The Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards
What does MAD stand for?
Mutually Assured Destruction
What does ABM stand for?
Anti-Ballistic Missile
What does MIRV stand for?
Multiple independently re-entry vehicle
When do the USA test their hydrogen bomb?
1952
When do the USSR build an ABM to protect Moscow?
1966
When do the USA develop ABM’s and MIRV’s?
1968
Which country sent the first man into space and when?
The USSR in 1961
Which country sent the first man to the moon and when?
The USA in 1962
In 1960 what did Eisenhower and Khruschev think about?
An arms reduction treaty
What interrupted the arms reduction treaty?
A US U2 spy plane was shot down over the USSR
What did Khrushchev say he wanted with the West?
‘Peaceful co-existence’
What is Guantanamo Bay?
A prison in Cuba for the US
When did the US help Cuba to win independence from spain?
1898
Who did the Americans help to become leader of America?
Batista
When did Batista come into power?
1934
What was Batista’s regime?
Corrupt and repressive
What did Cuba become for Americans?
A holiday destination for rich people
What kind of activities went on in Cuba?
Prostitution
Gambling
Drinking
Parts of Cuba fell under control of …
Mafia gangs
What campaign did Fidel Castro use to overthrow Batista?
Guerilla campaign
When did Fidel Castro overthrow Batista?
1959
Who led a small nationalist army?
Fidel Castro and Che Guevara
Did the US govt. like Castro, Che or the idea of the Cuban revolution?
No
What did the US impose on Cuba?
They stopped trade with Cuba in 1960
When did Cuba and Russia make a deal?
1960
What was the deal with Cuba and Russia?
Selling sugar to the USSR in exchange for military goods
What did America see Cuba as after the 1960 deal with Russia?
A threat
When did the Bay of Pigs happen?
14th - 16th April 1961
What was the Bay of Pigs? (4 Marks)
An attempted military takeover by the USA (1 mark)
Cuban exiles were to land at the Bay of Pigs (1 mark)
There was meant to be a popular uprising against Castro (1 mark)
But it failed as Castro was very popular and the Cuban armed forces were quite strong. (1 mark)
What was the outcome of The Bay of Pigs?
It was a disaster and president Kennedy was humiliated
What was the significance of the Bay of Pigs?
- The USA appeared as weak and resulted to desperate measures to try and get rid of Castro
- Khrushchev used this weakness to extend USSR influence with plans to put missiles in Cuba
What two ways did the CIA try to kill Castro?
Exploding cigar and Poisonous creams
When did the USSR publicly announce that it was supplying Cuba with arms?
May 1962
When Castro made a deal with Khrushchev in 1960 what did he become?
Communist
What year did the Hungarian uprising happen?
1956
What percentage of Cuba’s money comes from selling sugar related products?
80%
What is autonamy?
To be independent
When were missiles put into Italy and Turkey by the USA?
1962
When were missiles put into Cuba by the USSR?
1962
On the 14th October 1962 what does the USA’s U-2 spy plane find?
Missiles in Cuba from the USSR
When does Kennedy find out about the missiles found in Cuba by the U-2’s spy plane?
16th October 1962
What are Kennedy’s six options after finding about the USSR’s missiles in Cuba?
- Nuclear strike against Cuba
- Invade Cuba
- Negotiate with Khrushchev
- Go to the UN for help
- Have a blockade around Cuba
- Do nothing
What did Kennedy end up doing in response to the Russian missiles in Cuba?
He had a blockade
Instead of a blockade what did Kennedy call it?
A quarantine
Why did Kennedy call the blockade a quarantine?
Because a blockade is an act of war
What date did they start to search ships entering Cuba?
22nd October 1962
Who sent the first letter of negotiation?
Kennedy to Khrushchev
What did the first letter of negotiation say?
If you promise not to invade Cuba then we will withdraw missiles.
What did the second letter of negotiation say?
If you withdraw missiles from Turkey we will withdraw missiles from Cuba.
Who sent the second letter of negotiation?
Khrushchev
What were all these negotiations called?
The backchannel negotiations
When did the backchannel negotiations happen?
27th - 28th October
Did Dobrev agree to remove missiles?
Yes
Why did America think of the negotiations as a victory?
It was done in secret and it looked like the Soviet had backed down
What did Russia think of the negotiations?
That they were damaging
As a result of removing Missiles what happens to Khrushchev?
He loses power in 1964
What did the Chinese allies of the USSR think of the negotiations?
That it was cowardly and they wanted to be more independent from the USSR
What did the European allies of the USSR think of the negotiations?
They were shocked for not being consulted about the meetings
What did France do in response to the negotiations?
They pulled out of the UN and encouraged European countries to become more independent from America
Why was the result of the Cuban missile crisis a victory for the world?
It stopped a nuclear war from happening
What was the significance of the Cuban missile crisis? (3 Main things)
- It was the closest the world had ever been to a nuclear war
- Fighting didn’t solve the problem but diplomacy and compromise did
- It shows neither side was superior
