Kennedy's Options

Cuban Missile Crisis

Mind map showing the 5 options Kennedy had when it was discovered that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles on Cuba.

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  • Created by: Sophie
  • Created on: 24-03-13 13:15
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  • Kennedy's Options
    • Option 1 - Do nothing
      • USA had just as many nuclear weapons, so could easily fight back.
        • This would make Kennedy look weak and indecisive.
    • Option 2 - Democratic Pressures
      • They would avoid any conflict
        • The negotiations might not result in anything, and it would be seen as a sign of weakness.
    • Option 3 - Surgical Air Attack
      • Would destroy all the missiles before they were used.
        • It wouldn't be certain to work, and would kill many soldiers which is immoral. The Cubans might retaliate which would lead to war.
    • Option 4 - Blockade
      • It would not involve starting a war, and the USA had a strong navy. They could also fall back on any of the other options if it failed.
        • It wouldn't solve the problem immediately as the missiles could still be activated.
    • Option 5 - Invasion
      • Would probably get rid of Castro.
        • Would most likely result in war, and after the Bay of Pigs failure, nobody wanted to risk it again.

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