Cuban Missile Crisis
Possible reactions Kennedy could have taken: Blockade
US navy to stop Soviet ships delivering any further weapons to Cuba, along with a demand for missiles already in Cuba to be removed. For- This would show firm action by the USA without using immediate force. It would give Khrushchev time to consider his next actions, and the USA the option of an air strike or invasion later if the blockade did not work. Against- A blockade would not remove the weapons already in Cuba. Action was likely to be slow in producing results. It did not rule out Soviet retaliation in other parts of the world-for example Berlin.
Cuba in the 1950s
Under huge America's influence 1. America ally 2. America owned most of the island's business 3. America had huge naval base there 4. Batista (leader) was supported by the USA as he opposed communism
Fedel Castro
led a communist revolution that took over Cuba in the late 1950s. He also created an alliance with the Soviet Union
Possible reactions Kennedy could have taken: Diplomatic pressure
to involve the United Nations and other international organisations to resolve the dispute For- Involvement of other countries might force the Soviets to remove the missiles without using violence Against-It was very unlikely that diplomacy would cause Khrushchev to give way, so this option was seen as very weak. Also, if it would not succeed, America would also seem weak
Outcomes of the Cuban missile crisis: Castro and Cuba
-Castro was disappointed by Khrushchev deal with USA, but he had to accept it since he needed support from the USSR -Cuba stayed communist and highly armed. Despite the missiles were removed, they were still an important communist base in south america - Castro kept control of the American companies and economic resources he nationalised during his revolution
Outcomes of the Cuban missile crisis: Cold war
-Helped stabilise the relationship between USA and USSR and helped them take action to reduce the risk of a nuclear war: (hotline between Washington DC and Moscow) (1963- Nuclear Test Ban Treaty) - It became clear that despite the USSR had fewer weapons or technology, they could still threaten USA as it would have been enough to cause great damage. From now on, those superpowers avoided direct confrontation and fought through their allies where possible
Outcomes of the Cuban missile crisis: Kennedy and USA
-Kennedy came out from the crisis with a GREATLY IMPROVED REPUTATION throughout the west (he stood up to Khrushchev and made him back down) -Kennedy resisted its government proposal of invasion -Kennedy secretly agreed to remove the missiles in Turkey, despite it should have been a NATO decision (this shows that he was scared that his reputation would be affected) -Kennedy had to accept Cuba as communist and Castro as its leader
Outcomes of the Cuban missile crisis: Khrushchev and USSR
-Khrushchev was seen as a RESPONSIBLE PEACE MAKER, willing to make its first move towards compromise -Protecting Cuba from the USA was a great achievement, since Cuba was a powerful ally and a base for communism in south america -Khrushchev managed to convince Kennedy to remove his missiles in Turkey (however he had to keep it a secret and couldnt use it as propraganda) -USA was criticised by some of his allies (e.g., Britain newspaper stated that USA was hypocritical since he would not accept missiles in Cuba, but he had himself missiles in Turkey)
USA response to the Cuban revolution
1 CIA: plans to overthrow Castro; plans to overthrow Cuban's economy 1. Economic sanctions 2. Stopped all trade 3. Refused to by raw materials and sugar 4. Diplomatic boycott 5. criticism of castro
Beginning of missile crisis 1962
1. After the Bay of Pigs Khrushchev gave Castro large amounts of military equipment (e.g., missiles, patrol boats) 2. America became increasingly worried about the Soviet military build-up in Cuba. 3. By July 1962 Cuba had the best -equipped army in Latin America.
Consequence of Bay of Pigs
1. Castro became even more popular in Cuba 2. Castro asked Krushchev to help Cuba from another American backed attack 3. Kennedy felt humiliated by the failure of the invasion. 4. Kennedy feared other countries might become Communist and enemies of the USA. 5. Krushchev-an older and more experienced leader than Kennedy, thought the American President was weak and would not use force over Cuba. 6. increased suspicion between Castro, Khrushchev and Kennedy
Why didn't the US support Fedel Catro?
1. Cuban exiles in the USA formed powerful pressure demanding actions against Castro 2. took over America's owned business and distributed it to Cuban-supporters peasants 3. Castro supported communism
Possible reactions Kennedy could have taken: list
1. Do nothing 2. Surgical air attack 3. Invade 4. Blockade 5. Diplomatic pressure
Why did Kennedy react the way that he did?
1. Kennedy was under serious pressure from US military leaders to bomb and invade Cuba immediately. This would almost certainly have led to war with the USSR. 2. Kennedy tried to give himself and Khrushchev a means of solving the crisis without immediate conflict. This is why he chose a blockade. 3. Kennedy also realised that he needed to give Khrushchev a way out without appearing to humiliate the Soviet leader-that is why, in private, he agreed not to invade Cuba and later removed US missiles from Turkey. 4. Kennedy used the opportunity of Khrushchev's first letter to explore ways to solve the crisis whilst at the same time convincing the Soviets that he was prepared for war.
Why did the USSR place missiles in Cuba?
1. Khrushchev wanted to produce more nuclear warheads and close the "missile gap" between the USA and USSR. 2. The USA had missiles in Western Europe and Turkey, well within range of the USSR. 3. The USSR had many more cheap, medium-range missiles than the USA so a launch site in Cuba, close to the US coast, was an ideal place to put missiles. 4. Soviet missiles in Cuba would strengthen Khrushchev's bargaining power against the USA. 5. Khrushchev was very keen to support Castro. Cuba was the only Communist country in the western hemisphere and had just survived the Bay of Pigs attack. 6. Khrushchev was keen to strengthen his own political position in the USSR. Missiles in Cuba would be seen as another major propaganda victory against the USA.
Fedel Castro facts
1. charming, intelligent and ruthless 2. excellent propagandist 3. had a better vision for Cuba (e.g., free healthcare) 4. guerilla fighter
Bay of Pigs
1. cuban exiles funded and trained by CIA 2. Designed by Eisenhowever, operated by Kennedy 3. Cuban security knew that an invasion was coming 4. Total failure
Why did the Bay of Pigs invasion fail?
1. lack of secrecy 2. poor links between different US departements 3. failure to organise a resistance inside Cuba 4. insuffiecient Spanish speaking staff
October crisis timeline
16.10.62- kennedy was infromed about the missile build up. Ex-comm formed 20.10- BLOCKADE 22.10 Blockade was announced to the public 23.10- Kennedy received a letter from Khrushchev refusing to obey to the blocklade and denying the presence of nuclear weapons 24.10- Blockade began. 20 soviet ships containing missiles turned around 25.10- pictures revealed that missiles in cuba were developing quickly 26.10- Khrushchev admitted the presence of the missiles in a long personal letter sent to kennedy. The letter claimed that a compromise would be possible if the blockade was lifted and if america promised not to invade Cuba 27.10- Khrushchev sent a second letter saying that the missiles would be removed from Cuba if merica removed missiles from turkey - american U-2 plane was shot down - Kennedy decided to delay an attack, but said that the Soviet union would not withdraw, then an attack will follow 28.10- Khrushchev replied to kennedy that the SOivet union has given orders to dismantle the missiles to avoid conflict
Discovering of Soviet missiles in Cuba
1962- an american spy plane flew over cuba. Taking detailed picture, they discoverd the sites of nuclear weapons placed on Cuba by the USSR. An increasing distrust grew between the two countries, as the Soviet union assured America that they would not place nuclear weapons there
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
A confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War. It initiated once the USSR placed missiles on Cuba
Cuban Revolution (1959)
A successful armed revolt by Fidel Castro that overthrew the U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Batista
Possible reactions Kennedy could have taken: Surgical air attack
For- Destroy the missiles before they became operational Against- -The US airforce could not guarantee to destroy all the missiles. Those which would remained would be used to counter attack USA -Bombing Cuban missile sites would inevitably kill Soviet soldiers and this would cause Khrushchev to retaliate -To attack without advance warning was seen immoral
Possible reactions Kennedy could have taken: Invade
For- Remove the missile bases and Castro from power. Against- This would cause an inevitable Soviet response-even in soviet spheres of influence (e.g., berlin) and nuclear war
Possible reactions Kennedy could have taken: do nothing
For- The USA still had a much larger nuclear force than the USSR. Overreacting to the Cuban missiles mightlead to a nuclear war between the USA and USSR. Against- To do nothing would be seen as a sign of weakness and encourage the soviets to challenge the Americans elsewhere in the world-possibly Berlin.
Fedel Castro reforms
Industry was nationalised Land was redistributed among peasants Free healthcare for all Americans and Mafia forced to leave "If you don't know, learn. If you know, teach" Political opposition outlawed Trade agreements with Russia Export sugar, import weapons + technology
