The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 Flashcards
Cause 1 - Fidel Castro had taken over in Cuba and become allied to the Soviet Union
In 1959, Castro overthrew the ruler of Cuba (Batista) in a revolution. This caused anxiety in the USA because a lot of Cuban industries were owned by Americans. Castro threatened to nationalise all land and businesses and make them Cuban again.
Cause 2 - the Bay of Pigs Fiasco in August 1961 pushed Castro into the arms of Krushchev
JFK’s disasterous attempt to send 1,400 ex-Cuban nationals back to Cuba to overthrow Castro (August 1961) was a total failure. This made Castro want more security and so he agreed to let the USSR keep ICBMs on Cuban soil.
Event 1 - US spy planes spot the missiles.
On 14th October 1962, U2 spy planes take pictures of the missiles and launch pads. The CIA tells JFK that a fleet of Soviet ships is on the way to deliver more missiles to Cuba.
Event 2 - The Thirteen Days from 16th to 28th October 1962 brought the world close to nuclear war
In the ‘Thirteen Days’ of 16th to 28th October, 1962 - Kennedy called his Executive Committee to discuss how the USA should react every day for 13 days. JFK decided to place a naval blockade around Cuba and most people believed the USSR would ignore the blockade, causing a nuclear war. However, on 24th October the Soviet ships turned around.
Consequence 1 - The two sides realised how close they had come to nuclear war and tried to improve communications
The crisis made both sides work harder to avoid a similar crisis in the future. In June 1963 the Hot Line was set up to improve communications between Washington and Moscow.
Consequence 2 - The 1963 Test Ban Treaty showed the Superpowers were willing to work together
Another sign that the USA and Soviet Union were willing to work more closely together was the Test Ban Treaty signed in August 1963 which stopped the testing of nuclear weapons in outer space, underwater or in the atmosphere.
