Putin’s Nuclear Threats Evoke Cold War Tensions of the Cuban Missile Crisis

February 23, 2023

(11 min.)

Has lesson plan

Russia’s recent nuclear threats have revived Cold War animosity with roots in the Cuban missile crisis. During a standoff in 1962, a tense confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union nearly resulted in a nuclear war.

After American spy planes detected Soviet missile sites in Cuba in 1962, the world stood still as the two global superpowers faced off in a Cold War showdown, freighted with the prospect of nuclear weapons ending life as we knew it.

Leading up to the crisis, the United States had grown increasingly worried about Cuba falling under communist control. The American government’s efforts to unseat its leader, Fidel Castro, had further pushed the country into the arms of the Soviet Union.

After the missile sites were detected, President John F. Kennedy placed a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the delivery of military supplies. He demanded that the missiles be removed, and the sites destroyed.

Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, and Kennedy agreed to a deal in which the Soviets would dismantle the missile sites in exchange for a promise by the United States not to invade Cuba. Separately, the United States also agreed to remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey.

“Both Kennedy and Khrushchev realized very quickly that they were losing control of events,” said Michael Dobbs, a Cold War historian. “I think the main lesson of the Cuban missile crisis was that as soon as you start escalating a conflict, accidents can happen.”

Sixty years later, the United States and Russia are again in a risky standoff, this time over Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of nuclear “blackmail” and vowed to “use all means at our disposal” to defend his country. As the United States provides support to Ukraine, President Biden has said the conflict raises the “prospect of Armageddon’’ to the highest level since the Cuban missile crisis.

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For teachers

Lesson plan 1: Cuban Missile Crisis
Lesson plan 2: Hexagonal Thinking – Latin America and the Cold War
Read transcript
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Producer: Matthew Spolar
Associate Producer: Manuel Cuéllar
Editor: Maria Badia

For Educators

Subjects

U.S. History World History

Topics

1960s America as a World Power Cold War Domestic Policy Foreign Policy Politics Postwar Era U.S. Presidents

Introduction

In this 11-minute video and accompanying lesson plan students will analyze and evaluate the actions taken by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cuban missile crisis. The video will explore the history leading to the crisis, the events that nearly led to a nuclear war, and how the actions of leaders can lead to unknown consequences for their country and many other nations.

This video also examines how sixty years later, the United States and Russia are again in a risky standoff, this time over Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. As the United States provides support to Ukraine, President Biden has said the conflict raises the “prospect of Armageddon’’ to the highest level since the Cuban missile crisis.

This story is featured in our webinar, “Kennedy and the Cold War: Berlin to Cuba and Beyond.”

Lesson Plan 1: Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis

Cold War in Latin America

Global Cold War

Cold War in Latin America

Overview

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Students will analyze and evaluate the actions taken by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cuban missile crisis.

Objectives

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Students will:

Identify actions by U.S. and Soviet leaders that led each side to react the way they did
Analyze reactions by each side and come up with ways to averted the crisis

Essential questions

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How do the actions of one leader/nation affect the actions of other nations?
To what level can leaders of a country control events once they have set them in motion?

Additional resources

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Standards

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College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies:

D2.Civ.7.9-12.Apply civic virtues and democratic principles when working with others.
D2.His.2.9-12.Analyze change and continuity in historical eras.
D2.His.3.9-12.Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
D2.His.14.9-12.Analyze multiple and complex causes and effect of events in the past.

Lesson Plan 2: Hexagonal Thinking – Latin America and the Cold War

Hexagonal Thinking – Latin America and the Cold War

Hexagonal Thinking – Cuban Missile Crisis

Understanding the Cold War in Latin America

The Cold War in Latin America

Global Cold War

Overview

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Students will connect terms, ideas and images as a means for presenting Cold War tensions in Latin America visually. The activity is designed for students to complete in small groups and can be used as a review or as a final assessment.