Cuba + the cuban missile crisis Flashcards
What was cuba like pre revolution?
-America’s ‘playground’
-Havana- ecconomic hotbed.
Who was Castro?
-dictator of cuba
-wanted nationalised american company land, health + education programmes
-Khruschev delighted.
Why was the US upset over castro?
-nationalised everything- american assets
-costing them a great deal of money.
-also ideological allignment with the USSR.
When was the cuban missile crisis?
-october 1962.
What was the bay of pigs?
-trained cuban exhiles to invade cuba to overthrow fidel castro from guantamano bay.
-defeated in 3 days- poorly supported - did not want to provoke USSR with millitary support/ air support.
How many civillians killed in the bay of pigs?
7
What was the outcome of the bay of pigs?
Cuba declared a socialist revolution.
What did the US practice invasion of a carribean island cause and what was involved?
-40,000 troops
-b52’s loaded with nukes in the air.
-took it as a threat of intended invasion.
What were Khruschev’s potential motives for entering cuba?
-deter any further US agression.
Why were the American’s so alarmed when they disovered soviets had deployed nukes on cuba?
- Washington had dismissed as rumour
- sent U2’s
- Saw ballistic missile threat
- knew it could wipe everything up to seattle.
What did JFK make in response to cuban threat?
XCOM
-debate over bombing cuba or quarenteine.
-quarininte was decided
did’nt use blockade as that assumed a state of war.
Why did JFK advise against bombing on cuba?
-would be comparable to pearl harbour.
What were jfk’s initial demands to Khrushchev?
-dismantle missile bases and send them back to the USSR.
How did JFK adress the US?
-tv
-any attack on the western hemisphere- hold USSR responsible
-Khruschev calls blockade an act of agression
What was Khruschev’s intital offer?
-promise to withdraw missiles as long as they don’t invade cuba.
