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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who said, "if the Russians' response makes a military action or invasion inevitable, I want to be able to feel that we will not have to waste any days having to get ready" (47).
(a) Secretary McNamara.
(b) General LeMay.
(c) General Shoup.
(d) JFK.

2. Against what strategy was the following argument used: It would be like "closing the door after the horse has left the barn" (28)?
(a) Air stike.
(b) Nuclear War.
(c) Blockade.
(d) Summit.

3. Who suggested that the US take military action against Cuba for America's safety, not knowing about the missiles?
(a) Senator Richard B. Russell.
(b) Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
(c) Senator Homer E. Caphart.
(d) Senator J. William Fulbright.

4. Who does JFK meet with whom Robert claims he "trusted implicitly" (51)?
(a) Secretary John McNamara.
(b) Secretary Adlai Stevenson.
(c) Ambassador Dobrynin.
(d) Ambassador David Ormsby-Gore.

5. What piece of information caused JFK to favor the blockade?
(a) No guarantee that American lives would not be lost.
(b) The Russian demand to remove bombs from Turkey.
(c) Russian promise to use nuclear weapons against Berlin.
(d) No guarantee of all missiles being destroyed.

6. Who intervened with the newspapers to delay the report of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
(a) George Ball.
(b) Ed Martin.
(c) Robert Kennedy.
(d) JFK.

7. What was the "legal foundation" (40) for the blockade?
(a) The OSHA regulations.
(b) The Cuban Peace Treaty.
(c) The UN regulations.
(d) The OAS Charter.

8. What was the main reason that the President did not attend all of the Ex Comm meetings?
(a) Evasion of responsibility.
(b) Important diplomatic duties.
(c) To avoid arousing suspicion.
(d) Busy schedule.

9. Who unanimously pushed for immediate military action on Thursday October 18th?
(a) Ex Comm.
(b) Americans.
(c) The Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(d) Congress.

10. How far was the original line of interception for the blockade?
(a) 750 miles.
(b) 800 miles.
(c) 8000 miles.
(d) 500 miles.

11. When did John F. Kennedy call his brother, Robert, to the White House to discuss the photographs taken over Cuba?
(a) October 16, 1962.
(b) September 4, 1962.
(c) October 15, 1964.
(d) October 20, 1964.

12. What was JFK's feeling after meeting with a Russian representative after learning about missiles in Cuba?
(a) Rage.
(b) Displeased.
(c) Content.
(d) Depressed.

13. According to Robert in the section, "It was now up to one single man," what did JFK stress in his speech to the nation?
(a) The U.S. would invade Cuba.
(b) The blockade was the initial step.
(c) The U.S. was not yet in danger.
(d) The surgical air-strike was the initial step.

14. Robert describes the conflict in Cuba as one between two atomic nations. What are the two atomic nations he refers to?
(a) US and USSR.
(b) Berlin and Cuba.
(c) US and Germany.
(d) US and Cuba.

15. Before the announcement could be made that there was a Cuban Missile Crisis, what did the press report on instead of the crisis?
(a) The President would make a speech.
(b) The secret meetings of Ex Comm.
(c) The normal news.
(d) The OAS meeting.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which group was created "for the purpose of effective conduct of the operations of the executive branch in the current crisis" (45)?

2. What does Robert believe often leads to war?

3. When Robert meets with Dobrynin after the blockade is put into effect, what does Dobrynin say the ships will do?

4. Who told Ambassador Dobrynin about the President's intended speech?

5. Who does Robert speak to about the President's concern about missiles in Cuba on September 4th?

(see the answer keys)

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