cuban crisis

• cuban revolution


  january 1959
• leader of cuba in 1950s

  fulgencio batista
• who overthrew batista

  fidel castro
• what did castro want

  wanted greater independence from america
• what did castro do

  took control of all cuban-located american property

  usa's worst nightmare
• how did usa respond to castro's actions in cuba

  responded by banning the import of cuban sugar

  which threatened to bankrupt the cuban economy

  usa was ware castro had some communist connections so refused to acknowledge castro's government
• what did castro do in response to usa's actions

  turned to the soviet union for help
• how did the soviet union support castro

  krushchev was very happy to have an ally close to american mainland

  offered to buy cuban sugar

  sent weapons to cuba at the end of 1959

  1960

  senior soviet diplomats visited castro
• what did the senior soviet diplomats think of castro

  1960

  castro = seen as 'beacon, a hopeful lighthouse for all unfortunate, exploited people of latin america'
• what did krushchev promise castro in 1960


  september 1960

  krushchev openly promised to send castro military assistance

  pushed cuban's leader more closely to soviet camp
• why did krushchev support cuba

  krushchev needed some successes to deflect criticisms of his failures within the ussr krushchev needed some successes to deflect criticisms of his failures within the ussr

  krushchev was sure he could out manoeuvre kennedy as he thought he was 'inexperienced'unable to re-unite berlin = krushchev keen to challenge usa over cuba
• bay of pigs


  april 1961
• what did the usa do due to soviet involvement in cuba

  usa broke off diplomatic relations with cuba

  january 1961
• what did eisenhower do regarding cuba

  before the end of his presidency

  eisenhower authorised a scheme under which cuban exiles living in usa would be trained in preparation for invasion of cuba

  kennedy accepted this scheme when he succeeded in january 1961
• who were the cuban exiles

  men who left cuba in 1959 when castro seized control from batista
• aim of the planned bay of the pigs invasion

  to remove castro
• what was the plan for the invasion

  fully equipped exiles would land in cuba

  would create a national uprising against castro
• budget for the bay of pigs invasion

  45 million dollars
• what were the exiles called and how many were there

  'la brigada 2506'

  trained by cia in florida and guatemala

  1500 men by completion of training
• 15th april 1961 cuba


  us planes bombed part of cuban airforce
• 16th april 1961 cuba

  usa planned 2nd wave of bombings but called it off

  remnants of cuban airforce were able to regroup and fight the next day
• 17th april cuba


  la brigada 2506 landed at bahia de cochinos

  encountered forces of 20,000 men from castro's army
• 19th april 1961 cuba

  fighting ended

  100 of la brigada killed

  1100 imprisoned
• december 1962 cuba


  la brigada prisoners released after 53 million dollars worth of food and medicines given to cuba by organisations and ordinary people of usa
• castro's support in cuba before the bay of pigs invasion

  castro was losing support before the invasion due to increasingly sever economic situation in cuba

  many cubans fled the country because of these problems

  seeking prosperous countries like the usa
• castro's support in cuba after the bay of pigs invasion

  castro had stronger support due to the failure of the invasion

  threat from the usa united the cuban people

  usa lost support in rest of latin america
• was the bay of pigs invasion a success

  no

  us-recruited cuban exiles were outnumbered by castro's army
• impact of failed bay of pigs invasion on usa

  it was a great embarrassment to kennedy which made him more determined to remove castro

  us involvement in bay of pigs pushed castro closer to the soviet union
• what did kennedy do after the bay of pigs invasion

  set up operation mongoose

  secret operations run by cia to remove castro
• what did castro declare politically by the end of 1961

  castro declared his conversion to communism

  began to draw closer to soviet union

  this greatly concerned kennedy
• what did the soviet union do in the end of 1961

  end of 1961

  soviet military advisers and combat units were stationed in cuba

  krushchev saw move to cuba as beginnings of spread of communism in latin america
• why did krushchev station soviet bases in cuba

  krushchev was concerned by us missile bases in italy and turkey

  thought soviet bases in cuba would restore the balance of power
• cuban missile crisis


  october 1962
• 13 days between kennedy seeing the photos of the soviet missile bases in cuba and soviet union dismantling them
• what did kennedy do after seeing the photographs of soviet missile bases in cuba

  kennedy set up a committee of 12 advisors
• what were the options open to the usa regarding cuba

  bomb cuba and the soviet union using nuclear missiles

  invade cuba

  use air strike to destroy missile bases

  blockade cuba

  do nothing
• what were the military decisions taken by the usa about cuba

  placed naval blockade (quarantine) around cuba to prevent soviet ships delivering military materials

  blockade to stretch 3,300km around cuba

  fleet of polaris submarines made ready for action

  156 icbms made ready for combat

  airforce bombers in air on patrol

  100,000s of soldiers placed on combat alert
• what did kennedy do about the blockade on 22nd october 1962

  22nd october 1962

  kennedy addressed us people about blockade in tv broadcast

  said that the us armed forced were prepared for actions
• what did kennedy inform krushchev about regarding the blockade

  22nd october 1962

  kennedy informed krushchev that soviet convoy approaching cuba would be stopped

  and that if any ship was found to carry offensive military equipment would not be permitted to pass the blockade and would have to return to the soviet union
• what happened to soviet troops approaching cuba during the blockade

  24th october 1962

  18 soviet troops approaching cuba turned around to avoid confrontation with us blockade

  kennedy demanded removal of all missiles and said failure to do so would result in invasion of cuba