The Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Revolution

Cuba, an island nation in the Caribbean, had won its independence from Spain in 1898. The US, however, supported corrupt dictators in Cuba for the next 50 years because they were friendly to the United States. In the 1950s, a former lawyer named Fidel Castro led a revolution against the government of Cuba. The leader of Cuba at that time, Fulgencio Batista, had been elected president of the country in the 1940s, but had become a dictator shortly after. Castro and many other Cubans felt that Batista’s government was corrupt. When Castro successfully removed Batista from power, Castro became the leader of Cuba and set up a Communist government inspired by the philosophies of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

Having a Communist government on an island only 90 miles away from the United States was a major problem for the United States. It was the Cold War, and the US didn’t want a potential enemy so close. President John Kennedy authorized the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to train a Cubans who had fled the country during the Cuban Revolution to try to attack Cuba and remove Castro. This was called the Bay of Pigs invasion, and it was a complete disaster for the US.

In response to this, Fidel Castro turned to the Soviet Union for money and support, which it gave. The USSR became a supporter and ally of Cuba because of their communist governments and because Cuba was so close to the United States. The Soviet Union now had an ally only 90 miles away from the US. This was the first time Communism had spread in the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War had begun in 1945.

The Cuban Missile CrisisIn 1962, photos taken from a US spy plane showed missile silos being

built in Cuba. This meant the Soviet Union was going to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, but they were not there yet. This was a severe and immediate threat to the United States and was the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis – The two-week standoff between the US and Soviet Union over nuclear Missiles being sent to Cuba. The Cuban Missile Crisis might have been the closest the US and Soviet Union ever came to attacking each other during the Cold War leading to the Mutually Assured Destruction of both countries and much of the rest of the world.

President Kennedy knew he could never allow the missiles to reach Cuba. In a nationally televised address to the world, President Kennedy demanded the Soviet ships carrying the missiles turn around and go back to the Soviet Union. He ordered the US Navy to set up a blockade around Cuba, which blocked any ship from getting in or out of Cuba. This would prevent any ships that might be carrying nuclear missiles from reaching Cuba. For the next two weeks, the world waited to see if the Soviet Union would back down or attack the US.

Many people in the US were urging President Kennedy to strike first - invade Cuba and destroy the missile silos. Many generals in the Soviet Union were urging Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to strike first as well. After days of intense secret negotiations, the Soviet Union backed down after the US agreed to remove missiles from a site near the USSR. The Cuban Missile Crisis was over.

Name: April 29th, 2015 Period

The Cold War Research LogUnit 10

Essential Question #5: How did Cold War tensions lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Sub-Questions: (1) How was Cuba influenced by the US before the Cuban Revolution? (2) Who led the Cuban Revolution against Batista? (3) Why did the US try to remove Fidel Castro from power? (4) Why did Cuba turn to the Soviet Union for aide? (5) What was the Cuban Missile Crisis? (6) Explain why Soviet missiles in Cuba was a crisis for the US. (7) Why did the United States place a naval blockade around Cuba? (8) How did the Cuban Missile Crisis end? (9) What do you think would have happened if the US or Soviet Union had not backed down during the Cuban Missile Crisis? (10) How do you think you would have felt if you lived in the US, Cuba, or the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Define Terms

Cuban Revolution –

Blockade –

Bay of Pigs Invasion - Answer the essential question: How did Cold War tensions lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Essential Question #5 – Extra Notes

Documents

The threat of nuclear war was obvious in the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962. This excerpt, from President Kennedy’s speech to the American people, explains the U.S. position.

1. What does Kennedy say nuclear weapons on Cuba represent for the American people?

2. What does Kennedy say must be the goal of America regarding Cuba and nuclear weapons?

3. Who does Kennedy blame for the threat of nuclear war?

“We have unmistakable evidence that a series of offensive missile sites is now being built on that island. Cuba has been made into an important strategic base by the presence of these long-range offensive weapons of sudden mass destruction. This is an open threat to the peace and security of all the Americas. Our objective must be to prevent the use of these missiles against this or any other country. We must secure their withdrawal from the Western Hemisphere. I call upon Chairman Khrushchev to halt and eliminate this secret and reckless threat to world peace.”

John F. Kennedy Speech to the Nation, 1962

4. Which US cities were in danger if the USSR had short-range missiles in Cuba?

5. Which US cities were in danger if the USSR had long-range missiles in Cuba?

6. What do you think would have happened to the US if the USSR managed to launch several long-range nuclear missiles from Cuba in 1962?

7. Based on this map, do you think President Kennedy was justified in forcing the USSR to remove the weapons from Cuba?

8. What did this speaker hope to be the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis? Why?

9. According to the speaker, what was the result of the crisis for people living in Warsaw Pact countries like Poland?

“I remember [the Cuban Missile Crisis] vividly. I lived in communist Soviet-dominated Poland at the time and I remember hoping that US would blow the Soviet Union to smithereens and we would be finally free. I remember that my parents and grandparents shared my sentiment. Unfortunately nothing happened and we had to suffer under communism much longer.”Source: Mirek Kondracki, memories, BBC Talking Point, October 29, 2002

After Kennedy ordered a quarantine of all offensive military equipment sent in to Cuba, Soviet Premier Khrushchev responded with this message:

10. According to Khrushchev, why did the USSR put nuclear weapons on Cuba?

11. Why does Khrushchev say the weapons can now be removed?

Cuban Missile Crisis Political Cartoon

Soviet Premier Khrushchev – US President John F. Kennedy

1. What are President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev doing in this image?

2. What are Kennedy and Khrushchev sitting on in this image?

“Mr. President, the Soviet government decided to help Cuba with means of defense against outside attack. These weapons were only meant for defensive purposes. We have supplied them to prevent aggression against Cuba. With respect and confidence I accept the statement you set forth in your message of October 27, 1962. You said then that Cuba will not be attacked or invaded by any country in the Western Hemisphere. We have given the order to discontinue building the installations. We shall dismantle them and withdraw them to the Soviet Union.”

-Soviet Premier KhrushchevResponse to Kennedy, 1962

3. What message is the author of this political cartoon trying make about the Cuban Missile Crisis?