Project Questions

1. Why did the U.S. government consider Soviet missiles in Cuba to be unacceptable? Why did Soviets and Cubans think the United States would not respond?
2. All sides presented here speak of the other’s “passions,” warning them to avoid rash decisions. What role did emotions, personalities, and cultures play in this crisis?
3. Of Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro, who most deserves blame for causing the crisis? Who most deserves credit for ending it?
4. Central Question: What roles did culture, ideology, and history play in the Cuban missile crisis, and how does this help us understand decision making in the Cold War?