Cuba Missile Crisis

Question 1

Why was Cuba important

Answer 1

• key part of their econemy (large amount of buisnesses owned by Cuba)
• home to large US naval base
• Launch pad for communism

Question 2

Cuba Background

Answer 2

100 miles from Florida
Had been US Ally since 1898

Question 3

Fidel Castro

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara

Answer 4

Committed to social revolution and communism
Joined Castro and formed the ‘26 July movement’ resigned from castors gov in 1965

Question 5

Batista

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Goodwill visits

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Agrarian reform - 1959

Answer 7

May 1959
American owned properties seized by the state
US didn’t react

Question 8

Mikoyan 1960

Answer 8

Feb 1960 visited Cuba arranged $100 mill in credits with Castro
Beginning of aqllience with ussr
Economic + political relationship

Question 9

USSR+Cuba trade

Answer 9

Cruid oil from ussr to Cuba sent April 1960
US companies refused to refine them - Castro nationalised them

Question 10

October 1960

Answer 10

Castro seized $1 billion worth of US assets

Question 11

US sanctions on Cuba

Answer 11

America imposed economic sanctions on Cuba
Reduced their sugar imports from Cuba by 95%

Question 12

Bay of pigs 1961

Answer 12

Planned under Eisenhower executed by JFK
Enabled 1500 anti-Castro exiles to carry out millitary coup
FAILED

Question 13

Opearation mongoose 1961

Answer 13

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

Question 14

14-15 Oct 1962

Answer 14

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

Question 15

16th OCT

Answer 15

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

Question 16

16th October In Moscow

Answer 16

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

Question 17

**17th October **

Answer 17

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

Question 18

18th October

Answer 18

Kennedy met with soviet ambassador
And the ambassador read between the lines and relayed this back to Khruchev

Question 19

19th October

Answer 19

The members of ex-comm were favovourinfg an air strike ‘Hawkes’ they had been pre-emptying the actions of the soviets

Question 20

20th October

Answer 20

Ex-comm voted in favour of the blockade + air strikes still remained option for others

Question 21

21 October

Answer 21

Kennedy met British ambassador expressed a want to have a negotiated end to this crisis

Question 22

22nd October

Answer 22

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

Question 23

23rd October

Answer 23

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

Question 24

24th October

Answer 24

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

Question 25

26th October

Answer 25

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

Question 26

27th October

Answer 26

Khruchev added further condition to previouas telegram that the US would remove Jupiter missile from Turkey
ExComm had strongly rejected this new trade off

Question 27

27th October U-2

Answer 27

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

Question 28

28th October the end to the crisis

Answer 28

Kennedy publically announced the ending of the crisis