cuban missile crisis Flashcards
what does Kennedy realise in october 1961
that the USSR was able to bring in nuclear weapons into cuba without the US knowing
what did America do when they found out the USSR was importing something into Cuba
sent U2 spy planes to go take pictures of the missiles, the size of them, the type, and where they were located
what did the U2 spy planes discover
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
how did Kennedy resolve ussr bringing missiles into Cuba
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)
were the missiles big
they were huge
why did the USSR want to put missiles in Cuba
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)
why didn’t the ussr have a 100% chance of winning if a nuclear war broke out once they had missiles in Cub
because America had missiles surrounding USSR already as well
what did kennedy do to try and resolve the ussr bringing missiles
a naval blockade
what does kruschev do in response to the naval blockade
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
how did Kennedy respond to kRUSCHEVS 1ST LETTER
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
when was the cuban missiles crisis
1962
kruschev response letter to kennedy’s letter
says he’l, take the missiles out of cuba as long as USA doesn’t invade cuba
kruschev 2nd response letter to Kennedy’s one
he also says that if he removes the cuban misisles then the usa needs to remove their missiles from Turkey
what happens that nearly sparks a war
usa spy plane is shot over cuba and the usa advisors demand to declare war on USSR (doesn’t happen)
in the end, what did kennedy publicly declare
that he would not invade cuba
what did kennedy do in secret in the end, and why did he do it secretly
removed the missiles from Turkey because if people knew about this, he would be seen as weak & appeasing
what did kruschev do in the end
took the misisles out of Cuba and sent his ships back to the USSR
4 main causes
cold war tensions
bay of pigs invasion
soviet motivations
cuban alliance with USSR
how were cold war tensions a cause
the USA and the USSR were locked in a nuclear arms race and ideological conflict, and the US aimed to contain communism.
how was the bay of pigs invasion a cause
the failed US invasions of Cuba pushed Castro closer to soviet union
Cuba wanted protection against further american aggression
how were soviet motivations a cause (2)
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.
how was cuban alliance with USSR a cause
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
course of cuban missile crisis (discovery-when)
october 14, 1962- American U2 spy planes discovered soviet missiles under construction in cuba- president kennedy was informed 2 days later
course ( blockade-when)
october 22, kennedy announced naval quarantine if cuba to prevent further soviet missile deliveries
US military forces placed on high alert
course (diplomatic standoff)
- 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
course (resolution-when)
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
Consequences for USA (2)
- 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
consequences for USSR (2
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.
consequences for Cuba (3)
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.
consequences for the cold war (2)
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.
evidence for Kennedy winning it (4)
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)
evidence for Kruschev winning (3)
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.
key takeaway
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.
