Thirteen Days” by Antony Gumi
The “Thirteen Days” movie describes how the 35th president of United States of America (USA), John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis during the period of October 14-28, 1963. It shows how JFK’s leadership saved the world from having World War III (WWIII), or worse, Nuclear War. JFK’s crisis management and decision-making skills was tested during this period. He was under an extreme pressure, having the Cuban missiles were about to be ready to become operational and most of his Generals suggested him to launch a military strike, while he didn’t want to start a war and prefer to avoid one. To make things worse, the Joint Chiefs, who most of them were older than JFK, pressurized
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Regarding informational processing roles, monitoring role was hold by JFK as he indirectly scanned for information (i.e. in the reality, the U-2 spy plane pilots were the ones who do the dangerous photo-taking mission) about the existence of Cuban Missiles and about how to remove those Missiles out of Cuba, including the investigation on Alexander Fomin’s background that he delegated to Kenny and FBI’s Walter Sheridan. To disseminate the information, JFK trusted Kenny to pass his message to the subordinates (e.g. JFK told Kenny to tell the Press Secretary, Pierre Salinger, the truth about the crisis issue). In addition to monitor and disseminator roles, the movie also showed how Robert McNamara, The USA Secretary of Defence, act as JFK’s spokesperson in Pentagon, making sure that no action was taken without JFK’s approval. Adlai Stevenson also got his share as a spokesperson as he represented and spoke for USA in the United Nation (UN). Personally, I think Adlai is the coolest character in this movie since he was the one who propose the idea of political negotiation (i.e. trading American’s missiles in Turkey with Soviet’s missiles in Cuba) which what in the end became the final solution of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I also love the part of the movie where he gave his counter-argument to Soviet’s Zorin at the UN Security Council meeting.
Regarding decision-making roles, the cabinet and
The Cuban Missile Crisis could be known as President Kennedy’s greatest success. Due to the Cold War, tensions were high between the Russia and the United States. Kennedy discovered that the Soviet Union was constructing nuclear and long range missiles at a site in Cuba, which was dangerously close to America. Kennedy handled a difficult situation that could have had devastating effects on the U.S.
The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. What was at stake in the crisis, and how do you assess President Kennedy’s response to Khrushchev’s provocation? Was Kennedy prudent or rash, suitably tough or needlessly belligerent?
Thirteen Days, by Robert Kennedy, is a portrayal of the drama surrounding the Cuban missile crisis, and an analysis of the ordeal. There are two sides to this conflict which was played out in the post-World War II era. On one hand you have the Communists of the Soviet Union, whose desire to bring all of Europe under their heel would nearly spark a war that would annihilate the human race. On the other stands the Americans who wished the "vindication of right" and to prevent the further spread of Communism.
While it may be true that Fidel Castro had a strong impact on the uprising of the crisis, it is crucial to consider John F. Kennedy as the person most at fault for the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy, America's president at the time, is often been called the most to blame because he overreacted to the missiles in Cuba. The question is if it was an overreaction or just a precaution for the safety and security of the American people. After the CIA spotted the missiles in Cuba, they informed Kennedy and he immediately called for a “quarantine” on Cuba’s eastern coast, setting up a blockade of ships along the coastline. Although many perceive this as an act of safety and protection, it is also easy to say that it was in fact “an act of aggression”
“The thirteen days marking the most dangerous period of the Cuban missile crisis begin.”(Missile Crisis). People believe that The Cuban Missile Crisis was a big tragedy. People were trying to save their lives. “The crisis peaked on October 27, when an American U-2 surveillance plane was shot down over Cuba by a surface-to-air missile.”( Cuban Missile Crisis). JFK had to think of a way to fix everything. If he didn’t think of a way to make sure everything goes okay, something really bad could happen. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK was Able to effectively respond to the threat of nuclear war through diplomacy and action despite the contradictory advice from his advisors.
This author realizes that even though O’Donnell was over exaggerated as a hero, there was no better point of view for the movie to be told from but O’Donnell because of his involvement in the events. Ernest is also intrigued by how the movie is a great thriller but is controversial on its historical accuracy. The author finds that the movie left out important elements of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but in order to keep the movie for stretching on for hours, it depicted the events as accurately as any movie might ever be able to. This article may be the most important article to the research essay over the Cuban Missile Crisis because it provides arguments on both sides, but chooses one side by the end. This article will be very useful as an example for how the research essay over Thirteen Days should
His planning was to answer the “American threat” whilst also “avoiding war”. As a mutual sort of success, both Khrushchev and Kennedy succeeded in avoiding war. However, much credit for the success has to be given to “plain dumb luck”. None of the accidents that occurred in those thirteen days aggravated an incredibly tense situation past the point of return, where the two most powerful men in the world would lose control of the situation
It all began with Fidel Castro, a Cuban citizen who overthrew the government of Cuba bringing Communist rule with him. This all started the domino effect which led to the failed attempt of the Bay of Pigs, and the threatening Cuban Missile Crisis. During this period of time, John F. Kennedy was the president of the United States and it was his first and foremost priority to protect the country and its citizens. He failed in an attempt that sought to overthrow Castro’s communist rule with the Soviets in Cuba by training and sending refugees into the country. This was later followed by the shock of images a U2 plane captured while flying over the Caribbean that portrayed the assembly of ballistic missiles controlled and
The Cuban Missile Crisis forever marked 1962 as the year the world almost witnessed a nuclear war. The Soviet Union, Cuba, and the United States were all teetering on the edge of a cliff that was crumbling from the weight of fear, tension, and secrecy. It also marked the official end of Americans innocent belief that they were safe in the glow of Lady Liberty’s torch. Yet amidst the dark shadow of nuclear threat one American president rose to this challenge and proved that peace through strength is the best strategy.
One of the scarcest events in American history happened during the month of October 1962. The world was about to enter a new phase of world warfare, using nuclear weapons to destroy the oppositions. This event affected everyone in the world, it was the possibility of nuclear death. It affected American citizens like my uncle, Walter Neal Woodruff. He was a solider working in the Administrate branch of the Army, stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona on call during this moment in American history. This event was called the Cuban Missile Crisis and it was the closest the world had ever been to WW3. Looking back on history now, knowing the crisis was resolved, it would have never been possible without President Kennedy’s nationally televised speech on October 22, 1962. The presidential speech was a key moment in ending the Cuban Missile Crisis and leading to actions taken by both, Soviet and American government to de-escalate tensions of the Cold War.
For what probably felt like a month the 13 days that Kennedy and his Associates went through was one of the memorable events during Kennedy’s time as president. If Kennedy would have did things different would we maybe have gone to war with Russia? Who knows, but because Kennedy did make good decisions and had lot of great people on his side while making these decisions that made this movie and real life story epic. He also had the problem of he was against what his own Chiefs of staff and other advisers who wanted a full on attack on Cuba. So that made it that much harder to avoid war and causing possibly a nuclear war. All kennedy was really looking for was a way out of this mess known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Part of the problems with all these decisions being forced on one person was he was so stressed and there was so much pressure and to top all of that off Kennedy was taking all of that medicine for his back problems. One of the biggest types of pressure on a president is when they are trying to avoid a nuclear war. The closest the world has ever come to a nuclear war occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When Kennedy did first figure out about the missiles in Cuba it is hard not to just take action because if there setting this up you know you're running out of time and that this could be a misunderstanding. Later we were also lied to by Russia about the missiles being in Cuba. They knew that them having these missiles was unnecessary and could be a threat,
Thirteen days. For some, it seemed like a lifetime. Thirteen days. For others, it was the scariest moments of their lives. Just thirteen short days to prevent a nuclear war. After Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban government, he turned Cuba into a communist regime. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics decided to provide Cuba with Soviet aid. Soon after, The United States found evidence of nuclear missiles. The Cuban Missile Crisis was an important time in both Cuban and American history. Castro’s Cuba was just the beginning, things then started to intensify with Soviet aid, and culminated with the United States responding to end it all.
The film, Thirteen Days, is a stark reminder of just how close the United States came and stood at the brink of war with the Soviet Union. It also depicts the internal struggle within the White House, and how even those who are on lower rungs of the ladder could severely impact the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although Kennedy and his inner staff wished to avoid a war at all costs, his military staff, on the other hand, had different intentions. The Kennedy administration ultimately avoided a war that would have resulted in nuclear destruction, and learned a valuable lesson as well, when it came to combating communism aggressively.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a frightening moment for the entire world. It started October 14th, 1962 after the Soviet Union planted nuclear missiles inn Cuba. The U.S. found out that these missiles were being planted without their knowledge, but the Soviet Union continued the construction of these nuclear missile sites, even after President Kennedy, the president of the U.S., sent out a warning against these weapons in Cuba. Even after this warning, Kennedy once again found out that the construction was still happening. Following the discovery of the ongoing construction, Kennedy wanted to meet with people at the White House to solve the problem that they were encountering. There were multiple sides during their talk about the missiles. Some of the people at the meeting wanted to take a more aggressive approach and destroy these missiles and then follow up with an attack. Kennedy eventually decided to quarantine Cuba. After Kennedy quarantined Cuba, there were many messages sent between the White House and the Kremlin to try and solve the problem. The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for thirteen extremely tense days. At the end of these thirteen days, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended with an agreement between the United States and Soviet Union. The Cuban Missile Crisis greatly impacted history. It strengthened the bond between the United States and Soviet Union, showed people how to come to a
The movie Thirteen Days is based off of the real life situation of the Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred back in 1962. The United States learned that the Soviet Union was placing missiles with nuclear weapons in Cuba. The movie follows President John F. Kennedy and his advisors as they are trying to come up with a plan of action for how to handle the situation.