The Cold War

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Recommended: How Kennedy handled missile crisis in Cuba

In 1961 President John F Kennedy put together a doctrine, which altered from President Eisenhower’s one. It was to “Respond flexibly to communist expansion, especially guerrilla warfare.” (Roskin & Berry, 2010, p. 58) It was a time when the Cold War was at its height and nuclear weapons a mass threat and source of power. This doctrine was aimed at using alternative means before opening into combat. This, in light of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, it succeeded in doing.

Summarize a situation that required U.S. diplomatic efforts during the president’s time in office.

During President John F Kennedy’s term in office, there was the Cuban missile crisis. This occurred in 1962 and had America not decided on the course of actions that it took, the possibility of there being World War three would have become reality. At this time in history there was an arm’s race between the Soviet Union and America, neither wanting to be the underdog. Fidel Castro, the Prime minister of Cuba at that time (later to become President) asked for assistance from the Soviet Union to help shield it from possible American invasion. There was a treaty between the two countries. The Soviet Union; aware that they were behind in the arm’s race and panicking agreed and started to set up missile bases in Cuba. This would have increased the Soviet Union’s power and presence in the world. America discovered what was happening, and after serious consultations with the National Security Council Kennedy decided upon placing a naval blockade. According to recordings edited by Ernest May “Kennedy was not going to let things spin out of control” (Roskin & Berry, 2010, p. 63). The result of Kennedy’s decision was to give the Soviet Union an out, which they inevitably to...

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Allyn, B. J., Blight, J. G., & Welch, D. A. (2002). Afterward: The Cuban Missile Crisis in Post-Cold War Conciousness. In (Ed.), Afterward from Cuba on the Brink: Castro, the Missile Crisis and the Soviet Collapse (p. 11). Retrieved fromhttp://www.watsoninstitute.org/pub/CotBafter.pdf (Original work published )

Gaddis, J. L. (1982). Flexible Response. Nuclear Files. Abstract retrieved from http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/history/cold-war/strategy/strategy-flexible-response.htm

Roskin, M. G., & Berry, N. O. (2010). IR: The New World Of International Relations (Custom ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall.

the Aftermath. Constructing the Past, 12(1), 4. Abstract obtained from The The Soviet Unionn Century, , .

the atomic bomb website. (n.d.). The limited Test Ban Treaty. Retrieved October 18, 2011, from http://www.atomcentral.com/testban.html

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