The Cuban Missile Crisis

• Who agreed to help Castro and began to build nuclear missile sites in Cuba?

  Khrushchev
• What was Khrushchev's plan regarding nuclear missiles in Cuba?


  He planned to put nuclear missiles in Cuba
• When did Cuba ask the USSR for weapons?


  September 1961
• Why did Cuba request weapons from the USSR?


  To defend itself against further intervention
• By when had Khrushchev decided to put nuclear missiles in Cuba?


  By July 1962
• What was the strategic significance of the missiles in Cuba for Khrushchev?


  They could reach the eastern USA and allow a nuclear attack on central and eastern USA
• What did American U2 spy planes discover in October 1962?


  Nuclear missile bases being built in Cuba
• What actions did President Kennedy take in response to the discovery of missile bases in Cuba?


  He demanded a blockade and ordered all Soviet ships to be stopped
• What preparations did the USA make as tensions grew during the crisis?


  US bombers were put in the air carrying nuclear bombs
• What date did Khrushchev decide to dismantle the missile bases in Cuba?


  27th October 1962
• What were the terms of the agreement after Khrushchev dismantled the missile bases?


  The USA lifted the blockade and promised not to invade Cuba
• What secret agreement did the USA make in exchange for dismantling the missile bases?


  To remove their missiles from Turkey
• How did the Cuban Missile Crisis alter the course of the Cold War?


  It forced powers to recognize the potential for catastrophe and improve communication
• What measures were taken to defuse tensions after the Cuban Missile Crisis?


  • Establishment of a telephone 'hotline' between Washington and Moscow in 1963
  • Removal of all nuclear missiles from Cuba and Turkey by April 1963
• What was established in 1963 to improve communication between the USA and USSR?


  A telephone 'hotline'
• What treaty was signed in 1963 to control nuclear weapons testing?


  The Limited Test Ban Treaty
• What did the Limited Test Ban Treaty state?


  All future tests of nuclear weapons had to be carried out underground
• What treaty was drawn up in 1967 regarding weapons in space?


  The Outer Space Treaty
• What did the Outer Space Treaty forbid?


  Placing weapons of mass destruction in space
• When did the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty come into force?


  1970
• What did the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty encourage?


  Nuclear disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear technology
• What was the public perception of Khrushchev after the Cuban Missile Crisis?


  He was discredited and seen as having failed
• What was one outcome for Kennedy after the Cuban Missile Crisis?


  He emerged as a hero
• What was the significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis in terms of nuclear weapons?


  It prompted new measures to control the buildup of nuclear weapons
• What was the main lesson learned from the Cuban Missile Crisis?


  How quickly a tense situation could become catastrophic
• What was the impact of the Cuban Missile Crisis on US-Soviet relations?


  It led to efforts to improve communication and reduce tensions