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| Robert Kennedy at an Executive Committee meeting during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Photo: The National Security Archive. |
Visit the JFK Library's online exhibit of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Listen to meetings with President Kennedy and his advisors, read official documents and private correspondence. Considering the early Cold War documents discussed in class (the Truman Doctrine, the Kennan "Long Telegram" and NSC-68), as well as the Berlin Airlift, the Marshall Plan and the Korean War, to what degree do the events of the thirteen day crisis reflect the ideology of the early Cold War?
This post will be available for comments until Thursday, November 19.
Ever since War II ended, tensions between the Russians and the US continues to grow. Both countries complete against each other in technology and in military. For example the race to space and the arm race. The thirteen day crisis was like the lighter to an nuclear war.
ReplyDeleteAmerica was very afraid that the Soviet Union would attack as reflected on the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the documents we've looked at in class. The arms race was a major part of the Cold War since both sides are scared of the other side attacking.
ReplyDeleteThe Cuban Missile Crisis reflects the ideology of the early Cold War to a great degree. Containment, as suggested in Kennan’s long telegram and further built upon in the Truman Doctrine and NSC-68, describes how America should take advantage of its new role as a superpower. The ideology includes foreign nation infiltration by the use of spies, keeping quiet on affairs and problems to avoid showing weaknesses, being prepared with an army, and inducing fear by any means necessary . As seen on the website, the U.S. foreign policy remains constant during the thirteen day crisis.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Danielle wrote and would also further the discussion by saying the thirteen day crisis was more of a clearer picture of the tensions between the USSR and the US. Although it was very felt that there were tensions between the two nations, the Cuban Missile Crisis really brought to light the extent of how far both sides were willing to go to defend their ideologies.
DeleteVery true on both the previous comments. To be specific, the strategy meetings on what course of action revealed the most. From day 1 a form of force was a respected response, in conjunction with strong, direct comments of "appearing as leaders of the free world." (Minutes of the 505th Meeting of the National Security Council). Oppositions to a military move were mainly based on maintaining that "appearance" and affects any action would have on allies. The was also the contradictory thoughts of the ideology that says, the Soviets are threat, yet the assurance that they would not retaliate by force to an airstrike, or the blockade. Ambassador Stevenson's suggestion of being willing to give up missiles in Turkey, Greece, & Guantanamo was considered to be done only on a last option basis.
DeleteThe U.S. uses military surveillance and CIA analysts to respectively take and decipher pictures that confirm a Soviet missile base in Cuba in the first place, showing how spies are continued to be used after the early years of the Cold War. The president keeps this information from he public and even goes about regular meetings, therefore decreasing the possibility of the Soviets discovering that their secret is known by means of public discussion. He also keeps his knowledge of the base from Gromyko as he reminds him that "the 'gravest consequences' would follow if significant Soviet offensive weapons were introduced into Cuba,” as a scare tactic. A naval quarantine is established around Cuba to show dominance and potential force that can be used in retaliation, all as a way to get the Soviet Union to dismantle the sites. Although the Soviet leader acknowledges America’s scare tactics in a letter, "You are no longer appealing to reason, but wish to intimidate us,” the U.S. ideology established during the early Cold War proved effective as Khrushchev finally backs down in return for a non-invasion pledge from the U.S..
ReplyDeleteThe Cuban Missile Crisis reflects a great deal about the ideologies of the Cold War. NSC-68 was a call to arms for the U.S. and to use violent measures to assert ourselves as a world super power and to show off to the Soviets that we were a force to be reckoned with. The Cuban Missile Crisis showed that the Soviets were not worried about deploying missiles so close to the U.S. despite warnings from the U.S. This could've escalated to a deadly nuclear war if it played out differently from the way it did.
ReplyDeleteThe Thirteen Day Crisis was the peak of tensions building up between the U.S and Soviet Union. The ideology of the early Cold War was to contain the spread of Communism suggested by the Long Telegram and to use of necessary means as a world superpower to counteract the threat that the Soviets posed. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, we saw exactly that as the U.S prepared to take actions necessary to deal with the threat of Soviet's having missiles in Cuba. Though, the situation nearly escalated into a nuclear war, negotiations between the two parties showed a reluctance to actually engage in a catastrophic war.
ReplyDeleteThe events of the thirteen day crisis reflected on the high tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Based on the Truman Doctrine, NSC-68, and Kennan's "Long Telegram", the United States strongly believed that there needed to be a sense of containment on the ideology of the Soviets, specifically communism. As a rising superpower, the United States wanted to maintain peace and harmony through either containing communism or at least limiting the Soviet's overall power. Essentially, the Cuban Missile Crisis focused heavily on the issue of communism versus democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe The Thirteen Day Crisis reflected the ideology of the Cold War, with the Cuban Missile Crisis leading to more tension between the US and the Soviet Union. The US was afraid of the Soviet Union spreading Communism, and this constant battle was through the thirteen days with plans such as NSC-68, Berlin Airlift, and the Marshall Plan.
ReplyDeleteThese event reflected and ideology of paranoia among the two great powers or more seen the US. These events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis only furthered America in their paranoia of an oncoming battle. While the Berlin Airlift was a show of power that America is not weak.
ReplyDeleteThese event reflected and ideology of paranoia among the two great powers or more seen the US. These events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis only furthered America in their paranoia of an oncoming battle. While the Berlin Airlift was a show of power that America is not weak.
ReplyDeleteThe events of the thirteen day crisis very closely resemble the ideology of the early Cold War. The United States acknowledged that the Soviet Union is a real threat, and only top government officials were given access to the information. It also reflects the ideology of the early Cold War because, the United States quarantined Cuba and not allowing Soviet ships to pass, similar to what the Soviet Union did in Berlin. The two eventually came to an agreement with America never giving into Soviet demands, such as the removal of Jupiter missiles that the United States had in Turkey.
ReplyDeleteThe Missile Crisis of Cuba paralleled the ideas of the Cold Car. There was a call to arms for America from the NSC so that they would we violence to assert our dominance as a Super Power . It strongly represented the paranoia of America and their resistance to be thought of as weak. The Missile Crisis showed that Soviet Union were not worried about deploying missiles near US regardless of the warnings that were given to them.
ReplyDeleteThe thirteen day crisis reflects the ideologies of the early Cold War to a great degree. The crisis entails a thought process in which paranoia, fear, and pride remains present. Both countries (America and Soviet Union) want to display dominance over one another and spread their forms of governments without dependence on military force. They would flash their military might without the firing off of any weapon excluding the American Pilot who perished from being shot down by the Soviets indirectly; both knowing that warfare would ultimately destroy the world
ReplyDeleteThe events of the thirteen-day crisis demonstrate the extreme tension between the Soviet Union and the U.S. Taking into account the documents we discussed in class, it’s greatly evident that the United States’ primary goal was to push for control over the Soviet Union and prevent expansion of communism. With the attempt to accomplish containment while simultaneously avoiding the use of each nation’s respective military forces, the U.S. created a series of plans to display dominance over the Soviet Union, and vice versa. Both nations fought for power over the other, specifically via political beliefs (communism v. democracy), however, it was the Soviets that had brought the U.S. to prepare and anticipate battle, leading to a call for an arms race. We see the potential of how deadly of a war this tension could have lead to in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
ReplyDeleteThe Thirteen Day Crisis is a reflection of global panic of another possible world war and a high level of distrust among two of the most powerful nations at the time (the United States and the Soviet Union). The Cuban Missile Crisis showed how far the US was willing to go to protect the Western Hemisphere from European influences and how far they would go to protect their own ideals as proved by the Truman Doctrine and the NSC-68.
ReplyDeleteThe thirteen day crisis really reflects how far the respective superpower was willing to go to defend what they believe. With America wanting to contain and get rid of communism which we read about in the documents it's easy to see the tension building quickly in Soviet Russia and how they respond with the fear of being weaker than the US.
ReplyDeleteThe events of the thirteen day Cuban missile crises strongly reflected the ideas of containment found early on during the Cold War introduced by George Kenne in "the Long Telegram" through the U.S.'s responses of direct display of force in consideration of air strikes, the use of a naval quarantine, and a negotiation form a position of power. Further supporting the idea in which these actions reflected containment as described as is found in direct response from Chairman Khrushchev ,bluntly stating" You, Mr. President, are not declaring a quarantine, but rather are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force".
ReplyDeleteAs previously stated by my classmates, The Cuban Missile Crisis was the peak of tension between the United States and the USSR. The United States was doing everything possible to contain communism, like the Kennan "Long Telegram" said to do. The United States also built up a massive amount of nuclear weapons, as stated to do in the NSC 68, that were ready to fire on command from the United States and Turkey. And as for the connection between the Berlin Airdrop, the USSR quarantined West Berlin to avoid anything leaving or entering that area just as the United States did to Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
ReplyDeleteThe Thirteen Day Crisis reflects the ideology of the Cold War. There was a high level of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Panic and fear were spreading and invading the people's thought process. The United States waged a war against the spread of Communism and wanted to protect the ideals of the Western World. The Cuban Missile Crisis is an example of how far the U.S. was willing to go to stop the spread of communism. The documents we read in class such as the Truman Doctrine and NSC-68 reflect how seriously the U.S. considered the Soviet Union a threat and how they planned on stopping the spread of it. The arms race was a part of the Cold War, each side wanted to build up their defense and be able to attack their enemy.
ReplyDeleteAs many others are saying, the Cuban Missile Crisis is the peak of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Both during this time and during the Cold War, the biggest fear was the fear of the unknown and although already acknowledged as a threat, what it is the Soviet Union can actually do. During these thirteen days, the U.S. catches a glimpse of a perceived threat through the construction of the Soviet Union military bases. Here we see that the hostility to not only communism but the Soviet Union is still present, but also that the U.S. is still currently conducting a foreign policy in which we not only must be seen as a great power, exemplified through Kennedy's demands of the Missile site's deconstruction.
ReplyDeleteThe thirteen day crisis is a great portrayal of the ideology of the Cold War. The Cuban Missile crisis proved just how much tension was between the US and the Soviet Union. The US wanted to stop the spread of communism and limit the power of the Soviet Union. This put their foreign policy to the test because they were inches away from nuclear warfare. Even though they had to negotiate with the Soviet Union, it was something that had to be done to prevent the loss of millions of lives.
ReplyDeleteWith the the tensions already existing between the United States and the Soviet Union, the thirteen day crisis exhibits the ideologies of the Cold War. United States was trying to control the spread of communism and the Soviet Union becoming a strong threat.
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