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Thirteen Days- A Look at the Cuban Missile Crisis

             Our assignment was to write a paper using Robert F. Kennedy's book Thirteen Days: a Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were asked to examine the Cuban Missile Crisis as: a) an example of the Cold War mentality of the early 1960's or b) a demonstration of the Kennedy administration's decision-making process. While pondering which approach to take I decided that both choices were inextricably linked. JFK's pragmatic approach in dealing with the USSR led to the outcome of events related to the Cold War in the early 1960's. It may be said that had Kennedy reined Khrushchev in during the early days of his presidency, the Cuban Missile Crisis might not have happened. In hindsight Kennedy's caution during the crisis saved the United States from possible nuclear war, but the gamble he took was huge. The Cuban Missile Crisis was fraught with miscalculations and failed predictions. It caused the U.S. and Russia to face the potential devastation that was possible as a result of nearly twenty years of tension and competition for weapons superiority. Perhaps the biggest lesson from RFK's memoir is that humans are fallible; the fate of the world in 1962 was decided by a roll of the dice. .
             That the Cuban Missile Crisis took place is no surprise. When it was learned on Tuesday October 16, 1962 that Russia was placing weapons in Cuba, the Kennedy administration was stunned. Why were they stunned? Kennedy's decision-making early in his presidency certainly gave Khrushchev no reason to think that the U.S. would take action to stop the Soviets. In 1961 the North Vietnamese began developing a supply line through Laos into South Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh Trail, a network of roads armed with Soviet weapons, ended the neutrality of Laos guaranteed by the 1954 Geneva Accords. Kennedy chose not to confront the USSR. When the Berlin Wall was constructed Kennedy increased the military budget and sent troops but did not stop the Wall from cutting off thousands of Berliners for 38 years.


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1. Thirteen Day

Thirteen Days I watched the movie Thirteen Days, for the first time, in class almost two weeks ago. It takes place in the 60's, mostly in Washington D.C. and is all about the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cuban Missile crisis was the probably the most intense thirteen days in an October in 1962 that the world has ever faced. For during these thirteen days the world stood on the brink of World War III. It started with the discovery of soviet weapons in Cuba. A U.S. spy satellite found that ... missiles capable of being equipped with nuclear warheads and hitting anywhere in the continental United S...

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2. The Cuban Missile Crisis in the Film Thirteen Days

The film Thirteen Days shows the viewer a "blockbuster"" look at the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis that challenged the Kennedy administration. It does a reasonable job of sifting through history and picking the pieces that allow the audience to understand the historical event and enjoy the movie without being overloaded with information. The character of the President's fiercely loyal aid, Kenneth O'Connell played by the actor Kevin Costner is followed throughout the film to give a more personal feel to viewer. Not a bad ... 's was a very creative and educational way to give the audience a look at...

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3. History of the Cold War.

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4. bay of pigs

... an end to Fidel Castro. Ironically, thirty-nine years after the Bay of Pigs, Fidel Castro is still in power. First, it is necessary to look at why the invasion happened and then why it did not work. From the end of World War II until the mid-eighties, most Americans could agree that communism was the enemy. Communism wanted to destroy our way of life and ... corrupt the freest country in the world. Communism is an economic system in which one person ... . Internet. 10 Oct. 2000. Available http://www.eserver.org/history/bay-of-pigs.txt Finkelstein, Norman H., Thirteen Days Ninety Miles: T...

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