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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who was George Ball?
(a) The Under Secretary of State.
(b) The Secretary of State.
(c) Chief of Staff.
(d) Former Ambassador to Cuba.

2. Robert tells he once heard World War Three would be fought with atomic weapons. What then would the next war be fought with?
(a) Guns and knives.
(b) Atomic weapons.
(c) Sticks and stones.
(d) Swords and cannons.

3. What possibility does JFK say everyone must accept if there is an invasion of Cuba?
(a) A missile may be fired at the U.S.
(b) The Russians may immediately fire nuclear weapons.
(c) The U.S. may be unsuccessful.
(d) The Cubans may surrender immediately.

4. What feeling does Robert believe Congress and the country is turning to but should not?
(a) Isolationism.
(b) Communism.
(c) Marxism.
(d) Inclusion.

5. What hit the U-2 plane that was flying reconnaissance over Cuba?
(a) Starbursts.
(b) Bullets.
(c) Torpedo.
(d) SAM.

6. What did JFK believe was the likelihood of nuclear war when dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis?
(a) One in ten.
(b) Fifty - fifty.
(c) Ninety percent.
(d) One in three.

7. Who was the ex-Chancellor of Germany at the outbreak of World War I?
(a) Adolf Hitler.
(b) Joseph Stalin.
(c) Kristof Romanoff.
(d) Prince von Bulow.

8. What does the change in attitude from the letter received on the 26th and the letter received on the 27th suggest?
(a) Desire for war.
(b) Translation mistakes.
(c) Deception.
(d) Soviet confusion.

9. What did Dobrynin say the Cubans resented when Robert meets with him after the U-2 was shot down?
(a) Violation of Cuban air space.
(b) Socialism.
(c) The Bay of Pigs.
(d) U.S. democracy.

10. What does Robert claim can "best be judged by conflict, by debate" (86)?
(a) Leaders.
(b) Life.
(c) Business.
(d) Opinion.

11. What extended metaphor does Khrushchev use to conclude his letter from October 26th?
(a) A journey while driving a car.
(b) The tying of a knot.
(c) A flood.
(d) The scoring of a goal.

12. Who wrote the Afterword for Thirteen Days?
(a) Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
(b) Richard Neustadt and Graham Allison.
(c) David Schoenbrun.
(d) Theodore Sorensen.

13. What two items were added to the embargo list after the successful boarding of the Marucla?
(a) Baby food and bread.
(b) Gasoline and automobiles.
(c) Petroleum oil and lubricants.
(d) Weapons and steele.

14. According to Robert in "The importance of placing ourselves in the other country's shoes," why was JFK reluctant to attack the missile sites after a U.S. U-2 was shot down?
(a) The Cubans would attack
(b) The Russians would be forced to retaliate.
(c) It would humiliate Castro.
(d) Too many innocents would die.

15. Who said "war is impossible . . . there is no alternative to peace" (104)?
(a) Thomas Schelling.
(b) Theodore Sorensen.
(c) Robert McNamara.
(d) Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the Afterword, the Cuban Missile Crisis is important on how many levels?

2. Who was approached by a Soviet Embassy official to offer a proposal for removing the missiles from Cuba?

3. How many destroyers did the U.S. put in Caribbean waters?

4. According to Robert in "Some of the things we learned . . .," what must a President have access to?

5. What did the Joint Chief of Staff suggest the U.S. do to respond to the letter sent October 27th?

(see the answer keys)

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