Conflict and Tension between East and West - Tensions over Cuba Flashcards
1
Q
how was Cuba and USA’s relationship before the Cold War?
A
- In 1889, the USA helped Cuba to become independent from the Spanish Empire.
- In the years that followed, American businessmen made huge investments in the country by buying much of the land industry
2
Q
how did Batista rule?
A
- In 1933, Batista came to power and dominated Cuban politics for the next 25 years as dictator
- Under Batista, American investments continued, and both the investors and the hugely corrupt Cuban government made lots of money
- Batista’s Cuba was undemocratic, with political opposition quickly silenced.
- by the 1950s, however, increasing numbers of Cubans were becoming unhappy with the regime
3
Q
what occurred on 1st January 1959?
A
- Batista’s regime collapsed and the dictator fled the country
- the following day, Castro and his supporters entered Havana, the capital city and declared a new Cuba
4
Q
how did Fidel Castro initially rule?
A
- After he took power, Castro visited the USA and made speeches across the country, saying that he was willing to work with the Americans
- however, US president Eisenhower refused to meet with him
5
Q
how did Castro respond to Eisenhower’s refusal to meet with him?
A
- He completely reorganised Cuba, taking business and industry into state ownership
- the new government seized control of many American-owned businesses and land in the country, which alarmed many Americans
- against growing hostility, Castro turned to an obvious ally for help: the soviet union. the USSR began providing loans and oil to Cuba
- the US government declared a total embargo on Cuba, banning all trade with the country
- Cuba was now totally aligned politically with, and dependent economically on, the Soviet Union
6
Q
what was the USA’s response to Cuba’s alignment with the USSR?
A
- having a country under Soviet influence just a few miles off the American coast was a source of tension for the American government
- as Eisenhower’s presidency came to an end in 1960, the CIA began to draw up a plan to deal with Castro. When Kennedy took office he gave the plan the go-ahead
7
Q
what was the ‘Bay of Pigs’?
A
- the CIA’s plan to invade Cuba with a large group of Cuban exiles on the beach in the Bay of Pigs in 1961 - the invasion failed
8
Q
what went wrong in the ‘Bay of Pigs’?
A
- at the last moment, Kennedy changed his mind about involving the US Air Force and the Cuban exiles were left completely exposed
- almost 200 were killed and 1197 captured out of 1500
- despite Kennedy’s change of heart, it was obvious that the USA was involved - American involvement was illegal under international law
9
Q
what were the consequences of the ‘Bay of Pigs’ for Kennedy and for Castro?
A
- For Kennedy, the failure was embarrassing. He had made himself look weak and inexperienced and this was dangerous as he headed into his first meeting with Khrushchev in Vienna in June
- Castro, on the other hand, was able to claim victory over a much more powerful country. This pushed Castro into a closer relationship with the USSR in order to oppose a potential further overthrow attempt by the USA
10
Q
what did Khrushchev order to install in Cuba
A
- In the summer of 1962, Khrushchev ordered missiles to be installed in Cuba
- this was a way of showing Soviet power and of retaliating against the US missiles that were stationed in Turkey, close to the Soviet border
11
Q
what was a timeline of the Cuban missile crisis?
A
21st October - Cuba is quarantined by an American blockade
22nd October - Kennedy addresses the American people and reveals the existence of the missile sites; DEFCON 3 is declared
23rd October - Castro orders Cuban forces to prepare for an American invasion; a fleet of Soviet ships approaches the blockade
24th October - UN secretary-general U Thant calls for compromise and Khrushchev orders his ships to stop; the USA declares DEFCON 2
12
Q
what occurs on the 25th October?
A
- US warships stop and board a Soviet tanker. It is allowed to pass once it is clear it is only carrying oil. - Kennedy did not want to provoke Khrushchev
13
Q
what occurred on the 26th October?
A
- US troops assemble in Florida, and ExComm discusses whether or not to invade Cuba
- Khrushchev sends a letter offering the withdrawal of the missiles in exchange for a promise that no invasion will take place
14
Q
what occurred on the 27th October?
A
- Cuban forces shoot down an American plane while another US plane drifts into Soviet territory near Alaska
- A Soviet submarine is detected near Cuba by the USS Randolph, which attempts to force the submarine to the surface the submarine captain wants to launch a nuclear torpedo but is overruled
- An American U2 plane is shot down in Cuba and another is shot at near Alaska
- Khrushchev send a second letter to Kennedy, this time demanding US missiles be removed from Turkey in exchange for removing the Soviet missiles from Cuba; initially, Kennedy rejects this and responds to Khrushchev’s first letter, which did not include the demands
- A compromise allows the missiles in Turkey to be removed secretly; to the world it looks like Khrushchev has simply backed down and given in
- Khrushchev announces that he will remove the Soviet missiles from Cuba to protect and promote world peace
15
Q
what were the results of the Cuban Missile Crisis for Khrushchev?
A
- in the USSR, Khrushchev was portrayed as a responsible peacemaker who was willing to make the first move towards a peaceful solution
- Cuba remained a communist country and was reliant on the USSR for both protection and financial aid
- America secretly removed its missiles from Italy and Turkey
- However some felt that Khrushchev had been reckless and almost brought about nuclear war, whilst others felt that he had backed down just when the USSR had the advantage
- these concerns, along with criticisms of his policies on important domestic issues in the Soviet Union, led to his removal from power two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis
