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KQ5- Study 2 Cuban Missile Crisis (COMPLETE) (What was the result of the…
KQ5- Study 2 Cuban Missile Crisis (COMPLETE)
What was the background to the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Cuba is a large island just 160km from Florida
Cuba had been an ally of the US for a long time
Americans owned most of Cuba's buisnesses
The USA had a huge naval base at Guantanamo bay
before 1959 Cuba was governed by Batista, a US backed dictator
But in 1959 after a 3 year guerrilla campaign Fidel Castro overthrow Batista and set up a Pro-Communist government
How Successful was US containment of Cuba (59-61)
1959-61
Good
no direct confrontation
frosty relationship
Bad
Cuba was importing arms from USSR
in 1961 Us broke off diplomatic relations
Signalling they weren't going to tolerate a Soviet Satellite in their sphere of influence
April 1961
Bay of pigs
Kennedy supplied arms, equipment and transport for 1400 Cuban exiles, to re-invade Cuba and overthrow Castro
The invasion was a disaster
What interest did the USSR take in Cuba after the bay of pigs?
Soviet arms flooded into Cuba
May 1962
the USSR announced publicly their involvement
July 1962
Cuba has the best equipped army in Latin America
September 1962
The Cubans had Soviet:
Missiles
Patrol boats
Tanks
radar vans
missile erectors
jet bombers
fighters
5000 Soviet technicians
How did the US respond to Soviet involvement?
alarmed
especially by possible nuclear sites
Sept 1962
CIA told Kennedy that the USSR wouldn't send nukes to Cuba (too risky)
Kennedy warned the USSR that he would do whatever necessary to prevent Cuba becoming an offensive base
The USSR assured the USA they wouldn't put nukes in Cuba
What did the U-2 photographs show in Oct 62
Oct 62
U-2 spy plane takes photos of Cuban Missile bases, which showed the USSR was building bases for nukes
some sites were nearly completed
some sites already had missiles
Experts said some sites could be ready within 7 days
US spy planes also showed 20 Soviet ships on route with missiles
Kennedy was informed on the 16th and formed Ex. Comm
Why did the USSR place missiles in Cuba?
Bargain with the USA
Test the US
Trap the USA (draw them into war)
Get the upper hand in the arms race
Defend cuba
Kennedy's Options
Do Nothing
soviet missiles in Cuba didn't matter
The US still had more
BUT the USSR had lied and to do nothing would look weak
Surgical Air strikes
target the missile bases
get rid of them before they were ready
BUT complete destruction couldn't be guruanteed
may provoke a counter strike
pressure from international community
Invade
get rid of Castro and missiles
BUT may trigger Soviet response
Apply diplomatic pressure
get the UN involved
avoid conflict
BUT if it failed the US would look weak
Impose a naval blockade
stop soviet ships bringing any more missiles
not a direct act of war
put the ball in Khrushchev's court
and the USSR may retaliate
BUT did not remove existing missiles
How was the crisis resolved?
22 Oct
Kennedy announced blockade
23 Oct
Khrushchev wrote to Kennedy and said he did not admit to missiles and would not observe the blockade
24 Oct
the first ships approached the blockade but turned back
25 Oct
but work continued on the bases
27 Oct
Khrushchev sent another letter with revised proposals
The USSR would withdraw missiles if the USA withdrew theirs from Cuba
26 Oct
Khrushchev sent another letter saying the bases were purely defensive
and that no conflict would result if the blockade was lifted
27 Oct
a US pilot killed when his U-2 was shot down
Kennedy told Khrushchev that he would accept his original terms
28 Oct
Both agreed to withdraw missiles
What was the result of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Soviet Missiles were withdrawm
Cuba remained communist
Cuba continued to be armed by the USSR
Kennedy enhanced his reputation
Khrushchev highlighted by USSR as a peacemaker
the successful resolution helped thaw the cold war
a permanent hotline was set up connecting the US and USSR
1963
the USSR signed a nuclear test ban treaty
Kennedy's success strength-ed the belief in containment