C.M.C

• Fidel Castro became communist in 1961 and was popular amongst the Cuban people
• The Cuban Missile Crisis was probably the nearest the two superpowers came to war
• Trade started to decline between the US and Cuba
• Cuba and the USSR agreed to trade oil and sugar for machinery
• Cuba and the USSR became allies in 1961
• Fidel Castro was the leader of Cuba
• Fidel Castro wanted to nationalize industries which upset many Americans
• The Bay of Pigs disaster made JFK look young and inexperienced
• JFK blamed himself and was highly angry
• 1,500 invaders landed at the Bay of Pigs
• The Bay of Pigs disaster made Castro look heroic and gave him genuine national support in Cuba and international prestige, especially with the Soviets
• The USSR sent equipment required to create a nuclear missile base in Cuba
• The main problem was the bad military intelligence available to the invaders
• USA air forces began to fly over Cuba
• JFK approved the invasion but it went terribly wrong
• The Bay of Pigs disaster occurred in 1961
• Castro was deeply concerned with the USA's plans to overthrow him, which led him to turn to the USSR more and more
• JFK blamed the military and was very suspicious of their motives
• Missiles arrived in Cuba in August 1962
• Evidence from the U2 spy planes suggested that the missile sites in Cuba were near completion
• Nuclear missiles in Cuba meant that the USSR would have a range of every major city in the U.S. except for New Orleans
• The USSR condemned the USA on October 23, 1962
• Soviet ships were on route to Cuba with further supplies
• The USA began to dismantle some missiles across Europe
• The Ex-Comm Committee of the National Security Council advised JFK to provide the crisis
• After 13 days, nuclear war had been avoided
• JFK received a telegram from Chris Jeff stating that the USSR would remove the missiles if the USA agreed to end the blockade and not invade Cuba
• A U2 spy plane violated Soviet airspace
• JFK agreed to remove the blockade and to invade Cuba in return for the Soviets to remove the missiles from Cuba
• Both sides agreed that a confrontation in the future should be avoided
• If Khrushchev didn't reply by October 29, the USA would invade Cuba
• Castro remained the leader of Cuba
• JFK was determined to stand firm against the threat of the USSR
• JFK decided on a naval blockade of Cuba on October 22, 1962
• The US intelligence service found proof of the missile bases by October 14, 1962
• The US naval blockade began on October 24, 1962
• The CIA told JFK they were planning to invade Cuba with Cuban exiles
• A background of advisors recommended an airstrike
• A second telegram arrived for Chris Jeff stating that the USSR would only remove its missiles from Cuba if the USA removed its missiles from Turkey
• The Partial Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1963