Cuban Missile Crisis + Confrontation In Vietnam 1962-1965 Flashcards
When was Operation Anadyr and what did it include?
Operation Anadyr commenced in 1962 and it included the Soviet installation of nuclear weapons in the mountains of Cuba. The Soviets also provided fighter planes, bombers and 14,000 ground troops.
What was Excomm and what decision did it make in response to Operation Anadyr?
Excomm, otherwise known as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, was an advisory committee whose main role was to consider policy options and their consequences. They ultimately agreed upon the idea of a blockade on offensive weapon shipments to Cuba.
How did tensions in the Cuban Missile Crisis elevate further?
News came through to Excomm that a U-2 spy plane had been shot down over Cuba and its pilot had been killed. Kennedy and Excomm had already committed themselves to responding to such attacks with Us air attacks against Soviet anti- aircraft emplacements in Cuba. The crisis seemed to escalating out of control.
How and when was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
On the 28th October 1962, Khrushchev agreed to remove Soviet missiles in Cuba granted the USA removed their missiles from Turkey.
When was the ‘hot-line’ set up and what was its purpose?
The ‘hot-line’ was set up in 1963 and was a line connecting the Kremlin and the White House. The frequency of the hot lines usage is unknown but it was likely installed for its symbolic value rather than its practical application.
When was the Moscow Test Ban Treaty introduced and what did it prevent?
Introduced in October 1963, the treaty was formally known as the ‘Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water’.
What were the problems with the Moscow Test Ban Treaty?
•The treaty contained no provisions for underground testing or for periodic review and inspection
•Signatories could restart testing after 3 months if they thought their national interest were at stake
There was no obligation for states to sign up - consequently, China and France did not do so.
What were the international consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Ultimately, the crisis ensured the survival of Cuba and its communist regime, alongside the survival of West Berlin as an outpost of Capitalism in the heart of the communist bloc. The crisis had moved the bipolar world closer towards greater cooperation.
How many days of negotiation were there regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis?
13 days - 16th to 28th October 1962
What strategy towards the Vietnam conflict did Lyndon B. Johnson implement in January 1964?
Johnson implemented OPLAN 34A. This was a strategy based on covert action which was designed to force Hanoi to ‘desist from its aggressive policies’. Johnson continued with Kennedys favoured counterinsurgency approach and increased military ‘advisors’ in Vietnam from 16,300 to 23,300. Johnson wanted to prevent the conflict from being overly Americanised.
What was the Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution, when was it introduced and why?
Introduced on the 7th August 1964 in response to a North Vietnamese attack on a US navy vessel in the Gulf of Tonkin, the resolution granted Johnson the extraordinary freedom to conduct whatever policy he saw fit in Vietnam without consulting Congress.
How was the situation in Vietnam deteriorating for the USA by the end of 1964?
•China agreed to provide military supplies to North Vietnam
•The USSR established diplomatic links with the NLF and sent military equipment to support North Vietnam
•The Vietcong had strengthened their positions in many parts of South Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta region
•The South Vietnamese army (AVRN) was in a low state of morale due to poor leadership, poor training and low pay
What was Operation Rolling Thunder and over which years did it progress?
Operation Rolling Thunder was a bombing campaign that progressed in the years 1965 to 1968. This marked the start of the Americanisation of the conflict.
What were the terms of North Vietnams 4-point proposal offered on the 8th April 1965?
•US troops must withdraw from South Vietnam, in accordance with Geneva agreements
•Neither North or South Vietnam will enter into any military alliance with a foreign power during the country’s temporary division, in accordance with the Geneva agreements
•South Vietnamese affairs must be settled by the people of South Vietnam
•The peaceful reunification of Vietnam must be settled only by the people of both zones
How did Johnson respond to Vietnams 4-point proposal?
Johnson rejected the proposal, believing that acceptance may have led to a unified and communist Vietnamese state. He instead publicly announced his decision to escalate the USAs military involvement and by July 1965, the USA had deployed 75,000 ground troops in Vietnam.
When was the first significant engagement between the USand North Vietnamese forces snd what were the consequences?
In November 1965, the US and North Vietnamese forces fought a conventional battle in the La Drang Valley in the central highlands. The USA suffered about 300 dead while the North had around 2-3000 fatalities. Both sides saw the conflict as a victory, the USA due to the high enemy casualties and the North Vietnamese because they held their position.
