cold war: 1962

Question 1

explain the Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer 1

-Castro’s Cuba and Soviet Union had grown closer (particularly due to poor relationship with the US and Bay of Pigs invasion attempt)
-having a communist ally so close to the US would help Khrushchev’s aim of increasing Soviet influence on South America
-Khrushchev installed missiles in Cuba: way of showing Soviet power and retaliation against US missiles, stationed in Turkey (close to Soviet border)-Kennedy told that a U2 plane had photographed several sites that clearly contained nuclear missiles

Question 2

what was the American reaction to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 2

-Kennedy made a speech: revealed the existence of the missiles
-announced that no ships from any country would be allowed to visit Cuba
-US ships blockaded Cuba and were ordered to fire on any ships trying to pass through to Cuba
-American forces put on DEFCON 3 (only 2 levels below nuclear war)
-superpowers tested theory of Mutually Assured Destruction

Question 3

what was the Soviet reaction to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 3

-Khrushchev convinced that Kennedy would invade Cuba (Castro ordered Soviet forces to be ready to fight)
-23 October: group of Soviet ships approached Cuba, carrying more missiles
-game of brinkmanship: one side would have to back down or there would be war
-24 October: UN Secretary (U Thant), called for compromise
-Khrushchev ordered his ships to halt but not turn back
-26 October: letter arrived from Khrushchev to Kennedy: promised that the Soviets would withdraw missiles from Cuba if Americans promised not to invade (Khrushchev backed down)

Question 4

what did Castro do that increased danger during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 4

-27 October:ship detected Soviet submarine close to Cuba
-to force it to surface, the ship sent small depth charges into the water (bombs that send shock waves through water, damaging/destroying submarines)
-nothing was heard from submarine for days (many onboard feared a war had begun)
-on the same morning, Cubans shot down an American U2 plane, killing the pilot
(Major Rudolf Anderson)

Question 5

how did the Cuban Missile Crisis avert (Khrushchev)

Answer 5

-Khrushchev sent a second letter saying he would remove the missiles from Cuba, but this time demanded that US missiles be withdrawn from Turkey and Italy (where they were stationed near Moscow)
-Kennedy had no choice but to accept: alternative would be nuclear war
-Khrushchev allowed the missile removal from Turkey to be kept secret (public thought Kennedy was responding only to Khrushchev’s first letter)
-Kennedy announced the end of the blockade