cuban missile crisis

• • 14th october 1962, U-2 spy plane took pictures of launch pads for ballistic missiles & informed kennedy that soviet ships was sailing to cuba presumably with missiles
• • khrushchev told kennedy he wouldnt put nuclear weapons on cuba... so why?

  1. NATO had missiles in turkey, close to USSR; khrushchev believed it was time for US to feel what it was like to be under threat
  2. building of berlin wall was portrayed as a failure for khrushchev_ if he could outwit kennedy over cuba, it could resotre his prestige
  3. khrushchev wanted to put missiles in cuba because he feared another american attack_ if americns overthrew castro, this would be seen as another defeat for communism
• | thirteen days, 16-28 october 1962

  • 16 october, kennedy called an ExComm to discuss how US should react
  • met every single day for 13 days
• | thirteen days, 16-28 october 1962

  • 22 october: kennedy decided not to launch an attack but a naval blockade around cuba
  • no ships would be allowed to pass through without US permission
  • many americans expected USSR to ignore the blockade & kennedy prepared 54 bombers
• | thirteen days, 16-28 october 1962

  • 24 october: USSR ships reached blockade and turned around
• | confrontation → agreement

  • USSR not breaking through blockade meant direct confrontation had been avoided but USSR still had missile sites in cuba & US wanted them removed
• | confrontation → agreement

  • 26 october: khrushchev sent kennedy telegram offering to remove missiles from cuba if US agreed not to invade
• | confrontation → agreement

  • 27 october: khrushchev would remove missiles if US removed missiles in turkey
  • U-2 spy plane was shot down over cuba & hawks wanted war.. kennedy did not!
• | confrontation → agreement

  • kennedy ignored the second telegram & agreed to not invade cuba
• | confrontation → agreement

  • 28 october: khrushchev agreed!
• • kennedy's brother had met USSR ambassador in washington & agreed to remove turkish missiles but it was kept a secret
• | consequences of the cuban missile crisis

  • june 1963: 'hotline' made between washington & moscow
  • august 1963: test ban treaty signed by big 3 to prohibit testing of nuclear weapons in space, underwater or in atmosphere
  • 1967: outer space treaty signed to not use space for military purposes
  • 1968: nuclear non-proliferation treaty to stop spread of nuclear weapons
• | consequences of cuban missile crisis

  • actually led to world being safer
  • change in relations between kennedy & khrushchev
  • kennedy shown himself to be a strong leader by standing upp to khrushchev, hawks & his own government
  • popularity increased significantly
  • khrushchev's unpopularity led to his dismissal in 1964