Simulation: Cold War Crisis Context
OER PROJECT: WH1200/ LESSON 8.2 ACTIVITYCOLD WAR CONTEXTUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Cold War Context,” OER Project, www.oerproject.com/Review this information to help you with Part 2 of the Cold War Crisis activity.•By 1961, the Cold War was in full swing,and the American government was wary of having a new communist regime so close to the United States(at their closest points, Cuba is less than 100 miles from the US). Cuba’s new leader, Fidel Castro, began aligning his nation with the Soviet Union. In 1961, the American governmentled byPresident John F. Kennedy,attempted to invade Cuba. This invasion was known as the Bay of Pigs and was a complete failure. Embarrassed by the outcome of this attemptto overthrow the Cuban government, Kennedy and his advisers put Operation Mongoose into action. The goal was to sabotage the communist government of Cuba from within.•The communist regime in Cuba strengthened its relationship with the Soviets and depended on them for both economic and military aid. The Soviets seized the opportunity provided by the botched invasion of Cuba to move weapons (missiles) there. The Soviets positioned these as retaliation for the US’s installation of missiles in Turkey, missiles that were armed and ready to launch at the USSR.•The Soviet missiles in Cuba were only 90 miles south of Florida. These nuclear-equipped missiles could have been fired at any location in the United States.•An American spy plane took photographs of the missiles being assembled at a secret location in Cuba on October 14, 1962. These photographs were sent immediately to President Kennedy, who convened a meeting of his national security advisers to decide on a course of action.