Cuban Missile Crisis

• Cuba


  • Largest Caribbean island
  • Situated 90 miles from Florida
  • US saw the American continent as there "sphere of influence"
• Communist revolution in Cuba

  • Pro-US dictator-Gen. Batista was overthrown in 1959 and replaced by Castro
  • Castro nationalised industries, banks, and land reforms
  • In 1961 Castro announced he was communist
• How Cuba established trade agreements with the USSR

  1. In 1960- USA stopped agreement to buy Cuba's sugar exports

  2. In 1961-USA broke off all diplomatic relations and trade links

  3. Cuba was previously dependent on USA so now they turned to USSR for support-esp for sugar and machinery
• Bay of Pigs disaster

  • April 1961
  • CIA and 1400 Cuban exiles organized an invasion to overthrow Castro
  • Most rebels were captured or killed
  • Made Catro a national hero and embarrassed JFK
  • Believed to be 600 attempts to assassinate Castro
• How Khrushchev consolidated the Cuban alliance with military aid and weapons

  1. In 1962 the USSR agreed to supply Cuba with weapons to protect it from future US invasion

  2. 1000s of guns, patrol boats, tanks, and fighter jets, and 4200 Russian soldiers were sent to Cuba

  3. In 1962-Kennedy was concerned regarding "missile gaps" and American/Nato bases in Turkey

  4. USSR sent technicians to secretly build silos, missile erectors and install 43 short and medium nuked by September 1962 which the USA was unaware of
• Cuban Missile Crisis


  • October 14th
  • October 14th-27th of October
• Brinkmanship


  Trying to get what you want by pushing your country towards the brink of war
• Events of the Cuban Missile Crisis


  1. US Spy Plane takes photo's confirming missile sites on the island of Cuba

  2. October 22nd - Congressional Leaders shown photographic evidence of missile bases

  3. The president addresses the nation about the crisis

  4. A security committee known as EXCOMM is set up
• Options Kennedy had


  • An invasion of Cuba
  • A naval blockade of Cuba
  • Air attacks on the missile bases
  • Nuclear Attack on Cuba
  • Allowing missile bases to be erected
• US military goes DEFCON 3

  October 22nd
• Option Kennedy chose


  Naval Blockade
• Events of the Cuban Missile Crisis continued

  1. October 23rd - Kennedy receives telegram from Khruschev

  2. October 24th - Soviet ships en route to Cuba reverse their course except for one, US military forces go DEFCON 2, Naval Blockade began, Plans for American Invasion drawn up

  3. October 25th

  4. October 26th

  5. October 27th
• What Khrushchev's telegram from October 27th said: 'The USSR would only remove its missiles if the USA removed theirs from Turkey'
• What Kennedy does on the 27th

  1. Kennedy sends telegram to Khrushchev placing blame on USSR for crisis

  2. Kennedy says he will make a public statement denying future Cuban invasion if the USSR removed their missiles

  3. He responds that if he didn't receive a reply by the 29th an invasion would begin
• Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis

  • Nuclear War avoided
  • Publically looked like a win for Kennedy. His agreement to remove Turkey's missiles was private
  • Castro remained in power
  • A direct Phone line (Hotline) was developed between WH and the Kremlin
  • A Partial Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1963 banning nuclear testing except underground