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History > Cuban Missile Crisis > Flashcards

Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards

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1
Q

Which country became communist in 1949?

A

China

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2
Q

Which area was mostly under communist influence by 1948?

A

Eastern Europe

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3
Q

What did the USSR acquire in 1949?

A

The atom bomb

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4
Q

What policy did the USA pursue towards communism?

A

Containment

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5
Q

Who tested the first ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)?

A

The USSR

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6
Q

What was an ICBM?

A

An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

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7
Q

What did having an ICBM allow the USSR to do?

A

Fire a missile into space and then bring it down on a specific target in the USA

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8
Q

Who was a big supporter of the space and missile programme?

A

Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the USSR

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9
Q

What idea was widely (and inaccurately) reported in the US media?

A

The idea of a ‘Missile Gap’ between the USA and USSR

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10
Q

When did the USA develop its own ICBMs?

A

In 1959

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11
Q

What were the names of the US missiles?

A

Atlas and Minutemen missiles

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12
Q

What was a Polaris missile?

A

A missile that could be fired from a submarine and that was virtually undetectable

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13
Q

Where did the USA have medium-ranged missiles?

A

Turkey

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14
Q

How long would it take the USA’s medium-ranged missiles in Europe and Turkey to reach the USSR?

A

A few minutes

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15
Q

Why was it important that the USA had its own ICBMs?

A

It meant the USA could hit the USSR as quickly and as accurately as the USSR could hit the USA

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16
Q

Who was in power in Cuba before Castro?

A

General Batista

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17
Q

Why did the USA support Batista?

A

He was fiercely anti-communist

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18
Q

Before Castro took power, what was the relationship like between the USA and Cuba?

A

They were allies

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19
Q

How far was Cuba from the coast of Florida?

A

90 miles (160KM)

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20
Q

In what year did Fidel Castro overthrow Batista?

A

1959

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21
Q

How did the USA initially respond to the Cuban revolution?

A

Taken by surprise, they initially recognised the Castro regime

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22
Q

What were the two main reasons why relations grew worse between Cuba and the USA shortly after the revolution?

A
  • 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
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23
Q

What did Eisenhower authorise the CIA to do as early as 1960?

A

Explore ways to overthrow Castro

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24
Q

How did the USA try to disrupt the Cuban economy?

A

Damage sugar plantations
- American companies refused to co-operate with Cuban businesses which imported materials from the USSR

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25
Q

How did Castro respond to American hostility?

A
  • He reassured Americans they could stay and live in Cuba
  • He allowed the USA to keep its naval base
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26
Q

When did Cuba ally with the USSR?

A

The summer of 1960

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27
Q

What did Khrushchev give to Cuba?

A
  • $100 million in economic aid
  • arms (e.g. weapons)
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28
Q

When did JFK become president?

A

January 1961

29
Q

When was the Bay of Pigs?

A

April 1961

30
Q

How many troops did JFK supply for the Bay of Pigs invasion?

A

1,400

31
Q

When the 1,400 Cuban troops landed, how many Castro troops were they met by?

A

20,000 - armed with tanks and modern weapons

32
Q

What did the Bay of Pigs suggest to the USSR?

A

That the USA was reluctant to get directly involved in Cuba

33
Q

Why was the Bay of Pigs fiasco a problem for JFK?

A

It made him look weak and highlighted his inexperience in foreign affairs/military matters

34
Q

What ‘flooded’ into Cuba after the Bay of Pigs fiasco?

A

Soviet arms (armaments - not literal arms)

35
Q

When did the USSR publicly announce it was supplying Cuba?

A

July 1962

36
Q

By September, what sort of weapons and equipment did Cuba have?

A
  • thousands of Soviet missiles
  • patrol boats
  • radar vans
  • jet fighters and bombers
37
Q

How many Soviet technicians were in Cuba to keep the weapons and equipment functional?

A

5,000

38
Q

What was the USA particularly concerned about regarding Cuba?

A

That the USSR would put nuclear weapons in Cuba

39
Q

What did JFK tell the USSR on 11 Sep 1962

A

That he would prevent ‘by whatever means might be necessary’ Cuba becoming a nuclear missile base

40
Q

How did the USSR respond to JFK’s warning that he would not allow Cuba to become a missile base

A

The USSR promised they would not put nuclear missiles in Cuba

41
Q

What triggered the October crisis?

A

When an American spy plane flew over Cuba and spotted missile sites in Cuba on 14 October 1962

42
Q

How far away were Cuban missile sites from being able to launch missiles when the American spy planes took photos?

A

Seven days

43
Q

As well as missile sites, what else did American spy planes report?

A

That 20 Soviet ships were heading to Cuba carrying missiles

44
Q

Why did Khrushchev place missiles in Cuba?

A
  • 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
45
Q

What was another phrase used to describe Cuba being in the USA’s sphere of influence?

A

It was in ‘Uncle Sam’s Backyard’

46
Q

What options were open to JFK to deal with the crisis?

A
  • Do nothing
  • Air strike to destroy the missile bases
  • Full scale invasion of Cuba
  • Get the UN to sort it out
  • Blockade
47
Q

When did JFK announce a blockade on Cuba?

A

Monday 22 October 1962 (8 days after the missile sites were first spotted)

48
Q

How did Khrushchev respond on 23 October ‘62 after JFK had demanded he remove the missiles from Cuba?

A

Khrushchev wrote a letter to JFK saying Soviet ships would ignore the blockade

49
Q

When did the blockade begin?

A

Wed 24 October (two days after it was announced)

50
Q

What happened when the Soviet ships (which were carrying missiles) reached the blockade on Wed 24 October (the same day the blockade began)

A

The 20 ships closest to the blockade stopped or turned around

51
Q

Despite the Soviet ships not attempting to breach the blockade, what was continuing to happen in Cuba?

A

Work on the missile bases was continuing rapidly

52
Q

What did JFK receive on Friday 26 October?

A

A letter from Khrushchev admitting for the first time of the existence of missiles in Cuba and that a resolution could be agreed

53
Q

What does Khrushchev’s second letter (Sat 27 Oct.) say?

A

Proposes that missiles will be withdrawn from Cuba if USA removes missiles from Turkey

54
Q

What complicates matters on 27 October 1962?

A

An American spy plane is shot down over Cuba and the pilot is killed. JFK is advised to attack Cuba.

55
Q

How does JFK respond to Khrushchev’s letters?

A

He ignores the second one (about Turkey) and replies to the first that unless the USSR withdraws, the USA will attack Cuba.

56
Q

What does Khrushchev’s final reply on Sunday 28 October say?

A

That the USSR will ‘dismantle’ the ‘offensive weapons’ and ‘return them to the Soviet Union’

57
Q

What was agreed to end the missile crisis?

A
  • 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
58
Q

Who lost personal prestige as a result of the crisis?

A

Khrushchev - because the US missile removal was kept secret, he looked like he had won nothing

59
Q

When was Khrushchev forced to resign?

A

In 1964 - two years after the crisis

60
Q

Why did Khrushchev claim he had actually achieved a victory?

A

He claimed he achieved both his aims:
- America never attacked Cuba
- US missiles in Turkey were removed

61
Q

How did the West see JFK after the missile crisis?

A

As a hero

62
Q

What was set up between the two countries after the crisis?

A

A telephone hotline - which would allow the leaders to communicate directly in the event of another crisis

63
Q

What was signed in 1963?

A

A Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

64
Q

What did the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty do?

A

It prohibited all testing of nuclear weapons (except underground detonations)

65
Q

What was signed in 1968?

A

A Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - which said neither the US or USSR would supply nuclear technology to smaller countries

66
Q

How did Castro feel about the crisis?

A

He was furious with Khrushchev for abandoning Cuba

67
Q

Did relations improve between the USA and Cuba?

A

Not really
- Cuba remained communist
- the USA kept its trade restrictions on Cuba
- Castro kept control of American owned businesses in Cuba

68
Q

Who (slightly surprisingly) criticised the USA?

A

Some people in Britain - pointing out the hypocrisy of the US complaining about missiles in Cuba when they had missiles in Turkey

History (37 decks)

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