History β³ | The crisis in Cuba π‘ | 5.2 Flashcards
What was the Platt ammendment?
A treaty between the U.S. and Cuba that attempted to protect Cubaβs independence from foreign intervention, while permitting extensive U.S. involvement in Cuban international and domestic affairs for the enforcement of Cuban independence.
When did the USA get effective control over Cuba?
1898
How did the USA get effective control over Cuba?
They defeated the Spanish in a short war
What resources did the USA have in Cuba after they got control over it?
- American businesses had taken over trade on the island
- They owned much of the land and natural wealth
- Sugar industries
- Oil industries
When did the USA start to support Batista?
1933
Who was Batista?
A ruthless, corrupt, unpopular dictator supported by the USA in Cuba
How many Cubans did Batista kill in 6 years?
Batista killed 20,000 Cubans in 6 years
When was Batista overthrown?
1959
Who overthrew Batista?
Fidel Castro
Who came to power along with Fidel Castro?
- His brother Raul Castro
- The famous Che Guevara
Who was Fidel Castro?
The leader of the 1959 Cuban revolution, a follower of Karl Marx and a communist
Who was the Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Khruschev
Who was the American leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
John F. Kennedy
When did Khruschev and Eisenhower first meet?
1955
Why were there a lot of tensions leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis?
- Developing of the arms race and spy networks
- The U2 incident
- The Berlin Wall
- The Space Race
What technology had the USSR developed in 1957?
- The first satellite into space: Sputnik
- The development of long range nuclear weapons
What technology had the USA developed in 1959?
Polaris missiles which could be launched from submarines
Define Mutually Assured Destruction
The idea that nobody would start a nuclear war because it wpould ensure that both sides are destroyed
After the Cuban revolution, what allowances did Castro give the USA?
- He let them keep their base at Guantanamo Bay
- He guarranteed the safety of Americans in Cuba
After the Cuban revolution, what did Castro do to show freedom from the USA?
- A trade agreement with Moscow in which weapons were recieved
- Nationalisation of $1 billion of American investments in Cuba
When was the trade agreement between Moscow and Cuba?
1960
What did the USA do in response to the Cuban revolution?
- Eisenhower started a trade embargo, which included sugar - Cubaβs most valuable export
- The USA announced it would not buy oil from Cuba
How did the USSR respond to the embargos the USA put on Cuba after the revolution?
- The USSR agreed to buy sugar from Cuba after Eisenhower started an embargo on it
- The USSR bought oil once it was announced the USA wouldnβt buy oil
Define CIA
The USA intelligence organisation with the mission to collect, evaluate, and share intelligence relating to national security
Central Intelligence Agency
When was the CIA founded?
1947
What Operation did the USA respond to the closeness of Cuba and the USSR with?
The Bay of Pigs
What was the intended outcome of the Bay of Pigs?
To destroy communism in Cuba, by invading the island and overthrowing Castro
When was the Bay of Pigs?
April 17th 1961
How many people did the USA invade Cuba with?
What group of people were they?
1500 Cuban-born mercanaries
How many people did Castro have to defend from the Bay of Pigs?
What support did they have?
20,000 soldiers supported by Soviet tanks
When was the Bay of Pigs?
17 Apr - 19 Apr 1961
When did the Cuban exiles land in the Bay of Pigs?
17 Apr 1961
When did Castro call for Cubans to defend against the Bay of Pigs?
18 Apr 1961
After the Bay of Pigs what happened to the Cuban exiles?
Castro sent the exiles back to Miami in exchange for millions of dollars in food and medicine
How did the Geography of Cuba cause the Bay of Pigs to fail?
The USA thought nobody would be in the area they chose to invade because the exiles had told them it was badly built up, but in reality it was transformed with hospitals schools and roads after the revolution
What misconceptions about Cuban people caused the Bay of Pigs to fail?
- The USA believed Castro was unpopular and that people would join in on fighting back but they were wrong
- They thought Cuba was poorly armed when in reality it was heavily supported
When was the introduction of nuclear weapons to Cuba decided?
Summer 1962
Why did Khruschev want to introduce nuclear weapons on Cuba?
He wanted to counter the strategic nuclear weapons the USA had placed in Italy and Turkey, which were so close to the USSR that little response time was possible if launched
How far away was the place Khruschev wanted to place nuclear weapons on Cuba from the USA?
90 miles from the USAβs eastern coast
When did Kennedy warn the USSR that he would prevent the placement of nuclear weapons on Cuba βby any means necessaryβ?
September 1962
How did Khruschev respond to Kennedyβs warning about placing nuclear weapons on Cuba?
He lied, saying he wouldnβt place the weapons.
When did the U2 spy plane fly over Cuba and take pictures of missile silos?
14 Oct 1962
What team did Kennedy form to respond to the proof of the U2 spyplane?
Be formed a special team called Ex-comm to provide him with advice
How many soviet ships were carrying nuclear missiles to Cuba?
20 Soviet ships
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
21 October 1962
USA informed Britain about the discovery of missile silos. Kennedy broke the news in a TV address to the nation.
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
22 October 1962
Kennedy ordered a navel blcokade of Cuba. Khruschev publicly denied that there were missiles on Cuba
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
23 October 1962
Khruschev sent a letter stating that Soviet ships would attempt to sail through the USA blockade
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
24 October 1962
Soviet ships carrying warheads turned back before the USA blockade. However, some missiles and warheads made it to Cuba before the blockade was in place. The USA threatened an invasion; Castro called for a nuclear strike from the USSR
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
25 October 1962
There was a clash in the UN between *Adlai Stevenson *and Valerian Zorin, in which Stevenson provided photographic reconnaissance pictures of the missile sites proving the Soviets were lying
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
26 October 1962
Khruschevβs first offer was made in a letter to Kennedy: The missiles would be withdrawn if the USA promised not to invade Cuba
This was the first Soviet admission that the missiles existed in Cuba
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
26 October 1962
Khruschevβs first offer was made in a letter to Kennedy: The missiles would be withdrawn if the USA promised not to invade Cuba
This was the first Soviet admission that the missiles existed in Cuba
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
27 October 1962
- U2 spy plane was shot down in Kuba and pilot killed
- Kennedy urged to start invasion but he delays it
- Khruschev made a second offer in another letter, demanding that the USA removes missiles from Turkey in exchange for the removal of the Cuban missiles
- Kennedy responds to Khruschevβs first offer and ignores the second
- Robert Kennedy meets with USSR abassador Anatoly Dobrynin
Who was the UN clash between?
Adlai Stevenson and Valerian Zorin
On the 27 October, which two individuals met?
Robert Kennedy and Anatoly Dobrynin
What was the result of the meeting on 27 October 1962?
No official deal would be done but the USA would guarrantee not to invade Cuba again and remove Turkish missiles in the βnear futureβ. The USSR couldnβt reveal that this was done in exchange for the removal of Cuban missiles.
What were the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day?
28 October 1962
Khruschev accepted the terms ending the crisis
What were the five realistic options Kennedy had in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
- Donβt react
- Surgical air attack
- Invasion by the US army
- Use diplomacy
- Blockade
Discuss Kennedyβs option to not react
The USA had more nuclear weapons and the Turkish site gave them the same advantage. Due to Mutually Assured Destruction nothing had really changed. However this would be a sign of weakness after the Bay of Pigs.
Discuss Kennedyβs option of surgical air attack
He could have aerially destroyed the Cuban missile silos. However, Soviet engineers would be killed and if one silo remvained it could still be used to counter attack
Discuss Kennedyβs option to invade with the US army
It would remove the missiles and communism altogether. However a similar Soviet response would be expected.
Discuss Kennedyβs option to use diplomacy
The UN could provide a form for discussions but this may not have been possible since Khruschev was denying the existence of the missiles. It may look weak after Bay of Pigs.
Discuss Kennedyβs option of blockade
It could prevent warheads arriving and avoid hot war. However, it may trigger a similar Soviet response (berlin blockade 2.0?). Some missiles were already in Cuba
Which option did Kennedy choose during the Cuban Missile Crisis and why?
He chose a blockade as it struck a balance between apppearing weak and using violence
Which option did Kennedy choose during the Cuban Missile Crisis and why?
He chose a blockade as it struck a balance between apppearing weak and using violence
Who succeeded Khruschev?
Leonid Brezhnev
Why did Leonid Brezhnev take power?
He did not feel the Cuban missile crisis was a triumph for the USSR so he garnered power and deposed Khruschev
When was the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed?
August 1963
What was the nuclear Test Ban Treaty?
A treaty where the USA and the USSr both promised not to test any more nuclear weapons.
When was Kennedy assasinated?
November 1963
Who succeeded Kennedy?
Lyndon Baines Johnson
