History - Cuba Missile Crisis

• Who was Fidel Castro's ally during his revolution against Batista? Che Guevara
• who ruled Cuba from 1952-59?

  General Batista
• Why did USA support Batista? (4)

  - He was against communism

  - USA had a naval base there (Guantanamo Bay)

  - Economic interests e.g sugar and tobacco exports

  - Business interests e.g casinos, clubs
• When did Castro overthrow Batista?

  1959
• who did Castro collaborate with to overthrow Batista

  Che
• How was Castro able to overthrow Batista (3)

  - he had a three year campaign

  - he used Guerilla fighting, working his way through the - mountains, while fighting off poorly trained army members

  - eventually Batista fled on NYE 1958 with 180 associates $300 million
• How did Castro become popular (3)

  through his speeches and propaganda, interviews with American reporters, supporting the people rather than just the rich
• How did the USA initially react to Castro's rise to power?

  they thought of him as a young rebel, not much of a threat
• Why did USA begin to think of Castro as more of a threat

  - he was communist, he could be influenced by USSR and Kruschev and become a satellite state
• what actions did Castro take that alarmed America (5)

  1. Castro negotiated with USSR and other communist countries

  2. The USAS exploitive businesses were shut down

  3. 90% supported Castro in Cuba

  4. Imported weapons from Russia

  5. Nationalising industry
• when did JFK take over as president after Eisenhower


  January 1961
• when was the Bay of Pigs invasion

  17th April 1961
• Name three reasons for the failure of the Bay of Pigs

  1. they were poorly trained and equipped

  2. they were outnumbered almost 300 to one

  3. they thought other Cubans would join them (they did not)
• what were the consequences of the Bay of Pigs

  -USA humiliated

  -Cuba now thought of USA as a threat

  -increased popularity of communism/Castro

  -Castro turned to Kruschev for more weaponry
• What happened in Cuba after the Bay of Pigs invasion

  in 1962, USSR announced that they were supplying Cuba with arms
• how did JFK respond to USSR supplying Cuba with arms

  on the 11th September 1962, JFK warned the USSR that they would prevent "by any means necessary" Cuba becoming an offensive military base
• how did the USSR respond to JFK's warning about Cuba becoming a military base


  the USSR assured the USA that they had it had no need or intentions to put nuclear missiles on Cuba
• what did American aerial pictures taken by spy planes reveal

  on Sunday 14 October 1962, American planes found that the USSR had built numerous missile bases in Cuba. Experts said that the most developed of these sites could be ready to launch missiles in just a week.
• What options did Kennedy have? (5)


  1. No action - the USA had stronger weaponry, however this would make the USA more vulnerable

  2. Launch an air attack - act of defense, but still an act of aggression to Castro and Kruschev

  3. Use the UN to intervene - avoids conflict, takes time that USA does not have

  4. Quarantine Cuba - not aggressive but strong, creates a naval showdown between USSR and USA

  5. invade Cuba - solves the problem, causes a fat war with USSR
• What did Kennedy end up doing

  quarantining cuba
• when did Kennedy announce the blockade

  Monday 22nd October 1962
• What and when did Kruschev respond to the blockade announcement

  - 23rd October

  - declared that the missile sites were only to defend Cuba against the act of an aggressor
• what did the USSR do on 24th October

  20 Russian ships headed for Cuba after being told to ignore the blockade. The ships are supported by nuclear submarines
• when does Kennedy first raise the threat level to DEF CON 2 and why

  25th October 1962

  The first Russian ship reaches the blockade and is allowed through because it is an oil ship. Other ships turn back at the last second of the confrontation.
• what did the US government propose in secret after the naval confrontation

  the idea of removing the missiles in Turkey in exchange for those in Cuba
• what happens on 26th October that stops the outbreak of war


  Kennedy recieves a fax from Kruschev offering to dismantle the missile sites if Kennedy lifts the blockade and promises not to invade Cuba
• when was the second Soviet fax sent and what did it state

  27th October

  demanded that JFK dismantles US missile bases in Turkey in return for Soviet dismantling of Cuban sites
• What act of war did USSR commit that was overlooked

  shot down a US spy plane over Cuba
• when did JFK send a fax in response and what did this fax state

  27th October

  offering that if USSR dismantles the missile bases in Cuba, America will lift the blockade and promise not to invade Cuba, as well as 'considering' the removal of missiles in Turkey
• what happened on 28th October


  Kruschev accepted the deal
• what happened on 20th November


  Russian bombers left Cuba, Kennedy lifted the blockade and secretly agreed to dismantling missiles in Turkey
• what are some explanations as to why the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles on Cuba (6)

  - bargain with the USA

  - test the USA

  - trap the USA

  - close the missile gap

  - defend Cuba

  - strengthen Kruschev's position in the USSR
• What was the secret deal between Kennedy and Kruschev and when did it come into effect

  Kennedy promised to remove missiles from Europe if Kruschev removed Soviet ones from Cuba. It came into effect in April 1963