but then proved what he was capable of by putting missiles in range of America on Cuba.