Timeline
The year which the Cuban Missile Crisis took place in.
a) 1945
b) 1962
c) 1975
d) 1989
b) 1962
Who was the President of the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
a) Dwight D. Eisenhower
b) Richard Nixon
c) John F. Kennedy
d) Lyndon B. Johnson
c) John F. Kennedy
Why did the Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba?
a) For weather research
b) To defend against the U.S.
c) To help Cuba win a war
d) To prepare for a space launch
B) To defend against the U.S.
What action did President Kennedy take after discovering the missiles?
A) Invaded Cuba
B) Did nothing
C) Called the United Nations
D) Ordered a naval blockade
D) Ordered a naval blockade
What kind of missiles were placed in Cuba?
A) Space missiles
B) Nuclear missiles
C) Water rockets
D) Smoke bombs
B) Nuclear missiles
The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for...
a) 3 days
b) 1 month
c) 13 days
d) 60 days
c) 13 days
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union at the time?
a) Leonid Brezhnev
b) Joseph Stalin
c) Nikita Khrushchev
d) Vladimir Putin
c) Nikita Khrushchev
Why was the U.S. worried about missiles in Cuba?
A) They were close enough to hit U.S. cities
B) They were pointed at Europe
C) They could destroy U.S. satellites
D) They blocked U.S. trade routes
A) They were close enough to hit U.S. cities
What is a blockade?
A) A peace treaty
B) A type of nuclear weapon
C) A barrier to stop goods and weapons
D) A radio message
C) A barrier to stop goods and weapons
What is “Mutually Assured Destruction”?
A) A movie
B) A peace treaty
C) The idea that both sides would be destroyed in nuclear war
D) A battle strategy
C) The idea that both sides would be destroyed in nuclear war
The first event in the crisis was...
a) the naval blockade
b) the discovery of Soviet missiles
c) the Cuban invasion of the US
d) Kennedy and Khrushchev's deal
b) the discovery of Soviet missiles
Who was the leader of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
a) Che Guevara
b) Fidel Castro
c) Hugo Chávez
d) Manuel Noriega
b) Fidel Castro
What Cold War event had already increased tension between the U.S. and Cuba before the crisis?
A) Bay of Pigs invasion
B) Berlin Wall construction
C) Vietnam War
D) Korean War
A) Bay of Pigs invasion
How did the U.S. respond to ships headed to Cuba during the blockade?
A) Sank them
B) Let them pass
C) Turned them away
D) Bombed the harbors
C) Turned them away
What was one major fear of the American public during the crisis?
A) Losing the internet
B) A nuclear attack
C) A zombie apocalypse
D) A food shortage
B) A nuclear attack
Tensions arose again on October 27 when...
a) an US U-2 spy plane was shot down
b) Kennedy was assasinated
c) A nuclear test occured in Siberia
d) The Korean War
a) an US U-2 spy plan was shot down
How many letters did Khrushchev send to Kennedy?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
b) 2
What was one reason Khrushchev may have felt pressured to place missiles in Cuba?
A) The U.S. was building nukes in Alaska
B) The U.S. had missiles in Turkey
C) Cuba was attacking U.S. ships
D) The Soviet Union had no allies
B) The U.S. had missiles in Turkey
How did the Cuban Missile Crisis end?
A) Cuba surrendered
B) Missiles were removed through a secret deal
C) The U.S. bombed the missile sites
D) The Soviet Union won the war
B) Missiles were removed through a secret deal
What item did many American families build during the Cold War in case of a nuclear attack?
A) A space pod
B) A treehouse
C) A bomb shelter
D) A radio tower
C) A bomb shelter
Briefly explain the reason why the Cuban Missile Crisis was a dangerous moment in history.
During the 13 days, the U.S. discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. This led to a standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, almost causing nuclear war. President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade, and eventually both sides agreed to remove their missiles peacefully.
Describe the role that John F. Kennedy had in the crisis.
Kennedy was the U.S. president who ordered the blockade and worked to resolve the crisis.
Explain two reasons the Cuban Missile Crisis began, including one reason from the U.S. side and one from the Soviet side.
The Soviets placed missiles in Cuba to protect an ally and to counter U.S. missiles in Turkey. The U.S. felt threatened because the missiles could strike American cities quickly.
Describe one decision made by each side (U.S. and Soviet Union) that helped avoid war.
The U.S. agreed to secretly remove missiles from Turkey, and the Soviet Union agreed to take their missiles out of Cuba. These decisions helped avoid nuclear war
Why did Castro want to obtain nuclear weaponry?
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