The Cuban Missile Crisis Simulation
The goal of this simulation is that students will walk away with a better understanding of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Cold War. The three Social Studies classes will assume the role of a country during this crisis. Mr. Bottoms’ class will be the United States, Mr. Stevenson’s class will be the Soviet Union, and Mr. Voss’s class will be Cuba. Prior to beginning the simulation, the students will need some background info. The PowerPoint needs to be shown the day before the simulation.
Ultimately, we want the students to come to a peaceful solution, but if it ends with nuclear war, so be it. After the simulation, students will compare and contrast the simulation with the real event. Then, instruct the students to write a summary of the activity. This summary will be the graded exercise. As motivation to keep them from blowing up the world, tell the students that if they can resolve the conflict with out nuclear weapons, they will get a bonus, if not, points will be taken away.
Once class has started, you will need to explain the purpose of this activity, and also how the activity will work. Explain to the class how they will be divided, how to communicate to the other countries, and how they will respond to what the other countries do. Before you call the other countries, make sure you have grouped the students, and the students understand what is going on. These are the groups the students will be divided into, either by choice, or you can place them.
U.S.A / U.S.S.R / CubaEXCOMM – Led by President Kennedy, this group will make the final decisions / Presidium – Led by Premiere Khrushchev, this group will make the final decisions / Cabinet of Ministers – Led by Fidel Castro, this group will make the final decisions
Joint Chiefs of Staff – Led by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, this group will be in charge of telling the President the military options. / STAVKA – Led by the Red Army Commander, this group will be in charge of telling the Premiere the military options. / Cuban Defense Command – Led by the Defense Minister, this group will be in charge of telling el Presidente the military options.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – Led by the Director, this group is in charge of espionage activities, and intelligence operations. / KGB – Led by the Director, this group is in charge of espionage activities, and intelligence operations. / Intelligence Bureau – Led by Minister of Intelligence, this group is in charge of espionage activities, and intelligence operations.
State Department – Led by the Secretary of State, this group is responsible for diplomatic missions. / Foreign Ministry – Led by the Foreign Minister, this group is responsible for diplomatic missions. / Foreign Ministry – Led by the Foreign Minister, this group is responsible for diplomatic missions.
Secret Service – Led by the Director, this group is in charge of Security, and protecting the President / GRU – Led by the Director, his group is in charge of Security, and protecting the Premiere. / Nat’l Secret Police – Led by the Director, this group is in charge of Security, and protecting el Presidente.
After you call to start
The Soviet Union and Cuba must decide whether the missiles in Cuba are enough, or should more be sent. They need to discuss this as a class, and talk to each other secretly (using a form of communication with out the U.S). The U.S. will be looking over the U2 photos, and deciding what course of action to take.
Once the U.S. makes its decision, then the other countries react to that, assuming the character of their respective countries. Teachers will serve as the “Security Advisors” trying to steer the students into an appropriate direction. Teachers, in order for the speaker not to be distracted by comments from your class, tell them the importance of keeping quiet. Teachers can communicate using the classroom phones. Once a solution has been reached, I will announce it to each class by reading a “script” of the result. Once this has happened, begin the compare and contrast discussion, and have students write their summaries.
Possible Courses of Action for the U.S.
1. Do nothing – This option will portray you as weak
2. Hold a Summit – Buys time, students sit down face to face
3. Assassinate Castro – Will remove the dictator, but will enflame the situation
4. Invasion – Soviet and American troops would fight it out
5. Air Strike – Removes most missiles, but not all, and Moscow will retaliate
6. Blockade – Buys more time, and allows for the Soviets to reconsider their position
Possible responses for the USSR
1. Capture W.Berlin – If the U.S will let you put missiles in Cuba, why not this.
2. Summit – You can go, and talk, or refuse
3. If Castro is Assassinated, the U.S. did it, and you should retaliate
4. If Cuba is invaded, you can use Nuclear weapons to retaliate, or retreat
5. If Soviet troops are killed by an air strike, you must retaliate
6. You can run the blockade, or turn the ships with missiles around
Possible responses for the Cuba
1. Make a speech in triumph over the U.S.
2. If invited to a summit, you can go, or refuse
3. If you are assassinated, or an attempt is made, you should ask the Soviets to retaliate
4. If invaded, Soviet/Cuban and American troops would fight it out with tactical Nuclear weapons
5. If Cuban troops are killed by an air strike, you must ask the Soviet Union to retaliate
6. Make a speech denouncing the American Blockade
Group 1: Presidium (Premiere Khrushchev and the members of the Central Committee)
Premiere Nikita Khrushchev
Who was Nikita Knruschchev?
Nikita Khrushchev was born on April 17, 1894. He grew up in a mud hut and worked many hours in coal mines throughout his childhood. He joined the Russian Revolution in 1918, fighting for the Bolsheviks during the Civil War. His first work for the Soviet Government took him to the Ukraine. Eventually he joined the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party in 1934, and became the first secretary of the Ukrainian party. When Stalin died, Khrushchev took power. In 1956, he denounced Stalin and his policies. He became the first secretary of the Communist party and later the Soviet premier as well. Khrushchev wanted a "peaceful coexistence" between the US and the Soviet Union, and met with the American leadership on several occasions. He cancelled a summit meeting in Paris when an American plane was shot down while spying on the Soviet Union. Khrushchev and the other Soviets were very pleased to learn that Cuba's new government would be aligned with them. After American attempts to overthrow the Cuban Government, Khrushchev placed Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.
Soviet Politics
The Soviet Union, after its revolution, became the world's first Communist country. The Bay of Pigs invasion ended the possibility of a US-Cuba friendship. Fidel Castro decided to allow the Soviet Union to deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba and aid Cuba in its defense.
The Soviet Union suffers from having only 26 missiles capable of reaching the U.S, which leads to the placing of missiles in Cuba. For exact numbers, ask your Red Army Commander. You can compare this to the numbers the KGB can tell you about U.S. Nuclear Weapons. You must consider what response your decisions will receive. In 1962, the U.S. has the advantage in Strategic Nuclear weapons. Before you make any decisions, you must ask the advice of each group, and weigh what they have to say carefully. The last thing you want is a nuclear war, so only use Nuclear weapons as a last option.
Group 1: Presidium (Premiere Khrushchev and the members of the Central Committee)
The Presidium Members (one being the Chairman of the Politburo)
The Presidium’s role is to advise the Premiere, but also to be in charge of communications with the other powers. Also, one member of the group should record the events of the simulation, for the compare and contrast discussion after.
How do you communicate?
In this simulation, there are several ways to communicate. However, there is no “hot line” between the superpowers. That was one problem that the Crisis reflected, and led to the creation of a direct phone line between the leaders of the superpowers.
1. Messenger/Ambassador – If you would like to send a message to a leader, you can appoint an Ambassador to the country. The Ambassador can take a letter, or give a verbal message. The down side is that the other country might not accept your ambassador, fearing they could be part of a spy operation.
2. Radio Broadcast - This can be done using the Skype webcam system, but with out video. The Radio broadcast is designed to act like a radio, with one way communication. You can talk to one country, or both at the same time. When a radio address is being broadcasted, all students must be quiet, so you can hear the broadcast. Radio and T.V. broadcasts are supposed to be scripted by Group 1 of each country (leader group)
3. Television Broadcast - This can be done using the Skype webcam system with video. The T.V. broadcast is designed to act like a T.V, with one way communication. You can only talk to one country. When a T.V address is being broadcasted, all students must be quiet, so you can hear the broadcast. Radio and T.V. broadcasts are supposed to be scripted by Group 1 of each country (leader group)
4. Type a letter – Using the Instant Message feature on Skype, we can compose letter communications to each country. These letters can be sent between nations, or to both. Teletype letters were important means of communication during the real crisis, so they also could be here.
When preparing your speeches, remember to be “in character”. President Kennedy would say phrases like “my fellow Americans”, and would be passionate about the speech. Premiere Khrushchev and Fidel Castro would use phrases like “comrade” and would brag about how powerful they are. Remember that you have a role to “act” out. All radio and T.V. speeches should be written down, for clarity and a better delivery.
Group 2: STAVKA (Red Army Commander, Red Air Force Commander, Red Navy Commander, Red Army Political Advisor, Red Army Missile Commander)
Red Army Commander
You are the leader of the Military Group. Talk to the other military leaders, and try to convince the Premiere that keeping the missiles in Cuba is essential for the defense of Cuba and the Soviet Union. The U.S. has many more Nuclear weapons than the Soviets. Each military commander has exact figures on the numbers concerning their branch, and you can compare those to what the KGB has on the Americans. There is the possibility that the Americans will do nothing, because they know the end result of a nuclear war – no winners. Before any major decision, the Premiere must ask all groups for their opinions. You should always want to take the military option.
OPERATION ANADYR: This is the movement of Soviet Strategic Missiles into Cuba. This deployment includes 40,000 troops, composed of two Motorized Infantry Divisions, the Ballistic Missiles Regiment, and 46 SA-2 Surface to Air Missile batteries. Soviet Air Force includes 42 MiG-21 fighters, and 42 Il-28 Bombers. Soviet Navy elements include 1 diesel powered Submarine, and 14 Merchant vessels, the ships that supposedly brought the troops to Cuba. Currently, we have 24 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) and 36 Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBMs). We should consider placing 20 more of the IRBMs and replace the MRBMs with IRBMs. This force cannot stop and American invasion. The only possible way to stop an invasion would be the use of nuclear missiles.
Group 2: STAVKA (Red Army Commander, Red Air Force Commander, Red Navy Commander, Red Army Political Advisor, Red Army Missile Commander)
Red Air Force Commander
The Red Air Force has 104 Long range Bombers capable of dropping Nuclear Bombs over the U.S. We have no jet fighters capable of reaching that far, but we have on the island of Cuba 42 MiG-21 fighters, and 42 Il-28 Bombers. The Il-28 Bombers each carry 2 nuclear bombs each. It should be your recommendation to deploy more troops to Cuba, and to resist American Aggression with Nuclear Weapons.
Group 2: STAVKA (Red Army Commander, Red Air Force Commander, Red Navy Commander, Red Army Political Advisor, Red Army Missile Commander)
Red Navy Commander
The Red Navy is small compared to the American navy. We are currently in the process of restructuring our Nuclear Submarine fleet, but none are ready for use. We have few surface ships. Compared to the U.S. Navy, we cannot win a naval battle with out the use of Nuclear weapons. It should be your recommendation to deploy more troops to Cuba, and to resist American Aggression with Nuclear Weapons.
Group 2: STAVKA (Red Army Commander, Red Air Force Commander, Red Navy Commander, Red Army Political Advisor, Red Army Missile Commander)
Red Army Political Advisor
As the commander of the Red Army Commissars, your job is to ensure the orders of the Red Army are carried out. Currently, there are 50 commissars in Cuba, meaning that any orders issued by STAVKA will be obeyed. Also, the use of Nuclear Weapons will be authorized only if the Premiere and you agree to use them. It should be your recommendation to deploy more troops to Cuba, and to resist American Aggression with Nuclear Weapons.