cuban missile crisis

Question 1

what does Kennedy realise in october 1961

Answer 1

that the USSR was able to bring in nuclear weapons into cuba without the US knowing

Question 2

what did America do when they found out the USSR was importing something into Cuba

Answer 2

sent U2 spy planes to go take pictures of the missiles, the size of them, the type, and where they were located

Question 3

what did the U2 spy planes discover

Answer 3

that 20 USSR ships were making their way to Cuba, carrying missiles

and that the missiles in Cuba would be ready to be launched in 7 days

Question 4

how did Kennedy resolve ussr bringing missiles into Cuba

Answer 4

he placed a ring of US ships around cuba & told them to destroy any soviet ships that tried to pass them ( put Cuba in quarantine)

Question 5

were the missiles big

Answer 5

they were huge

Question 6

why did the USSR want to put missiles in Cuba

Answer 6

they allowed them to attack or reach the USA in very little time (around 5 mins) (where before it would have taken them much much longer)

Question 7

why didn’t the ussr have a 100% chance of winning if a nuclear war broke out once they had missiles in Cub

Answer 7

because America had missiles surrounding USSR already as well

Question 8

what did kennedy do to try and resolve the ussr bringing missiles

Answer 8

a naval blockade

Question 9

what does kruschev do in response to the naval blockade

Answer 9

he sends a letter to kennedy saying his ships would break through the blockade and that is the US tried to stop him, he would go to war

Question 10

how did Kennedy respond to kRUSCHEVS 1ST LETTER

Answer 10

HE DECIDED TO STAND HIS GROUND AND SENT HIM a letter back sayingthat if Kruschev didn’t turn his ships back around, and remove the misisles from Cuba, the USA would declare war

Question 11

when was the cuban missiles crisis

Answer 11

1962

Question 12

kruschev response letter to kennedy’s letter

Answer 12

says he’l, take the missiles out of cuba as long as USA doesn’t invade cuba

Question 13

kruschev 2nd response letter to Kennedy’s one

Answer 13

he also says that if he removes the cuban misisles then the usa needs to remove their missiles from Turkey

Question 14

what happens that nearly sparks a war

Answer 14

usa spy plane is shot over cuba and the usa advisors demand to declare war on USSR (doesn’t happen)

Question 15

in the end, what did kennedy publicly declare

Answer 15

that he would not invade cuba

Question 16

what did kennedy do in secret in the end, and why did he do it secretly

Answer 16

removed the missiles from Turkey because if people knew about this, he would be seen as weak & appeasing

Question 17

what did kruschev do in the end

Answer 17

took the misisles out of Cuba and sent his ships back to the USSR

Question 18

4 main causes

Answer 18

cold war tensions

bay of pigs invasion

soviet motivations

cuban alliance with USSR

Question 19

how were cold war tensions a cause

Answer 19

the USA and the USSR were locked in a nuclear arms race and ideological conflict, and the US aimed to contain communism.

Question 20

how was the bay of pigs invasion a cause

Answer 20

the failed US invasions of Cuba pushed Castro closer to soviet union

Cuba wanted protection against further american aggression

Question 21

how were soviet motivations a cause (2)

Answer 21

Kruschev aimed to counter the missiles the US had placed in Turkey

USSR was facing criticism from Chinese so wanted to show the Communist block that he was standing up to USA by placing missiles in cuba to showcase soviet strength.

Question 22

how was cuban alliance with USSR a cause

Answer 22

by allowing soviets to install missiles so close to usa in exchange of economic and military support, Castro created a real concern for the US after the failed bay of pigs invasion

Question 23

course of cuban missile crisis (discovery-when)

Answer 23

october 14, 1962- American U2 spy planes discovered soviet missiles under construction in cuba- president kennedy was informed 2 days later

Question 24

course ( blockade-when)

Answer 24

october 22, kennedy announced naval quarantine if cuba to prevent further soviet missile deliveries

US military forces placed on high alert

Question 25

course (diplomatic standoff)

Answer 25

• over 13 days, the USA and the USSR engaged in tense negotiations, brinking on nuclear war
• kruschev sent 2 messages (one saying he would remove missiles if US didn’t invade Cuba) (the other saying the US needed to take missiles out from Turkey

Question 26

course (resolution-when)

Answer 26

on october 28, kruschev agreed to remove missiles from cuba in exchange for US not invading cuba

Secretly, US agreed to take missiles from Turkey as well

Question 27

Consequences for USA (2)

Answer 27

• kennedy’s leadership was praised fro resolving conflict peacefully
• the crisis highlighted the need for better communication with USSR, leading to ‘hotline’ establishment between moscow and washington

Question 28

consequences for USSR (2

Answer 28

Khrushchev claimed victory for protecting Cuba, but many Soviet officials saw the outcome as a humiliation.

The perceived loss contributed to Khrushchevs removal from power in 1964.

Question 29

consequences for Cuba (3)

Answer 29

Castro remained in power but felt sidelined during negotiations between the 2
Superpowers

Cuban relations with the USSR were temporarily derailed by the failure of Khrushchev to consult with Castro about the removal of the nuclear weapons.

The crisis ensured that the U.S. would not invade Cuba but solidified Cuba’s dependence on the USSR.

Question 30

consequences for the cold war (2)

Answer 30

The crisis marked the closest point the world came to nuclear war, highlighting the dangers of ‘brinkmanship’. (Brinkmanship is trying to gain an advantage by pushing a situation to the point of disaster, but not quite going over the edge.)

Led to the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963) and a renewed emphasis on arms control.

Question 31

evidence for Kennedy winning it (4)

Answer 31

Public Perception of Strength: Kennedy received widespread praise for his leadership and successful resolution of the crisis without resorting to military action. His handling of the situation was seen as a victory for diplomacy and U.S. resolve in confronting Soviet aggression. (Sources: History.com, U.S.
Department of State)

• Soviet Withdrawal from Cuba: Khrushchev agreed to remove Soviet nuclear missiles from Cuba, which was seen as a major concession by the USSR, giving Kennedy a clear diplomatic victory. (Source: BBC History)

Avoidance of Nuclear War: Kennedy successfully averted the potential for nuclear war by using diplomacy and a naval blockade, which reduced the direct military threat. This was seen as a success in managing Cold War tensions without escalation.
(Source: The National WWII Museum)

Strengthening of U.S. Leadership in the Western Hemisphere:
The crisis confirmed U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, as the USSR retreated from installing missiles in Cuba. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

Question 32

evidence for Kruschev winning (3)

Answer 32

Secret Agreement on U.S. Missiles in Turkey: In exchange for removing missiles from Cuba, the U.S. secretly agreed to withdraw its missiles from Turkey, which was a key Soviet demand. This concession was not publicly acknowledged at the time but was a significant win for Khrushchev. (Sources: History.com, PBS)

• Cuban Security Preserved: Castro’s government remained in power, and the U.S. pledged not to invade Cuba, ensuring that the USSR maintained its influence in the region. Khrushchev successfully protected Cuba from U.S. intervention. (Source: U.S.
Department of State)

• Maintaining Soviet Prestige: Khrushchev could claim that he stood up to the U.S. and preserved Soviet influence in the Western Hemisphere, despite the public retreat. This was important for his image within the USSR and the global communist movement.

Question 33

key takeaway

Answer 33

The Cuban Missile Crisis is a pivotal Cold War event, demonstrating the dangers of nuclear brinkmanship and the importance of diplomacy in averting global catastrophe. It led to a temporary improvement in relations between the two superpowers.