Kennedy's Stance in the Cuban Missile Crisis: Defending or Interfering?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a pivotal moment in the Cold War, marked by the US's response to Soviet missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy invoked the Monroe Doctrine to justify a quarantine of Cuba, leading to heightened tensions and preparations for potential war. International reactions varied, with some supporting the US and others siding with the Soviet Union. The crisis escalated with Soviet ships approaching the US blockade, but negotiations eventually led to the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba and US missiles from Turkey. The crisis highlighted the threat of nuclear war and prompted discussions on preventing future conflicts.

Which doctrine did Kennedy use to justify the quarantine of Cuba?

• The Emancipation Proclamation

• The Declaration of Independence

• The Monroe Doctrine

• The Bill of Rights

What actions did Americans take in preparation for a potential conflict?

• They turned basements into air raid shelters

• They bought canned goods and first aid supplies

• They practiced air raid drills in schools

• All of the above

How did Khrushchev justify the presence of missiles in Cuba?

• To establish a Soviet base in the Western Hemisphere

• To support Cuban independence

• To defend Cuba from US aggression

• To attack the United States

What was the reaction of Soviet citizens to the US quarantine?

• They remained neutral

• They called for peace talks

• They demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Moscow

• They supported the US actions

What event made both sides realize the proximity to nuclear war?

• The US quarantine of Cuba

• The downing of a US spy plane

• The UN Security Council meeting

• The Soviet ships turning back

What agreement was reached to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis?

• The US would invade Cuba

• The US and Soviet Union would remove their missiles from Turkey and Cuba respectively

• The Soviet Union would keep its missiles in Cuba

• The US would establish a permanent blockade

What was a key lesson learned from the Cuban Missile Crisis?

• Isolationism is the safest policy

• Military action is the best solution

• Diplomacy can prevent nuclear conflicts

• Nuclear war is inevitable