LBJ's Cuban Missile Crisis

[westvirginiarebel]

Based on this, how might Johnson have handled the Cuban Missile Crisis?

[fjihr]

He was an anti-communist, as much as any other politician in the era. He'd probably be pretty similar to Kennedy, I think. He'd be strong, perhaps even stronger than Kennedy, but would force Khrushchev to back down.

Also, the Missile Crisis may not happen at all under Johnson. Kennedy was an unproven politician coming from a small state, and the Kremlin didn't know who he was. They were testing him using the scandal. Johnson was a known entity to the USSR; certainly not as much as Nixon, who was the Vice President debated Khrushchev and was well-known in the USSR. But Johnson was the Senate Majority Leader in the 50s and his foreign policy may have been known to the USSR. So, there may be a Crisis, but maybe not.

[Gog3451]

It would have a similar outcome. The USSR woudo to have done it with Nixon (or a third term Ike) but most democrats I think were unknown enough to have it happen. Now I don't see many other resolutions different than OTL excepting whacko birds or extreme Hawks like George Smathers. Then you might get WW3.

[fjihr]

May 12, 2016 16:02:12 GMT Gog3451 said:

It would have a similar outcome. The USSR woudo to have done it with Nixon (or a third term Ike) but most democrats I think were unknown enough to have it happen. Now I don't see many other resolutions different than OTL excepting whacko birds or extreme Hawks like George Smathers. Then you might get WW3.

I think because of Johnson's high status as Senate Majority Leader, he may be well-known enough that the USSR does not feel the need to test him. 

[Gog3451]

May 12, 2016 19:44:40 GMT fjihr said:

May 12, 2016 16:02:12 GMT Gog3451 said:

It would have a similar outcome. The USSR woudo to have done it with Nixon (or a third term Ike) but most democrats I think were unknown enough to have it happen. Now I don't see many other resolutions different than OTL excepting whacko birds or extreme Hawks like George Smathers. Then you might get WW3.

I think because of Johnson's high status as Senate Majority Leader, he may be well-known enough that the USSR does not feel the need to test him. 

Maybe, do we know that the USSR knew Johnson all that well? 

[burtledog]

The real question might be would LBJ handle Operation Trinidad differently. Op Trinidad was the first plan for the efforts to overthrow Cuba by putting a force in Cuba. It was well planned and much more practical than the Bay of Pigs (Operation Zapata). I have always thought that JFK did well during the Missiles Crisis, but that the crisis didn't need to happen if he had handled Trinidad/Zapata properly.
Grace Alone,
Burtledog