Cuban Missile Crisis

• How far away was Cuba from the USA?

  90 miles.
• What happened to Cuba in 1959?


  A rebellion overthrowing the pro-american government.
• Who took over from Batista?


  Castro.
• What did Cuba do after America banned imports of Cuban sugar?

  Asked USSR for money.
• Who became president in 1961?


  Kennedy.
• Who wanted to destroy Castro's government?

  Kennedy and the CIA.
• BAY OF PIGS- What did they plan to do?

  To make it look like a Cuban revolt, use of Cuban exiles. Disguise USA planes.
• What were the Cuban exiles called?


  La Brigada.
• Why was it a failure?

  • Castro knew about the plan.
  • First bomb missed.
  • Second bomb was called off.
  • Castro sunk the ships they came on.
• How many USA soldiers were there compared to Castro's?

  1,400 --> 20,000
• How did this effect relations?

  • Made communism seem stronger. (Castro getting rid of them + better relationship with Khrushchev.)
  • Castro declared conversion to communism and USSR provided military protection (missiles.)
• Why was the USA panicked? 


  A spy plane photographed missile sites in Cuba.
• What day did both superpowers began preparing for attacks?

  25th October.
• Why were they preparing for attacks?

  Because Kennedy ordered a blockade around Cuba and Khrushchev threatened that he would ignore it.
• What was Khrushchev's offer to Kennedy? + what day?

  Remove the USA missiles in Turkey and USSR will remove theirs. 27th October.
• Why did Khrushchev look weak?

  The removal of the missiles in Turkey was kept a secret making it look like only they backed down.
• What does MAD stand for?


  Mutually Assured Destruction.
• What does MAD mean?


  That both countries had reasons to avoid war as both were equal and both had the power to destroy each other.
• What did the superpowers install in order to try to keep detente?

  A hotline between USA and USSR.