Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 1

Define: Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer 1

Castro ask USSR for missiles —-> Missiles placed in Cuba —> USA discovers them

Question 2

Strategic Importance of Cuba to USA (pre CMC) (5 Egs)

Answer 2

1. Close geographical proximity of 90 miles to USA
2. Gateway to the Caribbean, controlled trade to Caribbean
3. Could be used to easily launch an attack on USA or host hostile troops and weapons
4. Supported Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain
5. Set-up pro US govt in Cuba (Batista)

Question 3

Economic importance of Cuba to USA (pre CMC) (4 Egs)

Answer 3

1. American businessman invested heavily in Cuba’s sugar and tobacco industries
2. USA Owned 60% of Cuban Sugar Industry
3. Cuba imported 90% of its crops
4. Had American owned railway and television networks

Question 4

USA got involved in Cuba because it wanted a pro-USA government (pre CMC) (3 Egs)

Answer 4

1. Supported Batista who made many American contracts and was willing work for USA
2. Even though he was corrupted, had his own secret police who carried out harsh measures
3. Had economic dominance, wanted to maintain puppet leaders

Question 5

CMC started because of cold war politics (USSR fault) (3 Egs)

Answer 5

1. USSR and USA failed to resolve their differences in the Vienna summit (Failed to achieve disarmament of nuclear weapons)
2. Khrushchev saw the new American President as young and inexperienced, lacking power and support, as seen from the failed bay of pigs invasion
3. Wanted to test Kennedy/ thought that he would give in easily

Question 6

CMC started because of the missile gap (USSR’s fault) (3 Egs)

Answer 6

1. US had missiles in Italy and Turkey that could strike USSR
2. USSR behind in arms race, missiles were out of range to strike USA
3. USSR felt threatened, wanted USA to “know what it feels like to have enemy missiles pointing at you”

Question 7

CMC started because of the aggressive west (USA’s fault) (3 Egs)

Answer 7

1. Failed bay of pigs invasion, sponsored Cuban exiles in overthrowing Castro
2. Operation Mongoose, failed plan to assassinate Cuban and sabotage Cuban industries
3. Ortsac, mock invasion of an island to overthrow a fictitious dictator

Question 8

CMC started because of Castro’s actions (Cuba’s fault) (5 Egs)

Answer 8

1. Agreed to sell a million tons of sugar to USSR over 5 years
2. Arranged for trade delegation to barter Russian oil for Cuban Sugar
3. Land Reform Law prohibited foreign ownership of large land and sugar plantations, redistributed the land
4. Castro stayed in the poor and crime ridden Harlem neighbourhood in New York for his UN speech and Khrushchev visited him
5. Nationalized all American owned plantations, power stations and telephone utilities.

Question 9

USA to be credited for resolution of CMC (5 Egs)

Answer 9

1. Opposed the advice of his chief of staff to carry out an air-strike, opted for naval blockade
2. Established a direct hotline with USSR to negotiate and prevent future crisis
3. Signed Nuclear test ban treaty, limiting the test of nuclear weapons to the underground
4. Did not escalate the situation when an American U2 spy plane was shot down
5. Agreed to remove missiles despite the fact that NATO countries will feel betrayed

Question 10

USSR to be credited for resolution of CMC (5 Egs)

Answer 10

1. Khrushchev sent the first letter to Kennedy asking for a promise to not invade Cuba and second letter calling for the removal of US missiles
2. Established a direct hotline with USA to negotiate and prevent future crisis
3. Despite Castro displaying his willingness to die fighting, Khrushchev chose negotiation
4. Soviet forces in Cuba on high alert but forbidden to use missiles
5. Agreed with US to secretly remove Turkey and Cuba missiles

Question 11

USA was concerned over the threat of a nuclear war (4 Egs)

Answer 11

1. Arms imbalance altered in appearance
2. Cuba 150km from USA, could strike major cities with little warning.
3. American U2 spy plane shot down
4. Soviet field commanders prepared to use nuclear weapons

Question 12

USA was concerned over Berlin (3 Egs) (Can also say that USSR was concerned over Berlin)

Answer 12

1. Berlin still in a tense state after Berlin blockade and Berlin wall
2. CMC could escalate to Berlin through invasion or nuclear war
3. Berlin protected by nuclear deterrence of missiles in Turkey and Italy under NATO (could escalate to involve allied countries)

Question 13

USA was concerned over cold war politics (5 egs)

Answer 13

1. Khrushchev prestige would increase in communist bloc and China
2. Missile gap closed because of close proximity of cuba missiles
3. Kennedy called the missiles “a threat to world peace”
4. US accuse USSR of wanting to dominate the world through missiles
5. Saw CMC as Khrushchev trying to test Kennedy

Question 14

US responsible for escalating CMC (3 Egs)

Answer 14

1. Kennedy’s risky strategy of brinksmanship, pushing a dangerous situation to force a desired outcome
2. Kennedy called missiles in Cuba a “threat to world peace”
3. Accused USSR of wanting to dominate the world through missiles

Question 15

USSR responsible for escalating CMC (5 Egs)

Answer 15

1. Khrushchev condemn naval blockade as an illegal act of war
2. Soviet forces in Cuba on high alert, prepared to permit use of missiles if invaded
3. No control over own Generals. Soviet General decided to move warheads to missile sites to be ready for loading himself
4. Shot down American U2 spy plane
5. Second letter to Kennedy asking for removal of missiles (brinksmanship, forcing USA to negotiate)