The Cuban Missile Crisis

Question 1

When did the USSR get their first atom bomb?

Answer 1

1940

Question 2

What was the missile gap?

Answer 2

The difference in amount and destructive power of the warfare of the USA and USSR. The USSR had less powerful warfare, however much of the american population believed that the USA was ‘behind’

Question 3

Who was Batista?

Answer 3

Batista was the dictator of Cuba before Castro revolted against him

Question 4

Why did the USA support Batista?

Answer 4

He allowed Americans to trade with Cuba and was not communist

Question 5

What was life like under Batista?

Answer 5

The Cuban people were ill-educated, had no healthcare, no freedom, in fear of secret police who murdered and tortured many people

Question 6

What was the July 26 movement?

Answer 6

A small (unsuccessful) revolution led by Fidel Castro trying to overthrow Batista (had only 123 men)

Question 7

When did Castro come to power?

Answer 7

1959, New Year’s day

Question 8

What did Castro do once in power?

Answer 8

Redistributed wealth, nationalised many industries, forbid further foreign land ownership, lowered pay of politicians (including himself) and judges and increased pay of lower civil servants

Question 9

Why did the USA dislike Castro?

Answer 9

He was communist, he would not let them own Cuban land, he ordered US oil refineries to process soviet fuel (they refused), he was in ‘Uncle Sam’s backyard’

Question 10

Why did the USSR support Castro?

Answer 10

He was communist, Castro’s Cuba was good propaganda for them, Cuba was an ideal base to spread communism to South America, Cuba was willingly communist

Question 11

What was the October crisis?

Answer 11

Khrushchev placed missiles on Cuba

Question 12

Why did Khrushchev put missiles on Cuba?

Answer 12

To close the missile gap, defend Cuba, challenge Kennedy, improve (Khrushchev’s) reputation and get USA to remove its missiles from Turkey

Question 13

When was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 13

April 1961

Question 14

What happened at the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 14

USA supported anti-Castro Cuban exiles in an attempt to invade (and ‘get back’) Cuba

Question 15

How did the USA support the Cuban exiles?

Answer 15

They supplied arms, equipment and transport for 1400 Cuban exiles

Question 16

Why did the Bay of Pigs invasion fail?

Answer 16

The exiles were met not with supporters (they thought they would be welcomed) but with 20,000 Castro-loyal troops- all were captured and killed in days

Question 17

Why was the Bay of Pigs invasion an embarrassment?

Answer 17

It made Kennedy look weak, made USA look desperate, further soured relations between the USSR and USA, made Castro and Khrushchev suspicious of US policy

Question 18

When was the October crisis?

Answer 18

14th October 1962- a USA U-2 spy plane flew over Cuba and photographed missile sites in Cuba being built by the USSR

Question 19

What group did Kennedy form to advise him?

Answer 19

Ex-comm

Question 20

How did Kennedy respond to the Cuban missiles?

Answer 20

By blockading Cuba- he called on Krushchev to remove the missiles

Question 21

When did the blockade of Cuba begin?

Answer 21

24th October 1962

Question 22

How did Krushchev respond to the threat of the blockade?

Answer 22

He refused to observe the blockade and did not acknowledge that there were even missiles on Cuba

Question 23

What happened on the first day of the Cuban blockade?

Answer 23

The first missile carrying ships approached (accompanied by a soviet submarine) then the 20 Soviet ships closest to the zone turned around

Question 24

After the Soviet ships turned around how did Khrushchev respond to Kennedy?

Answer 24

He sent a letter (late at night Russian time) acknowledging the missiles, and offered to remove them if Kennedy removed the blockade and did not attack Cuba

Question 25

What happened just hours after Khrushchev’s first letter?

Answer 25

Another letter is sent (and is much more formal) adding that Kennedy must also remove his missiles from Turkey as well if they are to remove the Cuban missiles

Question 26

How did Kennedy publicly respond to the letters?

Answer 26

He responded only to the first letter- saying that he accepts the original terms. He says if the USSR don’t withdraw an attack will follow?

Question 27

How did Kennedy secretly respond to the letters?

Answer 27

To keep face, Kennedy uses his brother Bobby Kennedy to secretly organise to remove the missiles from Turkey - the USSR agree to keep this secret as long as they are removed

Question 28

What did Kennedy say when questioned about the removal of the Turkish missiles?

Answer 28

That the missiles were now old, so needed to be removed anyway- which was true, but not the reason for his removal of them

Question 29

What was the outcome of the Cuban missile crisis?

Answer 29

Cuba still well armed + communist but no missiles, Khrushchev improved his reputation and had kept Cuba as an useful ally, USA + USSR were more willing to prevent nuclear war

Question 30

What did both countries do to prevent nuclear war?

Answer 30

Nuclear test ban treaty signed by both in 1963 (agreeing not to test any more nuclear weapons)