Cuba Missile Crisis Flashcards
Why was Cuba important
- key part of their econemy (large amount of buisnesses owned by Cuba)
- home to large US naval base
- Launch pad for communism
Cuba Background
100 miles from Florida
Had been US Ally since 1898
Fidel Castro
Was nationalist revolutionary. After successful revolution became PM from 1959-1976 when he became president of Cuba
Developed Cuba as a communist state when the US were unwilling to help
His regime is seen as a dictatorship
Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara
Committed to social revolution and communism
Joined Castro and formed the ‘26 July movement’ resigned from castors gov in 1965
Batista
Was the dictator of Cuba from 1952 till he was overthrown in 1959
Was an anti-communist stronghold
Received economic and military aid from US
Goodwill visits
VP Nixon visited Latin states in America led to shift in US policy
Economic stability became targets
Eisenhower agreed not to offer unconditional support to dictators (castro)
- Ordered embargo on arms shipment to barista
Agrarian reform - 1959
May 1959
American owned properties seized by the state
US didn’t react
Mikoyan 1960
Feb 1960 visited Cuba arranged $100 mill in credits with Castro
Beginning of aqllience with ussr
Economic + political relationship
USSR+Cuba trade
Cruid oil from ussr to Cuba sent April 1960
US companies refused to refine them - Castro nationalised them
October 1960
Castro seized $1 billion worth of US assets
US sanctions on Cuba
America imposed economic sanctions on Cuba
Reduced their sugar imports from Cuba by 95%
Bay of pigs 1961
Planned under Eisenhower executed by JFK
Enabled 1500 anti-Castro exiles to carry out millitary coup
FAILED
Opearation mongoose 1961
30 Nov 1961
Aim to overthrow Castro - covert OP General Lansdaqle headed the OP
Air strike plan OPLAN 312 Land strike plan OPLAN 314
USSR had given Cuba arms shipment
March 1962 - Operation quick kick
Khruchev decided to deploy nuclear missiles on Cuba in 1962
14-15 Oct 1962
CIA didn’t brief Kennedy for 2 days
DAY 1 U2 flight showed evidence of R-2 missiles at san Cristobal
DAY 2 ussr ambassador Dobrynin denied Il-28 bomberers were being deployed on Cuba
16th OCT
Kennedy is told and is shown the photos of missile launchpad.
Initial reaction is that they ‘proberly should bomb them’
Ex-comm revalued that a US air strike would need 24 hours notice - this also had minimal chance of success
16th October In Moscow
Khruchev meeting with new US ambassador
Roy Koehler - planned to gio to UN in Nov where he wanted to agree on West Berlin with the president
**17th October **
CIA anynaslied and presented options to Kennedy
They had decided on a naval blockade which meant that ships towards Cuba would be checked know as ‘quarantine’
Khruchev viewed this as an act of violence and aggression
18th October
Kennedy met with soviet ambassador
And the ambassador read between the lines and relayed this back to Khruchev
19th October
The members of ex-comm were favovourinfg an air strike ‘Hawkes’ they had been pre-emptying the actions of the soviets
20th October
Ex-comm voted in favour of the blockade + air strikes still remained option for others
21 October
Kennedy met British ambassador expressed a want to have a negotiated end to this crisis
22nd October
Kennedy had informed the US nation of the presence of missiles in Cuba and announced a ‘quarantine’ around the island
US forces placed on high alert 54 boomers on standby the USSR were also on standby
23rd October
Robert Kennedy held a secret meeting with soviet ambassador in Washington where the ambassador said the ships wouldn’t go through any unlawful searches
UN Security cooucil met and US Ambassador condemned the missile deployment
24th October
US SAC went from DEFCON 3 to 2 (strep away from nuclear)
Soviet ships had been Turing back in the face of the naval blockade
26th October
South-east US large concentration of forces had been gathered
Khruchev had recved false info that US were preparing to invade the following day in Cuba
Khruchev sent telegram proposing the wirthdrawal of soviet missile
Castro ordered forces to shoot down USreconnicance flights
27th October
Khruchev added further condition to previouas telegram that the US would remove Jupiter missile from Turkey
ExComm had strongly rejected this new trade off
27th October U-2
U2 spy plane strays off + enters soviet airspace
U2 shot down over Cuba the Pilot was killed - Kennedy pressured by hawkes ton escalate
Robert Kennedy said the US would issue a non invasion publically and private remove tgheir panes from turkey in the next 6 months
28th October the end to the crisis
Kennedy publically announced the ending of the crisis
