  Trace US–Cuban relations from the Spanish-American War to Fidel Castro’s revolution and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. See scenes from the showdown between the US and Soviet Union that bought the Cold War to America’s shores. Copyright 2011, Running time 20 minutes. |
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| WITNESS TO HISTORY: THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISISWITNESS TO HISTORY: THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS Objectives • Introduces students to the Cuban Missile Crisis – the Cold War confrontation between the United States, the USSR and Cuba that could have led to nuclear war. • Stimulates discussion of important events in 19th and 20th century history. • Provides primary source material for historical authenticity • Encourages students to study this subject in greater depth. Summary of Content This program looks at the history of US –Cuban relations and relations between Cuba, the Soviet Union, and the United States that culminated in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Archival footage documents the Spanish-American War ; the rise of Fidel Castro; the Bay of Pigs Invasion ; events that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Highlights include speeches by Pres. John F. Kennedy and US Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson. Discussion Questions 1. What were the causes of the Spanish-American War? Could the war have been avoided? 2. What territory did the United States acquire as a result of the Spanish-American War? 3. Identify the following people: a. William McKinley b. William Randolph Hearst c. Joseph Pulitzer d. Commodore George Dewey e. Theodore Roosevelt 4. Why did Pres. Eisenhower break off diplomatic relations with Cuba? 5. What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion? What impact did that have on US-Cuban relations? 6. Why did Fidel Castro seek an alliance with the Soviet Union? 7. Why did Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev want to build an alliance with Cuba? 8. Why was an alliance between Cuba and the USSR so threatening to the United States? 9. In his speech to the nation, Pres. Kennedy said “…let no one doubt that this is a difficult and dangerous effort on which we have set out. No one can see precisely what course it will take or what costs or casualties will be incurred….But the greatest danger of all would be to do nothing.” Discuss why “doing nothing” would have been the greatest danger. 10. Pres. Kennedy also said “We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth....” What did he mean when he said “the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth?” Activities • The US exercised the right to intervene in Cuban affairs four times before the Platt Amendment was rescinded in 1934. Have students research what the circumstances were that led to each intervention and discuss the effect they think that policy had on Fidel Castro’s attitude toward the United States. • An additional outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis was an agreement between the US and the Soviet Union that America would remove missiles it had installed in Turkey. Have students research the circumstances around the removal of the missiles and discuss the connection to the removal of the Soviet missiles from Cuba. • The US Naval Station at Guantanemo Bay became a major issue during the Iraq War which began in 2003. Have students research and discuss the history of the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay. |
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