13 Days Of Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards
What was the immediate cause of the 13 day standoff?
In the fall of 1962 the US demanded that the Soviets halt construction of newly-discovered missile bases in communist Cuba, just 90 miles from the US shores
October 14, 1962
A U.S. U2 spy plane takes hundreds of photos of newly-built installations in the Cuban countryside.
October, 15.
CIA analysts spot launchers, missiles and transport trucks that indicate the Soviets are building sites to launch missiles capable of striking targets nearly across the US.
October, 16.
President Kennedy meets with team of advisors (known as Ex-comm) to discuss possible actions;
-Diplomacy with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Soviet premier Khrushchev
-Naval quarantine of Cuba
-Invasion of Cuba
- Air attack to destroy missile sites which might kill thousands of Soviet personnel and trigger a Soviet counterattack on a target such as Berlin.
October, 17 and 18.
Kennedy continues on campaign trail, he does not want to alert public to potential threat.
Ex-comm continues discussion on options.
October, 19.
2 x MRBM active (medium-range ballistic missiles).
October, 20.
8 x MRBM active.
Kennedy cancels campaign to Chicago claiming illness and returns to White House.
Decision finally made to blockade Cuba.
Kennedy favours a quarantine to buy time for negotiation, careful to call it quarantine as a blockade is an act of war.
October, 22.
Soviet ambassador summoned to White House - Kennedy is about to make a speech to public.
Announces that there is ‘unmistakable evidence’ of the missile threat, and that the United States will prevent ships carrying weapons to reach Cuba.
October, 23.
Khrushchev rebuffs (rejects) JFK’s demand for the Soviets to remove the missiles, he says they’re ‘solely for defensive purposes’.
Cuba prepared a 250,000 strong force to defend Cuba from invasion.
Kennedy signs the quarantine order, US ships move into position in the waters around Cuba.
October, 24.
Khrushchev sends an indignant letter to Kennedy, accusing him of threatening the Soviet Union.
‘You are no longer appealing to reason, but wish to intimidate us’.
He reaffirms that he will not remove the missiles that have already arrived in Cuba.
October, 25.
Soviet arms freighters turn back toward Europe, but the oil tanker ‘Bucharest’ approaches the U.S. quarantine zone, directly headed for Cuba. Two American warships prepare to intercept it which could have led to war. Kennedy knows there are no weapons aboard but this is an act to test Soviet resolve.
October, 26.
Khrushchev sends a letter to Kennedy, in which he appeals to the President to work with him to de-escalate the conflict and ensure that they didn’t ‘doom the world to the catastrophe of thermonuclear war’.
He also asks Kennedy to publicly promise not to invade Cuba (acknowledge spread of communism and failure of containment).
October, 27.
Khrushchev sends another letter to a Kennedy, in which he demands the the United States withdraw missiles from Turkey as part of the deal.
JFK responds by offering to promise not to attack Cuba after the Russians withdraw.
What major event also happened on October, 27?
U2 Pilot is shot down and killed over Cuba. War appears imminent.
JFK correctly concludes that Khrushchev had not, himself, given the order to shoot down Anderson’s plane.
This prompts the leaders to realise that the situation is spiralling dangerously out of control.
What other letter was sent on the 27th, October?
Castro, believing an invasion was only hours away, urged for a nuclear strike against the United States.
Khrushchev disregarded this.
