Homework 1

Homework 1: The Cuban Missile Crisis

1. Using this map, describe where Cuba is in as much detail as
possible.

2. Copy and complete the following sentences

In 1959 Cuba was swept away by revolution.
The revolution was led by this man, _______
________.
It was a Liberal revolution.
Liberal (or liberty) means ______________.
A revolution is when
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

When this happened Castro took control of American businesses in Cuba.

He even decided to trade sugar with the Soviets (Russia) rather than the
USA. Kennedy was angry. Kennedy ordered troops to try and invade Cuba
along the Bay of Pigs! but the invasion failed. As relations grew worse
between the USA and the USSR, Cuba and the USSR grew closer.
In 1962 Khrushchev took competition with the USA a step further. He
ordered that bases be made in Cuba for him to store his ballistic missiles.
3. Why would this anger JFK?
4. In some ways you could say Khrushchev was justified in wanting
to place missiles in Cuba. Can you explain this view?

The source below shows some photographs of missile bases in Cuba, 1962.

5. Is this source useful for studying the Cuban Missile Crisis of

1962?

President Kennedy ordered that a blockade (or embargo) be placed on

Cuba in order to prevent the missiles being placed there. Still,
Khrushchev had container ships carrying the ballistic missiles, make their
way to Cuba.
6. What is meant by the word blockade (embargo)?

Finally, moments before the deadline before American ships launched an

attack on the cargo ships, Khrushchev ordered the ships to turn back.
Khrushchev later sent a message to President Kennedy declaring that the
missiles will be removed if the USA removes their missile bases in
Turkey. A nuclear war had been prevented!

7. Match the three charters above to the characters in the

cartoon.
8. What message do you think the cartoonist is trying to convey?
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Homework 2: My Lai Massacre

On the 16th of March 1968 American soldiers of the Charlie Company
entered the small village of My Lai (approx 700 inhabitants) looking for
Viet Cong soldiers thought to have been in the area.
What happened over the next three hours has left a scar on America.
Despite facing no resistance from villagers and finding no members of the
Viet Cong or even men of the age to fight the soldiers of the Charlie
Company slaughtered around 504 My Lai villagers. The death toll included
at least 50 toddlers under the age of three. No American soldiers were
killed.
Source A - One soldier of the Charlie Company would later state;
"I cut their throats, cut off their hands, cut out their tongues, scalped
them. I did it. A lot of people were doing it and I just followed. I lost all
sense of direction."

Examples of Bravery
Soldier Robert Maples faced possible death by refusing to take part in
the killings even when ordered to with a gun pointed at him.
Helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson, risked his life to save as many people as
possible by landing his helicopter and threatening to fire on American
soldiers.
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The Cover-Up
Hugh Thompson reported the massacre but commanding officers denied
his claims and argued that approximately 20 civilians had been killed
during fighting in which 128 Viet Cong were killed. One year later
contradictory evidence was provided by a soldier who had heard stories
of My Lai and wrote to government officials detailing what had been said.
New Investigations and Trials
Only 14 officers were charged as a result of detailed investigations.
charged with crimes. Lt. William Calley was the only soldier to be
convicted.

Task
1. In what ways did the soldiers at My Lai actions violate the laws of
war?
2. Describe the cover-up that followed the massacre.
3. Who do you think should have been held accountable for events at
My Lai?