The Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards
What were the causes for the Cuban Missile Crisis?
-Castro launched Guerrilla warfare against the Cuban Government and took Havana
-Castro was anti-American but not communist but friction between him and the US caused him to go to Khrushchev
-In July Khrushchev threatened the US with missiles if they invaded Cuba
What happened at the Bay of Pigs?
-In April 1961, 4 months after Kennedy came to power, 1400 Cuban exiles landed south of Havana at the Bay of Pigs
-They hoped to inspire a revolution against Castro yet it was predicted
-Kennedy withdrew the US bombing which meant the invasion was easily defeated
-Disaster for the US and humiliating yet Khrushchev saw it as a warning
How did the crisis escuate (think U2)?
-On 14th October 1962 a U2 spy plane spotted missiles on Cuba which was kept quiet from the public
-The US set up a quarantine zone of 1200 Km from Cuba’s coast with ships being searched for weapons
-On 22nd October Kennedy revealed the existence of missiles and ordered a naval blockade and made it clear if nukes were fired, he would fire too
What caused the USSR to withdraw their missiles?
-On the 26th October Khrushchev withdraw nuclear weapons in fear of nuclear attack
-Yet he realised it made him look weak so he sent a second letter to Kenney requesting that Turkey’s missiles the US put there to be removed
-Kennedy publicly agreed to the first letter but privately the second to make him see like a hero
What was the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
-In the short term Kennedy’s prestige increased greatly where he was praised for calling Khrushchev’s bluff
-Khrushchev’s position in the USSR was question due to his complete blunder, seen to have betrayed Castro
