Cuban Missile Crisis

• What significant event is referred to as the Cuban Missile Crisis?

  The Cuban Missile Crisis refers to the 1962 confrontation between the USA and the Soviet Union over nuclear missiles in Cuba.
• In what year did the Cuban Missile Crisis occur?

  1962
• How did Cuba become a communist country?

  Cuba became communist in 1959 after a popular revolution.
• Why did the new Cuban government request nuclear missiles from the Soviet Union in 1962?

  The new Cuban government requested nuclear missiles to defend against a possible US invasion.
• What action did President Kennedy take in response to the request for missiles in Cuba?

  He ordered a naval blockade of the island to prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba.
• What were the outcomes of the tense negotiations during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

  The Soviet Union withdrew missiles from Cuba, and the USA secretly agreed to withdraw missiles from Turkey.
• How is the Cuban Missile Crisis often characterized in terms of global conflict?

  It is often seen as the closest the world came to nuclear war.
• What were the key agreements made after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

  • Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in the early 1960s
  • Non-proliferation Treaty in 1969 limiting nuclear know-how
  • SALT I in the 1970s limiting the number of missiles and types of weaponry
• What was the purpose of the Non-proliferation Treaty signed in 1969?

  It aimed to limit nuclear know-how to existing nuclear powers to prevent widespread access to nuclear weapons.
• What was the focus of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) in the 1970s?

  SALT I focused on limiting the number of missiles and types of weaponry each superpower could possess.
• What was the significance of the Helsinki Accords signed in 1975?

  • Addressed unresolved issues from World War II
  • Marked a continuation of the era of détente
  • Involved cooperation between superpowers