cuban missile crisis

• tensions lay in cuban revolution of 1959 when castro overthrew 1952 us back dictator Batista
• castros alignment with USSR alarmed USA leading to escalating tensions
• 1961


  bay of pigs failure
• bay of pigs invasion 


  US invasion of cuba by 1500 cuban exiles opposed to castro
• consequences of bay of pigs

  strengthened castro ties with USSR and increased his reliance on their support

  soviet missiles installed in cuba
• oct 1962


  cuban missile crisis
• CMC began due to american U2 spy planes discovering soviet nuclear missiles being installed in cuba
• discovery of missiles led to 13 days of negotations/brinkmanship

  brought world to brink of nuclear war
• kennedys response to soviet missiles in cuba


  imposing naval blockade on cuba to prevent more soviet shipments of military equipment

  demand missiles removed
• khrushchev response to kennedys response


  initially refused led to tense standoff

  compromise reached after several days, agreed to remove missiles in exchange for US pledge not to invade cuba
• resolution effects


  superpowers realised devastating potential of nuclear war

  USSR recognised the necessity of managing rivalry to prevent conflict
• hotline set up 


  consequence of realisation of devastation nuclear war would cause
• where was the hotline


  between washington and moscow
• what did the hotline do


  allow immediate dialogue in future crisises
• what did CMC lead to 


  • hotline
  • arms control agreements eg nuclear nonproliferation treaty