Thirteen Days - Research Paper Example

REALISM THEORY. Submitted by: 20th March Definition: Realism theory refers to the international relations between countries in terms of power. It’s when countries are so much involved with maintaining their political power as well as acquiring new powers and territories. Power here refers to the influence i.e. a state is able to influence others as well as resist influence from other states.In the movie Thirteen days, President John F. Kennedy is faced with a missile threat from the Soviet Union which wants to place medium range ballistic missiles to Cuba.

The nuclear weapons as one advisor puts it can wipe the whole of South East and North America killing at least 80 million Americans. He is facing world war 3 in the near future. They have to come up with a quick plan on how to stop the war heads from being operational.President Kennedy does not want to invade Cuba, though the chiefs of staff really think that invading Cuba would be the best solution at the moment. He says the same course of events led to the break out World War 1. This time the risks were high because nuclear weapons were involved.

They settle on blockade as the first measure which technically is an act of war that would help remove the missiles from Cuba as well as avoid war. They agree not to call it a blockade but quarantine. This is where the US navy ships will stop any ships that enter Cuban water for inspection to make sure they are not carrying any lethal weapons into Cuba.Cuban ambassador to the US at first assures president Kennedy that there are weapons in Cuba but they are only for defensive but not offensive purposes, which the president sees as lies and sends US ambassador to the UN Mr.

Aldai Stevenson to a council meeting where he roughs up the Cuban ambassador with questions to categorically state if whether there are nuclear weapons placed in Cuba by the Soviet Union or not. The ambassador avoids the questions and says that the American government was spreading malicious information to incite nations.Throughout the entire process president Kennedy is pressurized by the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staffs, General Maxwell Taylor to hasten an invasion before the whole chance of removing the missiles from Cuba become impossible.

The president does not wish to subject innocent American citizens to an act world war 3. But all the same information starts spreading fast across all the American states about the possibility of a world war 3 which drives a major panic to the people who now shop for food stuff and other things in plenty just case a war breaks out.The quarantine is effected and some ships turn back to where they came from but others seem to proceed to Cuba. The Soviet Union sends a message through a messenger, one Mr.

Fomin saying that the Soviet Union would remove the nuclear weapons from Cuba in exchange the president was to declare publicly that America will not invade Cuba. A second message is received where the Soviet Union offers another deal but this time they wanted America to remove its weapons from turkey. The presidents together with his advisors agree to ignore the second message and use the first one to bargain with the Soviet Union. He sends the US attorney general Robert F. Kennedy who is also his brother to meet up with the Cuban attorney to strike out a deal on how to deal with this issue, they agree that the soviet union would remove the missiles from Cuba in exchange the US government will remove its weapons from turkey in six months.

The assurance from the US government was to be private and if made public the deal is cancelled. The deal is sealed and world war 3 successfully avoided.President J.F. Kennedy wanted with all means for America not to enter into any war with any country. He wanted to maintain peace in the US. He portrays real political realism where he wants the US to remain at peace, not to be threatened or pressured to enter into any war that would negatively affect its image to other nations.CitationsKeith L.

Shimko (2007) International Relations . Boston. WadsworthPolitical realism versus political idealism. An introduction to political realism. Retrieved from, http://www.faculty.valenciacollege.edu/scrosby/realismidealism.htmPearson education (1995) International Relations. Chapter summary. http://wps.pearsonlongman.com/long_goldstein_ir_10_cw/193/49498/12671523.cw/index.html