Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards
Which country became communist in 1949?
China
Which area was mostly under communist influence by 1948?
Eastern Europe
What did the USSR acquire in 1949?
The atom bomb
What policy did the USA pursue towards communism?
Containment
Who tested the first ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)?
The USSR
What was an ICBM?
An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
What did having an ICBM allow the USSR to do?
Fire a missile into space and then bring it down on a specific target in the USA
Who was a big supporter of the space and missile programme?
Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the USSR
What idea was widely (and inaccurately) reported in the US media?
The idea of a ‘Missile Gap’ between the USA and USSR
When did the USA develop its own ICBMs?
In 1959
What were the names of the US missiles?
Atlas and Minutemen missiles
What was a Polaris missile?
A missile that could be fired from a submarine and that was virtually undetectable
Where did the USA have medium-ranged missiles?
Turkey
How long would it take the USA’s medium-ranged missiles in Europe and Turkey to reach the USSR?
A few minutes
Why was it important that the USA had its own ICBMs?
It meant the USA could hit the USSR as quickly and as accurately as the USSR could hit the USA
Who was in power in Cuba before Castro?
General Batista
Why did the USA support Batista?
He was fiercely anti-communist
Before Castro took power, what was the relationship like between the USA and Cuba?
They were allies
How far was Cuba from the coast of Florida?
90 miles (160KM)
In what year did Fidel Castro overthrow Batista?
1959
How did the USA initially respond to the Cuban revolution?
Taken by surprise, they initially recognised the Castro regime
What were the two main reasons why relations grew worse between Cuba and the USA shortly after the revolution?
- There were thousands of Cuban exiles in the USA who formed powerful pressure groups demanding action against Castro
- Castro took over some American owned businesses in Cuba, particularly agriculture. He took their land and gave it to his peasant population
What did Eisenhower authorise the CIA to do as early as 1960?
Explore ways to overthrow Castro
How did the USA try to disrupt the Cuban economy?
Damage sugar plantations
- American companies refused to co-operate with Cuban businesses which imported materials from the USSR
How did Castro respond to American hostility?
- He reassured Americans they could stay and live in Cuba
- He allowed the USA to keep its naval base
When did Cuba ally with the USSR?
The summer of 1960
What did Khrushchev give to Cuba?
- $100 million in economic aid
- arms (e.g. weapons)
When did JFK become president?
January 1961
When was the Bay of Pigs?
April 1961
How many troops did JFK supply for the Bay of Pigs invasion?
1,400
When the 1,400 Cuban troops landed, how many Castro troops were they met by?
20,000 - armed with tanks and modern weapons
What did the Bay of Pigs suggest to the USSR?
That the USA was reluctant to get directly involved in Cuba
Why was the Bay of Pigs fiasco a problem for JFK?
It made him look weak and highlighted his inexperience in foreign affairs/military matters
What ‘flooded’ into Cuba after the Bay of Pigs fiasco?
Soviet arms (armaments - not literal arms)
When did the USSR publicly announce it was supplying Cuba?
July 1962
By September, what sort of weapons and equipment did Cuba have?
- thousands of Soviet missiles
- patrol boats
- radar vans
- jet fighters and bombers
How many Soviet technicians were in Cuba to keep the weapons and equipment functional?
5,000
What was the USA particularly concerned about regarding Cuba?
That the USSR would put nuclear weapons in Cuba
What did JFK tell the USSR on 11 Sep 1962
That he would prevent ‘by whatever means might be necessary’ Cuba becoming a nuclear missile base
How did the USSR respond to JFK’s warning that he would not allow Cuba to become a missile base
The USSR promised they would not put nuclear missiles in Cuba
What triggered the October crisis?
When an American spy plane flew over Cuba and spotted missile sites in Cuba on 14 October 1962
How far away were Cuban missile sites from being able to launch missiles when the American spy planes took photos?
Seven days
As well as missile sites, what else did American spy planes report?
That 20 Soviet ships were heading to Cuba carrying missiles
Why did Khrushchev place missiles in Cuba?
- The Missile Gap (the USA had far more ICBMs AND could hit the USSR with medium ranged missiles from its bases in Turkey and Europe)
- Khrushchev may have wanted to get concessions from JFK (e.g. missiles out of Turkey)
- Khrushchev wanted to defend Cuba - it was in the USA’s sphere of influence and thus was great propaganda for communism/the USSR
What was another phrase used to describe Cuba being in the USA’s sphere of influence?
It was in ‘Uncle Sam’s Backyard’
What options were open to JFK to deal with the crisis?
- Do nothing
- Air strike to destroy the missile bases
- Full scale invasion of Cuba
- Get the UN to sort it out
- Blockade
When did JFK announce a blockade on Cuba?
Monday 22 October 1962 (8 days after the missile sites were first spotted)
How did Khrushchev respond on 23 October ‘62 after JFK had demanded he remove the missiles from Cuba?
Khrushchev wrote a letter to JFK saying Soviet ships would ignore the blockade
When did the blockade begin?
Wed 24 October (two days after it was announced)
What happened when the Soviet ships (which were carrying missiles) reached the blockade on Wed 24 October (the same day the blockade began)
The 20 ships closest to the blockade stopped or turned around
Despite the Soviet ships not attempting to breach the blockade, what was continuing to happen in Cuba?
Work on the missile bases was continuing rapidly
What did JFK receive on Friday 26 October?
A letter from Khrushchev admitting for the first time of the existence of missiles in Cuba and that a resolution could be agreed
What does Khrushchev’s second letter (Sat 27 Oct.) say?
Proposes that missiles will be withdrawn from Cuba if USA removes missiles from Turkey
What complicates matters on 27 October 1962?
An American spy plane is shot down over Cuba and the pilot is killed. JFK is advised to attack Cuba.
How does JFK respond to Khrushchev’s letters?
He ignores the second one (about Turkey) and replies to the first that unless the USSR withdraws, the USA will attack Cuba.
What does Khrushchev’s final reply on Sunday 28 October say?
That the USSR will ‘dismantle’ the ‘offensive weapons’ and ‘return them to the Soviet Union’
What was agreed to end the missile crisis?
- USSR would remove its nuclear weapons from Cuba
- The USA would promise never to try and invade Cuba
- The US would, in secret, remove its missiles from Turkey
Who lost personal prestige as a result of the crisis?
Khrushchev - because the US missile removal was kept secret, he looked like he had won nothing
When was Khrushchev forced to resign?
In 1964 - two years after the crisis
Why did Khrushchev claim he had actually achieved a victory?
He claimed he achieved both his aims:
- America never attacked Cuba
- US missiles in Turkey were removed
How did the West see JFK after the missile crisis?
As a hero
What was set up between the two countries after the crisis?
A telephone hotline - which would allow the leaders to communicate directly in the event of another crisis
What was signed in 1963?
A Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
What did the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty do?
It prohibited all testing of nuclear weapons (except underground detonations)
What was signed in 1968?
A Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - which said neither the US or USSR would supply nuclear technology to smaller countries
How did Castro feel about the crisis?
He was furious with Khrushchev for abandoning Cuba
Did relations improve between the USA and Cuba?
Not really
- Cuba remained communist
- the USA kept its trade restrictions on Cuba
- Castro kept control of American owned businesses in Cuba
Who (slightly surprisingly) criticised the USA?
Some people in Britain - pointing out the hypocrisy of the US complaining about missiles in Cuba when they had missiles in Turkey
