the cuban missile crisis
Post on 19-Mar-2016
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THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
Lobj: to consider how close the world came to war in the 1960’s
CUBA• 160 kilometres off the coast of Florida
• Before 1959 –a poor country controlled by big American businesses led by Batista
• Batista was cruel and was kicked out of power by Fidel Castro
• Castro nationalised all industries & made alliances with the USSR
• The USA now had an enemy on its doorstep
The Bay of Pigs 1961
• The CIA persuaded President Kennedy that Castro could be overthrown
• The rebels (Batista) landed on Cuba’s south coast
• The attack was a disaster
• The locals supported Castro & Kennedy was massively embarrassed
THE USSR ARMS CUBA• Dec 1961 – Castro declared himself a Communist
• This convinced the USA that Cuba was a satellite state of the USSR
• USA launched “operation Mongoose” aim to disrupt the Cuban Govt – destroy bridges, power plants, oil refineries
• Even consider blowing up a US plane – blaming Cuba & invading
• Cuba depended on USSR for help
• Sept 1962 – medium range nuclear weapons and bomber planes arrived in Cuba
• 14 Oct – US spy planes photographed Soviet launched pads in Cuba
• Photo proved these missiles were offensive not defensive
• Missiles had a range of 4000km – meant every US city could be destroyed
• More ships carrying missiles were on their way from USSR = CRISIS
• JFK became President because he promised he would be tough on the Communists
• By placing missiles in Cuba – the Soviets were testing how strong he was and how far he was prepared to go
• USA was based in Turkey – next to USSR• Khrushchev believed he was doing something
similar
NAVAL BLOCKADE• Place boats around Cuba to stop Soviet missiles getting
there
• If this did not succeed JFK was prepared to use options 5 & 6
• 24th October 1962 – Soviet ships encountered US ones
• If USSR defied the blockade there could have been war – Khrushchev ordered the ships to return home
RESULTS OF THE CRISIS
• Gave the world a shock – on the brink of nuclear war!
• Both the USA & USSR claimed victory
• REALITY – Khrushchev was the victor - Cuba stayed Communist & the Turkish missiles were gone
• July 1963 – a ‘hot line’ (phone link) was established between Moscow & Washington
What is happening? Who is winning?
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