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?