The Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 1

Define brinkmanship.

Answer 1

Trying to achieve an advantageous outcome by
pushing dangerous events to the brink of active
conflict.

Question 2

In _____, a serious Cold War crisis developed
over Cuba.

Answer 2

1962

Question 3

Which policy led the US to strongly need to prevent the spread of communism into Latin America?

Answer 3

The US’s policy of containment.

Question 4

Where is Cuba?

Answer 4

Cuba is an island 150km off the coast of Florida.

Question 5

Who’s influence was Cuba under leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis (CMC)? Why?

Answer 5

America, ever since the end of Spanish rule in 1898.
Cuba is heavily under America’s influence because:
- They rely on the US for trade, and the US was Cuba’s biggest market of sugar exports.
- The US owned much of the land on Cuba.
- The US made a lot of money from oil refineries they had on Cuba.
- The US even had a naval base on Cuba, in Guantanamo Bay.

Question 6

On what was the Cuban economy largely dependent?

Answer 6

Sugar and sugar exports, especially to the US.

Question 7

What was the socioeconomic status of Cubans around the time leading up to the CMC?

Answer 7

Most Cubans were extremely poor and lived in poverty.

Question 8

Who was leading Cuba in the period just before the CMC?

Answer 8

Cuba was under the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

Question 9

Discuss Fulgencio Batista’s actions as dictator of Cuba, and his relationship with the US.

Answer 9

• Abolished constitution, closed parliament, suppressed opposition.
• Supported by army, large landowners, wealthy industrialists, bankers.
• Supported by US because he was anti-communist.
• Allowed the US to exploit Cuba (protected American interests).

Batista had continued support from the US,
even though he was corrupt and cruel.

Question 10

When was the first attempt to overthrow Batista, and who led them?

Answer 10

1953: Revolutionaries under Fidel Castro tried
to overthrow Batista, and were unsuccessful.

Question 11

At what point was Cuba invaded by Castro?

Answer 11

1956: Castro and followers invaded Cuba, and worked to build up support among peasants.

Question 12

When and what was the Cuban Revolution?

Answer 12

1959: Cuban Revolution
- Fidel Castro seized power
- Castro was a nationalist and wanted to free
Cuba from US control
- Batista fled into exile
- Revolutionaries welcomed by most Cubans
- Many wealthy Cubans fled to US

Question 13

What did Castro introduce when he came into power?

Answer 13

Socialist reforms, through redistribution of land to the poor and nationalisation of transport and some industries.

Question 14

In 1960, the US wanted to force Cuba to ____ its _____. Why?

Answer 14

Change its policies.
This is because Castro was very anti-West and socialist, and the US saw them as a threat to their capitalist ideologies (AKA a threat to their beloved democracy).

Question 15

How and when did the US react to Castro’s rise to power?

Answer 15

1960:
- US launched a trade embargo & banned Cuban sugar imports to US.
- US broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba
- Castro attempted to restore the relationship with President Eisenhower, but Eisenhower refused to see him.

Question 16

What happened after Castro was rejected a meeting with Eisenhower? How did the US feel about this?

Answer 16

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev seized the opportunity to form an alliance with Cuba.

The US was concerned about growing links
between Cuba and USSR:

• Soviet technicians and advisors in Cuba.
  -US feared a communist state so close to USA.
• US feared communism would spread to rest of
  Latin America.
• US started secret plans to invade Cuba and
  overthrow Castro.
• Cuban exiles in US also wanted to overthrow
  Castro.

Question 17

What happened in 1961?

Answer 17

The Bay of Pigs Invasion:
- Cuban exiles (armed and fuelled by the US) planned invasion of Cuba.
- Backed by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
- The CIA believed that an invasion would lead to a
public uprising against Castro.

Question 18

When was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Answer 18

1961.

Question 19

How successful was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Answer 19

It was a total failure:
-Castro knew attack was coming
- Cubans didn’t rise up in revolt
- Invasion easily crushed within three days
- US action pushed Cuba into alliance with USSR -
protection
- Intensified anti-American sentiments in Cuba
- Castro declared himself Communist
- Severe embarrassment for JFK and the US

Question 20

How did the Bay of Pigs invasion affect Cuba?

Answer 20

It only further intensified anti-American sentiments, and pushed Cuba to form an alliance with the USSR and declare itself communist.

Question 21

When is the beginning of the CMC? What marked the beginning of it?

Answer 21

1962.
Castro allowed the USSR to build missile bases on Cuba.

Question 22

How and when did the US find out about the missile bases on Cuba?

Answer 22

In October of 1962, the US sent a U2 spy plane flying over Cuba and captured photographs of the bases.

Question 23

What switch of presidencies occurred in the US during this time?

Answer 23

Eisenhower out, John F. Kennedy in.
(1961)

Question 24

What was the US’s reaction upon discovering the missile bases in Cuba? What did Kennedy decide to do (and when)?

Answer 24

They were VERY ALARMED.
US was concerned because major US cities would be in
range of missiles. Some US advisors thought US should attack Cuba - either air strikes on the missile bases or launch a full-scale
invasion.

But: Kennedy wanted to avoid a direct confrontation
with USSR

22 Oct 1962: He ordered a naval blockade
(‘quarantine zone’) around Cuba to prevent missiles
getting there

Question 25

What was JFK’s plan to stop missiles getting into Cuba? Was it a good move?

Answer 25

He created a ‘Naval Quarantine.’ He stated that if ships that carried missiles entered this zone, they would be sunk.
It was a clever plan, because it put all the pressure on Khrushchev to either become the aggressor of an active conflict full scale war, or to stop his ships.

Question 26

Kennedy’s plan put him and Khrushchev in a phase of _____.

Answer 26

brinkmanship

Question 27

During the phase of brinkmanship, what was happening behind the scenes?

Answer 27

There were behind-the-scenes negotiations between Robert Kennedy and Anatoly Dobrynin (Soviet ambassador to US).

Question 28

What was the outcome of the Naval Quarantine?

Answer 28

Khrushchev was not willing to risk war and was prepared to negotiate.
Eventually, Soviet ships turned back.

Question 29

What was the finalised agreement between the superpowers following this conflict?

Answer 29

• USSR to remove missile bases from Cuba
• US to lift blockade and agree not to invade Cuba
• US agreed to remove missile bases from Turkey
• Set up ‘hot-line’ between Kremlin and White House
• Agreed on limits to testing of nuclear weapons (1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty)

Question 30

What is the significance of the CMC?

Answer 30

• Showed that US was determined to apply policy of containment in Latin America
• Brinkmanship between the superpowers almost caused a nuclear war, but both leaders acted with restraint and averted war
• Crisis led to better relations between the superpowers

Question 31

Discuss the implications/impact of the CMC on the US after it came to an end.

Answer 31

• Had forced USSR to remove missiles from Cuba, but had to accept communist state so close to US
• Had to dismantle US missile bases in Turkey
• Kennedy seen as hero in US for handling of crisis
• Continued trade embargo and travel ban against Cuba
• Diplomatic relations between US and Cuba only restored in Obama era (crazy)

Question 32

Discuss the implications/impact of the CMC on the USSR after it came to an end.

Answer 32

Historians see Khrushchev’s statesmanship in handling the crisis in a positive light. However, he was criticised in USSR at the time for appearing weak, and was forced to step down as Soviet leader (1964).

Question 33

Discuss the implications/impact of the CMC on Cuba after it came to an end.

Answer 33

• Castro’s position strengthened as fears of
  another US attack disappeared
• Cuba relied heavily on continued Soviet
  economic support and aid
  -Castro’s government suppressed opposition and
  established a communist dictatorship in Cuba
• But government achieved remarkable social
  and economic improvements (eg in healthcare and education)
• Cuba remained very isolated because of
  American trade boycott and travel ban
• Cuban economy suffered after collapse of USSR (1991) and thus the end of Soviet aid

Question 34

What were the ideologies of Fidel Castro at the time he came to power?

Answer 34

He was a nationalist and had socialist tendencies. He was also avidly anti-west.