Cuban Crisis

Question 1

What were the causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 1

After the failure of the Bay of Pigs, Cuba grew closer and closer to the USSR. Khrushchev continued to send military supplies to Cuba throughout 1962 and in September Soviet technicians began to install ballistic missiles. He claimed that these missiles were only being sent to defend Cuba and were not offensive, unlike the missiles in the USA had placed in Turkey.

Question 2

What happened during the Thirteen Days?

Answer 2

The 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the tensest of the whole Cold War.

Question 3

What were the results of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 3

• Kennedy’s status and prestige increased immensely as a result of the crisis. Many people saw him as a great statesman who had stood up to the communists.
• Many leading politicians in the Soviet Union thought that Khrushchev had been humiliated and sought to remove him, although Khrushchev himself saw the crisis as a victory for himself. Khrushchev was sacked in 1964.
• In order to ensure that the two Superpower leaders would not have to communicate by letter in the case of any future crisis a hotline telephone link was established between the White House and the Kremlin.
• The Partial Test Ban Treaty was signed in August 1963. In this, both the USA and the Soviet Union agreed to stop testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.