The cuban missile crisis, 1962
- American's supported a corrupt regime under Fulgencio Batista until the Cuban revolution in 1959
- Fidel Castro took over
- Alligned with the Soviets
- The Bay of Pigs (Failed invasion of Cuba)
- 1962 Soviets begin to put Nuclear weapons into Cuba (Noticed by U2 spy planes)
The US had three options:
- Diplomatic solutions (negotiated settlement)
- A conventional attack (air attack followed by invasion)
- A naval blockade
- Robert Kennedy, attorney general, convinced Security Council to go with Blockade
- Ships turn around at the quarantine
- 2 letters sent from Krushchev to Kennedy
- Brinkmanship ensues (U.N. gets involved)
- Russians pull out of Cuba in exchange for a removal of missiles in Turkey at a later date
- Directly resulted in the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1962
- Created the Hot line
Interesting Fact
One Soviet officer’s reluctance saved the world from nuclear war
Quote
"We went eyeball to eyeball and I thik the other fellow just blinked."
-Dean Rusk
-Dean Rusk
Subjunctive Question
Would the Cuban Missile Crisis have led to WWIII?
Summary
After Cuban Revolution in 1959 Ridel Castro took over from American supported Fulgencio Batista. He alligned with the Soveits which made both American government and the rich mobs in Cuba very angry because Cuba then became a communist state. Kennedy and the mobs made a plan to invade the Bay of Bigs, Kennedy said he would support them with aircraft, however, he pulled out at the last minute, resulting in many being killed or taken prisioner. By 1962 the Soviets started to put nuclear weapons into Cuba which was noticed by U2 spy planes. The US had three options; 1- come to a negotiated settlement, 2- attack (air followed by invasion) and 3- a naval blockade. The naval blockade was JFK's bothers idea, Robert Kennedy. The Americans made a line of ships loaded with nuclear weapons across the ocean. The Soviets came very close to attack, however, at the last minute they turned around. Two letter were sent between Krushchev and Kennedy. They came to an agreement that the Russians would pull out of Cuba in exchange for a removal of missiles in Turkey at a later date so that Kennedy did not look weak. This resulted in the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1962 and the Hot line.