Cold War- Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 1

What was the Batista Regime

Answer 1

America provided cuban ruler General BAtista w economic and militart support, in 1959 after a 3 year guerilla campaign,Fidel Castro overthrew Batista

Question 2

Why were Americans concerned about the Cuban revolution?

Answer 2

Cuba is 90-100 miles from America- close geographical proximity and they used to have control with Batista, Cuba was the rich American’s paradise and now is communist
the domino effect- other less developed countries next to Cuba would create comm dominated zone around America- 1st domino

Question 3

Since early ___ America was highly influential in Cuba. Much of Cubas industry was owned by US businesses and its main export was ___ controlled by the US

Answer 3

The 1900s, sugar

Question 4

In ___ Cuba was led under corrupt military dictatorship of ___ who supported US interests so was supported by ___

Answer 4

The 1950s, Batista, Washington

Question 5

In ___ Castro and ____ gathered force of guerilla fighters and started revolutionary war against gov
By ____ revolution spread throughout Cuba leading to fall of ___ in early ____
By ___ Batista fled the country and Castro formed ____ gov- wanted Cuba to b free from US influence. US Businesses nationalised and land reform limited size of ___
Cuban economies began to work better for ____ instead of Americans and corrupt upper classes

Answer 5

1950, Guevara, 1958, Havana, 1959

1959, Liberal Nationalist, farms, poorer Cubans

Question 6

__ were initially winning arms race in ___ technology. The ___ was the myth that the USSR had many more missiles than the USA

Answer 6

USSR, missile, missile gap

Question 7

American ___ went along with the myth bc it helped them get funding from __ and from the fear of the public meant they would pay taxes to contribute to funding

Answer 7

military commanders, gov

Question 8

By ___ Americans had own ___ , more ___ missiles and ___ missiles (fired from submarines) and medium range missiles in ___ and ____ that could reach the USSR in a few minutes, by ___ USA was winning the arms race

Answer 8

1959, ICBM, long range, Polaris, Turkey, Europe, 1960

Question 9

USA REACTION TO REVOLUTION

1)Ignore

Answer 9

recognised Castro as a leader initially

Question 10

2)Influence

Answer 10

They used propaganda to convince America that communism and castro were bad

Question 11

3)Invasion (not direct)

Answer 11

THE BAY OF PIGS- Kennedy supplied arms for 1,400 anti-Castro exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow him.
April 1961 the exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs and met by 20000 Cuban troops armed w modern weapons-killed/captured all the exiles

Question 12

4)Pressurise

Answer 12

Formed powerful pressure groups demanding action against Castro and investigated ways to disrupt the Cuban economy- sent spy planes over

Question 13

5)Destabilise

Answer 13

Damaging economy, supporting exiles + CIA

Question 14

OPERATION MONGOOSE

Answer 14

After the failure of BOP, Kennedy created operation mongoose- CIA and Cuban exiles covertly attack Cuban farmland and industry. They also targeted infrastructure and carried out political assassinations involving members of Castro’s gov
Even plans to execute Castro- lead Castro into the hands of Soviet leader Kruschev

Question 15

The US carried out practice Cuban invasion in ____ w _____ US Marines - resulted in missiles being placed in Cuba

Answer 15

Spring 1962, 40,000

Question 16

Kennedy elected and broke off diplomatic relations w Cuba leading Cuba to form alliance w USSR

Answer 16

Jan 1961

Question 17

Why did Soviets want missiles in Cuba? (3)

Answer 17

1)To rebalance American missiles in Turkey close missile gap
2)To defend Cuba- only comm state in Western Hemisphere and was in ‘uncle sams backyard’- medium range missiles could reach most of US from Cuba
M.utuallly A.ssured D.estruction
3)Kruschev wanted to keep Cuba communist and strengthen his position in the USSR by forcing Kennedy to allow missiles

Question 18

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS 1962 TIMELINE

U2 spy plane took photos of military site in Cuba and was clear these were missile sites

Answer 18

14th October

Question 19

Kennedy informed of missile build up- ex-comm (group of advisors) is formed

Answer 19

16th October

Question 20

Kennedy decides to blockade Cuba

Answer 20

20th October

Question 21

Kennedy announces blockade and calls on the Soviet Union to withdraw missiles

Answer 21

22nd October

Question 22

Kennedy receives letter from Khrushchev saying soviet ships will not observe the blockade- he doesn’t admit the presence of missiles in Cuba

Answer 22

23rd October

Question 23

Blockade begins - the first missile-carrying Soviet submarine approach ___ mile blockade zone. suddenly at ___am __ Soviet ships which are closest to zone stop and turn around

Answer 23

24th October, 500, 10:32, 20

Question 24

Despite ships turning around, intense ariel photography shows work on missile bases in Cuba is proceeding rapidly

Answer 24

25th October

Question 25

Kennedy receives long personal letter from Khrushchev claiming missiles are purely defensive- 1st time he admits there are missiles

Answer 25

26th October

Question 26

Khrushchev sends the second letter saying condition for removing missiles in Cuba is the US withdrawing missiles from Turkey - an American U2 plane is shot down over Cuba and the pilot is killed - Kennedy advised to make immediate reprisal attack on Cuba

Answer 26

27th Oct am

Question 27

Kennedy decides to delay attack and decides to ignore Khrushchev’s 2nd letter but accepts terms - if soviet union don’t withdraw an attack will follow- Khrushchev replies saying he will dismantle and return them to soviet union

Answer 27

27th Oct pm

Question 28

Kennedy said which 2 dates were the darkest days of the crisis and why?

Answer 28

24th- didn’t know how USSR would react to the blockade

27th-U2 plane being shot could have been first sign of war

Question 29

Missile crisis outcomes for Cuba(3)

Answer 29

• Castro upset by Khrushchev’s deal w US but needed support of USSR
• Cuba stayed comm and highly armed. Nuclear missiles removed but Cuba remained a base for comm. supporters in South America. Cuban forces intervened to help comm side in civil war in Angola 1970s
• Castro kept control of US businesses etc. This remained source of dispute between US and Cuba, but Castro never backed down

Question 30

Missile crisis outcomes for Cold War(4)

Answer 30

• helped thaw cold war relations between USA and USSR, both leaders saw how nuclear war almost happened
• permanent ‘hotline’ phone link from the white house to Kremlin
• 1963 Nuclear Tests Ban Treaty- limited nuclear Weapons testing
• soviet arsenal proved to be enough threat to the US- superpowers avoided direct confrontation

Question 31

Missile outcomes for the USA(2 good 2 bad)

Answer 31

• Kennedy greatly improved reputation for country and west
• successfully stoop up to hardliners in own gov & critics of containment and those who wanted us to invade Cuba
• had to remove missiles from Turkey (in secret) NATO allies unhappy but better than nuclear war
• had to accept Castro’s Cuba would remain a communist state in US’s backyard

Question 32

Missile outcomes for USSR(3 good, 3 bad)

Answer 32

• Publicly Khrushchev show as peacemaker making the first move towards compromise
• keeping Cuba safe from US action was Maj. achievement for Soviets. Cuba was valuable ally and useful base for communist support in South America
• Crisis exposed us to criticism from allies - e.g newspaper articles felt us was unreasonable to have missiles in Turkey and object to Soviet missiles in Cuba
• Khrushchev was forced to back down and remove missiles and forced to put them on the decks of ships so the US could count them - HUMILIATION
• Khrushchev’s actions in Cuba made no impact on underlying problem of missile gap
• 1964 Khruschev forced from power by enemies within the USSR