The Cuban Missile Crisis

Investigating the Cuban Perspective

Lesson Plan Using Online Resources

Focus Question

Was the Cuban government justified in believing that an American attack was imminent?

Purpose

Students (and adults) often oversimplify historical events by viewing an enemy as simply "irrational" or "evil." By investigating the Cuban perspective of the causes for the 1962 crisis, students will gain empathy and come to understand that all players in the crisis were acting in rational ways based on their understanding of the crisis. The development of student empathy will carry over to other historical learning as well as in application to current events.

Objectives

Students will:

•  Discover multiple perspectives on the Cuban Missile Crisis

•  Gain skills in research and investigation

•  Gain skills in critical thinking and primary source analysis

Background and Preparation

As preparation for the class lesson, students should complete the background reading from The Cuban Missile Crisis: Considering Its Place in Cold War History. Students should then have a conversation with their parents to discover what their parents remember from the Cuban missile crisis.

Handouts

Nikita Khrushchev speech to the RFSR, July 1960

Fidel Castro letter to Nikita Khrushchev, October 26, 1962

Student Assignment Sheet

Intelligence Analysis Guide

In the Classroom

1. Hand out copies of Khrushchev speech and Castro letter. Ask students to read and highlight the major concerns presented in the documents. You may wish to read these documents out loud. List the concerns students find on the board.
2. Handout primary source documents randomly to students for independent analysis using guiding questions. The recommended sites are listed for you to decide which documents to use. Find the documents of your choice to print for later duplication. The sites are also listed as links in the student handout – if you choose to, you may have students search independently rather than selecting the documents they analyze.

Recommended Documents

www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1962castro.html

Castro's 1962 Second Declaration of Havana speech on the future of Cuba, including the history and current threat of imperialists.

www.watsoninstitute.org/cuba/Cubaconffiles/panel1/panel1.php        


A selection of documents that provide relevant evidence to support Cuba's claim that a U.S. attack is imminent. In particular, focus on:

• Document #15: DOD Memorandum TOP SECRET The Cuba Project (Operation Mongoose) January 18, 1962
• Document #21: DOD Memorandum TOP SECRET NOFORN "Cuba" (Operation Northwoods) April 10, 1962.

www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/jfkstate.htm

Transcript of Kennedy's September 4, 1962 speech discussing U.S. response to Soviet weapons in Cuba.

www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/precrisis.htm

Soviet statement of September 11, 1962 that U.S. attack on Cuba will lead to nuclear war.

3. After students have finished independent work, group students by document to share information, ask questions, and clarify analysis. A reporter from each group should be selected to present to the class.

4. Have reporters present their findings to the class, including their group's answers to the original questions and evidence to support those answers. Each presentation should be very brief.
5. Facilitate discussion on the Cuban point of view during the Cuban missile crisis: What were Cuban fears during this time? Were these fears founded? If you were a Cuban leader at the time, what would you have done in the face of this threat? From what you know of the American perspective on the Cuban missile crisis, did the United States understand Cuban fears? Would the U.S. approach have changed if leaders had understood?

Optional Follow-up

Students conduct further investigation and write an essay on one of the following topics:

• Make a comparison between the Cuban view of the U.S. in 1962 and the Iraqi perception of the U.S. in 2002. Lead a discussion using the same focus question as above but with Iraq as the subject.
• Conduct an investigation addressing whether or not the U.S. violated international law in its dealings with Cuba.

Assessment

Assign students a persuasive essay answering the focus question based on evidence from the documents they have analyzed in class.

Note:This lesson should be used in conjunction with a unit on the Cuban missile crisis which includes investigation into American, Soviet and Cuban perspectives and experiences. This best fits in with a unit of study on the Cold War.

This lesson was developed by:
Chris Dwyer—Harry S Truman High School, Bronx, New York
Sean Gilligan—Windham High School, Willimantic, Connecticut
Caitlin Murphy—Hudson High School, Hudson, Massachusetts
Gretchen Snow—Normal Community High School, Normal, Illinois