Cuban missile crisis Flashcards
why was Castro’s victory in Cuba important
because it created huge amounts of tension due to the differing ideologies and after the pay of pigs invasion, Castro was convinced he needed soviet support and protection
why was Castro’s victory in Cuba NOT important
Castro didn’t seek out an alliance with the soviets and was actually forced by the US who cut trading links
why was the US foreign important
the USSR wanted to let the US know what it felt like to be so close to a deadly threat and give them a “taste of their own medicine”
why was the US foreign policy NOT important
the Jupiter missiles were largely obsolete due to the fact that they were outdated which reduces the importance of them being placed in Turkey
why was Khrushchev’s domestic position important
he needed a foreign victory to regain popularity and support and after the secret speech there was pressure from influential communists to show the power of the soviets across the world
why was Khrushchev’s domestic position NOT important
it was too great a risk to take purely to increase popularity and it would have made more sense for him to target US bases in Europe as it would require less man powerand resources
why was Khrushchev’s view of Kennedy important
Khrushchev believed that due to Kennedy’s youth and inexperience he was likely to make concessions to him during the war
why was Khrushchev’s view of Kennedy NOT important
it was unlikely that Kennedy to be pushed by the soviets as he had promised in his presidential campaign that he would be tough on Russia which historians argue is the reason he won
why was the arms race important
both superpowers were desperate to “win” and placing missiles in Cuba gave the USSR the chance to gain the upper hand without spending more money on weapons
why was the arms race NOT important
the soviets nuclear capabilities were grossly overestimated due to propaganda, and in reality the USSR had very few weapons compared to the states and Khrushchev was “calling Kennedy’s bluff”
