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Robert F. KennedyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The group that President Kennedy convened to advise him on the missile crisis, Ex. Comm, was composed entirely of white men. Do you think that a more diverse committee would have made the same recommendations or different ones? Would the deliberations have been different? In what way? Could such a committee happen today at the top levels of government? (You may want to search the internet for pictures of Ex Comm)
Robert Kennedy was the brother of the President, as well as the Attorney General. How do you think that affected his perspective? How do you think the story would be different if it were told by someone who wasn’t as personally close to President Kennedy?
President Kennedy personally intervened with newspaper editors to suppress publication of stories about the missile crisis before he announced it in his speech to the nation. Do you think that could happen today? Should it? Does the press have an obligation to yield to the President on matters of national security, or is that a violation of free speech?
Recent events with North Korea have escalated current concerns about the possibility of a nuclear war. Compare and contrast the U.S. situation with North Korea today to that of the U.S. situation with the U.S.S.R. during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Arthur Schlesinger writes in 1999 that information made available since 1967 serves to reinforce and support Robert Kennedy’s account of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Other historians have disagreed, arguing that it shows President Kennedy and Ex Comm in a much less flattering light. Research some of the criticisms of President Kennedy’s management of the Cuban Missile Crisis. What do the critics say? What evidence do they use for their assertions? Do you agree with them or Schlesinger?
Contrast life for the average American in 1962 with life today. How has daily life changed? How has the world changed? How do you think Americans would respond to a similar event today? If possible, interview someone who remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Research the history of the Cold War from its beginnings after World War II to its end, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the context of the Cold War, was the Cuban Missile Crisis inevitable? Explore the impact of the Cold War on American culture during that time period.
The movie Thirteen Days, released in 2000, is based on White House tape recordings made during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Watch the movie. Compare and contrast how the missile crisis is depicted in the book with the way it is shown in the movie. Which version do you think is more accurate?
Many Congressional leaders were privately very opposed to President Kennedy responding to the Soviet missile installation with a blockade instead of a military strike, but they did not criticize him publicly for the good of the nation. Do you think that would happen today? Do you think Congressional leaders should speak out if they disagree with the President on matters of national security?
Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense, advocated strongly and consistently in favor of a blockade and against military action throughout Cuban Missile Crisis. Later, he became one of the key architects of the American involvement in Vietnam. Research his career and explain the apparent contradiction between his stance during the missile crisis and his support of escalation in Vietnam.