advice on Khrushchev's reactions and how he thought. At times Ambassador Thompson directly contradicted President Kennedy's initial ideas convincing him to change his mind. Defense Secretary McNamara in "The Fog of War" LESSON #3: How do you manage a crisis when one occurs? People spend years, perhaps their entire lives, studying this question. Innumerable books have been written on it. But based on the experience of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we can derive a few general principles. (1) As discussed above, try to see the situation through the eyes of your adversary. (2) Expect the unexpected. The policy maker, while trying to get the best information possible, must understand that there will be many things that he doesn't know. (3) Every diplomatic and peaceful avenue should be tried before there is a commitment to war. A graduated approach which always allows your opponent a face saving way out is optimal. (4) Be flexible and compromise on the little things, but don't appease by giving away the important points. After the missiles had been removed, President Kennedy described the process of crisis management by stating that one must be firm, obtain the best information possible and act with care. During the crisis he said, "there's always some sonofabitch" meaning that there will be people who through stupidity or because of their own agenda will take actions that push the country toward war. STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS Who bears responsibility for the Cuban Missile Crisis? Give the reasons for your opinion. Why was the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis considered a personal triumph for President Kennedy? Describe your reasons for this opinion. What was Khrushchev's key miscalculation when he was planning to place missiles in and why did he make that mistake? Describe three major misimpressions left by the movie. President Kennedy convened a large group of military leaders and foreign affairs experts in a team known as EXCOMM. Was the large body of advisors counterproductive (i.e. "too many cooks spoil the broth")? What are the pros and cons of large advisory group? What are the pros and cons of President Kennedy alone making the choices, without the input of a large advisory body? What was the role of the naval quarantine in President Kennedy's policy during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Did it really do anything to remove the missiles?
advice on Khrushchev's reactions and how he thought. At times Ambassador Thompson directly contradicted President Kennedy's initial ideas convincing him to change his mind. Defense Secretary McNamara in "The Fog of War" LESSON #3: How do you manage a crisis when one occurs? People spend years, perhaps their entire lives, studying this question. Innumerable books have been written on it. But based on the experience of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we can derive a few general principles. (1) As discussed above, try to see the situation through the eyes of your adversary. (2) Expect the unexpected. The policy maker, while trying to get the best information possible, must understand that there will be many things that he doesn't know. (3) Every diplomatic and peaceful avenue should be tried before there is a commitment to war. A graduated approach which always allows your opponent a face saving way out is optimal. (4) Be flexible and compromise on the little things, but don't appease by giving away the important points. After the missiles had been removed, President Kennedy described the process of crisis management by stating that one must be firm, obtain the best information possible and act with care. During the crisis he said, "there's always some sonofabitch" meaning that there will be people who through stupidity or because of their own agenda will take actions that push the country toward war. STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS Who bears responsibility for the Cuban Missile Crisis? Give the reasons for your opinion. Why was the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis considered a personal triumph for President Kennedy? Describe your reasons for this opinion. What was Khrushchev's key miscalculation when he was planning to place missiles in and why did he make that mistake? Describe three major misimpressions left by the movie. President Kennedy convened a large group of military leaders and foreign affairs experts in a team known as EXCOMM. Was the large body of advisors counterproductive (i.e. "too many cooks spoil the broth")? What are the pros and cons of large advisory group? What are the pros and cons of President Kennedy alone making the choices, without the input of a large advisory body? What was the role of the naval quarantine in President Kennedy's policy during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Did it really do anything to remove the missiles?
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