Cuban Missile Crisis

What options did Kennedy and his advisors consider in response to the missiles?

1. they could quaratine Cuba 2. they could send nuclear missiles to Cuba and knock out their missiles, which would probably start a nuclear war 3. the could attack some of the ships going to Cuba that are from the Soviet Union

How was the crisis ultimately resolved?

As any ship approached Cuba, the United States Navy would stop it. Meanwhile, Kennedy wrote to Premiere Krushchev and asked him to remove the missiles from Cuba; Krushchev ask the United States to promise not to invade Cuba. We promised this, and 6 months later, the United States removed the missiles from Cuba.

Why was the Kennedy Administration concerned about the Missiles

Because they were only 90 mi from the coast of florida and could destroy American cities also thy thought they may have to give up their part of berlin to the Soviets

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CMC - Soviets testing the US quarantine: B The Soviets sent in a few Oil tankers and a submarine to test out the quarinitine that was established, after the US intercepted the vessels, they raised the alert to DEFCON 2, which is the second highest alert. #84 P

Why was the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba a problem?

Cuba is less than 100 miles from the mainland of the United States, specifically Florida. This means that any of the missiles armed on Cuba could reach a target city in the United States and start a nuclear war with Cuba and the Soviet Union who put the missiles there in the first place. This was very scary for the United States because we would have no way to protect ourselves from a nuclear attack and millions of citizens of the United States would be killed.

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Cuban Missile Crisis - Effects on United States: E "Following the nerve-wracking Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy looked toward 1963 with considerable enthusiasm. He told close advisors that after the election, he planned to draw down U.S. forces in Vietnam. He was also buoyed by his successful efforts to reduce Cold War tensions, and he began planning his 1964 reelection campaign by visiting constituents around the nation." #1105 DQ

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Cuban Missile Crisis - Effects on United States: E "To avoid potential misunderstandings and miscalculations in a future crisis, a hotline was installed that directly linked the Oval Office with the Kremlin." #1105 DQ

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Cuban Missile Crisis - President Kennedy: B "President Kennedy's instincts were correct. On Tuesday, October 23, the OAS voted unanimously in favor of the quarintine. At the United Nations, American Ambassador Adlai Stevenson tried to win the support of the rest of the world." #76 DQ

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Effect of Cuban Missile Crisis on America: E "Kennedy imposed a naval quarantine on Cuba, designed to interdict any offensive weapons bound for the island." #1105 DQ

3 reasons the United states oppose Castro?

He was communist sided with the communist, he was in charge of the Cuban Missile Crisis, tried to invade cuba and kill Castro

What course did Kennedy choose and why?

Kennedy chose to quarantine Cuba, with the United States Navy stopping any ships going to Cuba, boarding those ships and checking each one to make sure that they did not have any nuclear warheads. This seemed to be the least aggressive response to the crisis, but it held the possiblity of force if needed by the United States Navy. It was hoped that the Soviet Union would not attack the United States ships and start a nuclear war.

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President Eisenhower's Decisions: E "The (CIA) planned to assist Cuban exiles to attack the island and overthrow Castro. Initiated under President Dwight D. Eisenhower and inherited by his successor John F. Kennedy, the April 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion attempt proved a humiliating fiasco for the United States. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara continued to develop plans for a second invasion, and their advisors also devised various ingenious and often far-fetched schemes to overthrow or assassinate Castro, who not unnaturally sought further Soviet aid." #505 DQ

Evaluate President Kennedy's handling of the cuban Missile Crisis.

President Kennedy consulted past presidents to get their advice as well as the advice of other leaders to determine the best course of action in Cuba. Even though he probably wasn't as decisive in the Bay of Pigs and the initial invasion of Cuba, he did a good job negotiating with Krushchev and coming to an aggreement that both men and their countries could live with.

Nikita Khrushchev

The Soviet Premier during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Claimed the American blockade of Cuba constituted an act of aggression.

Since the End of the Cold War Scholars have met several times to discuss the Cuban missile crisis. List 3 discoveries that came to light in these meetings.

The US had better Nuclear weapons then the Missiles in cuba. Both leaders were scared of nuclear war. the Soviets used the Cuban Missiles as cuban defense and for bargaining.

Why did the presence of soviet missiles in Cuba trigger an international crisis, and how was that crisis resolved?

The United States felt threatened that the communist Cubans under Castro would attack with the nuclear missiles and kll millions of Americans. The Soviet Union after negotiating with the United States promised to remove the nuclear missiles if the United States would promise not to invade Cuba.

Operation Mongoose

This was a secret program of propaganda, psychological warfare, and sabotage against Cuba to remove the communists from power; which was a prime focus of the Kennedy administration following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

This was an unsuccessful action between April 15 - 20 1961, by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The CIA used Cuban exiles to make it appear as if Cuba was revolting against its leader.