Attitudes of Khrushchev and Kennedy

Question 1

What pressures did Khrushchev have affecting how he approached foreign policy before Cuban Missile Crisis 1962?

Answer 1

-Khrushchev more interested in improving Soviet economy and standard of living
-Had to show strong anti-Western position to maintain Soviet dominance in communist world

Question 2

What pressures did Kennedy have affecting how they approached foreign policy before Cuban Missile Crisis 1962?

Answer 2

-Initially incline towards conciliation but had to demonstrate strong anti-communist stance

Question 3

How did Kennedy and Khrushchev’s attitudes change following the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 3

Became much more interested in engagement and discussions after the crisis

Question 4

What did General Leon Johnson’s report on the results of a nuclear war between the USA and USSR conclude?

Answer 4

‘Neither the US nor the USSR can emerge from a full scale nuclear exchange without suffering very severe damage and high casualties’

Question 5

How did Khrushchev view their withdrawal in Cuba?

Answer 5

As a triumph
-Conciliation important to Khrushchev after Sino-Soviet split