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The Cuban Missile Crisis - Coggle Diagram
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Revolution
In the year 1959, Fidel Castro led a socialist revolution that overthrew US-supported General Batista. This ended the co-operation between Cuba and America
In response, and looking for a strong partner against the Americans, Cuba began to trade with the USSR. Initially, the USSR had no idea who Castro was, however, links strengthened and the Soviets began to sell oil & fuel to Cuba. Brezhnev would go on to visit Cuba in 1974 as the relationship grew stronger
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The Bay of Pigs
At the Bay of Pigs on the 17th April 1961, America invaded Cuba. The CIA told Kennedy that the invasion would look like a Cuban revolt
The USA assembled a group of Cuban exiles called 'Brigade 2506'. The CIA funded them, gave them US plans and launched an invasion from Guatemala
The 1,400 US-backed paramilitaries (or soldiers) were met by an army of 20,000 Cubans. The exiles surrendered
1,202 members of Brigade 2506 were captured. Castro offered to release the men in exchange for $28 million worth of tractors, before an agreement was struck in 1962 to deliver $53 million worth of food and medicine to Cuba, in exchange for the prisoners. Kennedy attended their 'welcome back' ceremony in Florida
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The options for Kennedy
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Kennedy could have 1) invaded Cuba and destroyed the missile sites, 2) done nothing and allowed the missile sites to be built, or 3) find a creative solution in the middle ground
Kennedy's decision
On the 20th October 1962, President Kennedy decided on a 'quarantine zone'. He thought an invasion of Cuba risked nuclear war. Instead the blockade would try to stop any Soviet ships from reaching Cuba
Origins of the crisis
Cuba had allowed the Soviet Union to station (put) missiles there to act as a deterrent to stop the USA attacking Cuba again
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The Crisis
If the Soviet and American ships had engaged in any battles or conflict, it could have provoked a nuclear war
On the 27th of October 1962, Krushchev and Kennedy compromised. The Soviet Union would not place any missiles on Cuba, if the USA removed its warheads (likely ICBMs) from its army bases in Europe (mainly in Italy and Turkey). This would mean that neither superpower had missiles within range of the opposition's territory
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Consequences
A 'hotline' connecting the US President and Leader of the Soviet Union was created so that they could communicate immediately during a crisis
The USSR looked weaker than the USA. The USSR had changed its course in response to the blockade, and it was not public knowledge that American missiles had been removed in Europe
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