Topic 8: The Cuban Missile Crisis(MOCK STUFF ONLY)

Question 1

What is a Blockaid?

Answer 1

To stop anything getting into a specific area.

Question 2

Why did the USA blockaid Cuba?

Answer 2

This was to stop the Nuclear missile ships from getting to Cuba.

Question 3

What was Containment?

Answer 3

this was preventing the spread of communist forces.

Question 4

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 4

Money given to country’s to stop them from falling into the Russian Communist Regeam.

Question 5

Who was Batista?

Answer 5

Before the revolution in Cuba, he was the democratic leader and was very unpopular and corupt.

Question 6

Who was Castro?

Answer 6

After revolution, he was the communist leader in Cuba and was a lot more popular with the people. He began to forge links with the USSR.

Question 7

When was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 7

1961

Question 8

What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

Answer 8

The USA decided to do a pointless invasion of the Cuban soil in an attempt to force the Cuban to become democratic. The people who invaded where US prisoners however they were all killed which was an easy victory for castro

Question 9

What is a Blockaid?

Answer 9

This was when the Russians enclosed Berlin so that supplies chains etc. could no longer function. they would therefore have to give up West Berlin.

Question 10

In summery what was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Answer 10

This was when the Americans realized that there were communist owned missiles on Cuba so that a state of panic was declared. Because the missiles could be launched at any time, these missiles were given to Cuba from Russia.

Question 11

How did the USA respond to the Cuban Revolution?

Answer 11

The USA were first taken by suprise at first and decided to recognise Castro as the new leader of Cuba. However over a short space of time the relations between America and Cuba became worse and worse.

Question 12

What were the two reasons in which the relations between the USA and Cuba got worse?

Answer 12

• There were thousands of Cuban exiles in the USA who had fled from Castro’s rule. They formed powerful pressure groups demanding action against Castro.
• Castro took over some American owned businesses in Cuba, particularly in agriculture. He took there land and distributed it evenly with Cuba’s pesent population.

Question 13

Why did Khrushchev put nuclear missiles in Cuba - The Missile Gap?

Answer 13

• The Missile Gap, the USA had more long range missiles then the Russian and also had some based in Turkey (In rage of Moscow). Having atomic missiles in Cuba aids the Atomic Balance.
• The USSR had many more medium range missiles in Cuba because they were cheaper to build and develop.

Question 14

Why did Khrushchev put nuclear missiles in Cuba - strengthening position?

Answer 14

• Khrushchev hoped to strengthen his own position in the USSR by forcing Kennedy to allow the missiles or at least get Kennedy to give some concessions.
• He was able to use the missiles as a bargaining tool, to show that he was a key player in the game of politics.

Question 15

Why did Khrushchev put nuclear missiles in Cuba - Defending Cuba?

Answer 15

• Khrushchev was very anxious to defend Cuba. It was the only communist state in the western Hemisphere.
• What made it better was the fact that Cuba had willingly become communist and it was in ‘Uncle Sam’s Backyard’.

Question 16

Why did Khrushchev put nuclear missiles in Cuba - Spread communism?

Answer 16

• Khrushchev also did this to attempt to spread communism to poor parts of South America. Giving Cuba missiles almost showed that you could be ‘Part of the Club’.

Question 17

what was used to scare the Cuban forces?

Answer 17

A practice invasion was carried out on Cuba using 40,000 US marines.

Question 18

Why was Kennedy successful in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis - War?

Answer 18

• Kennedy did nothing that would be consider an act of war. He put the game back in USSR’s hands when he used the containment. The USSR would have to go through the blockaid which would be declaring an act of war, making them look like the bad guys.

Question 19

Why was Kennedy successful in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis - Overact?

Answer 19

• Kennedy did not overact and declare an act of war. This would have made the Americans look like the bad guys.

Question 20

Why was Kennedy successful in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis - The Truth?

Answer 20

• Kennedy did not tell the people what was really going on to avoid panic. Debatable the correct thing?

Question 21

Why was Kennedy successful in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis - Passive?

Answer 21

• Kennedy used passive resistance in order to look the USSR look bad and the Americans good. The USSR would be looked at as evil if they broke through the barricade.

Question 22

Why was Kennedy successful in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis - Calm?

Answer 22

• Kennedy remanded calm, popular and in control and was not persuaded by his advisers to launch an attack against the USSR and Cuba after a U-2 spy plane was shot down (an act of war)

Question 23

Why was Kennedy successful in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis - Decision?

Answer 23

• Kennedy was not persuaded by his advisers and took the correct decision to show passive resistance and blockaid Cuba.

Question 24

Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis - Kennedy?

Answer 24

• Managed to keep the Missiles in Turkey (for a while) while the missiles in Cuba were dismantled.
• Showed the superiority of Kennedy and the USA.
• Khrushchev was criticized in Russia for what had happened.

Question 25

Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis - Khrushchev?

Answer 25

• Shook the USA and the west with such a large threat on the doorstep.
• Communism stayed in the west.
• If it was not for Kennedy being calm would there have been a different outcome?
• Missiles where taken out of Turkey years later.