Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards
Why did Khrushchev place missiles in Cuba?
He was trying to test Kennedy and see how far he would go
What made Cuba side with the USSR and not the USA?
Cuba’s leader, Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro and Fidel took power, this caused the USA to lose benefits with Cuba.
What caused the USSR to be able to work with Cuba?
Since the USA was unwilling to work with Cuba instead Castro turned to the SU to help with Cuba’s economy.
What was life like in Cuba?
US businessmen were wealthy and so was the Cuban government but ordinary Cubans had a tough life.
What did the USA do that moved Cuba closer to the USSR?
The USA cut off all trade with Cuba which meant that Cuba was reliant on the USSR.
What was The Bay of Pigs?
It was a plan to help Castro’s exiled opponents retake Cuba.
What did the plan for the Bay of Pigs include?
Cuban exiles, trained by the USA, would take control of Cuba. The US airforce was going to help them.
What did they assume the Cubans would do during the Bay of Pigs invasion?
America assumed that it would inspire Cubans to take up arms against Castro.
What was the problem with the Cubans views?
Most Cubans supported Castro and would not join the invasion.
What was the problem with some of the US governments views?
Some of the senior figures felt that their involvement was illegal under international law.
Why didn’t they stop the Bay of Pigs from continuing?
Since that spent 5 million dollars on preparations they decided it was worth it to take the risk.
What happened at the Bay of Pigs?
The mission was a total disaster and the US airforce support was withdrawn from the mission.
What happened to the Cuban exiles?
200 exiles were killed and 1197 were captured. No Cubans came to their aid.
What was the effect on Kennedy?
It made Kennedy look weak and incompetent.
What risky strategy did Khrushchev pull?
He put nuclear missiles in Cuba and chose not to hide them with camouflage.
