Confrontation between the superpowers Flashcards
1
Q
Historical Background to Cuba pre-1959
A
- After period in exile Fidel Castro returned to Cuba in December 1956 with his brother, Raul Castro, Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and 79 supporters
- After a Guerrilla campaign 1 January 1959 Batista’s regime collapsed and Castro replaced him
2
Q
Early developments 1958-60
A
- May 1958 Richard Nixon had a goodwill visit to Latin America and that prompted the change in policy
- US created the Inter-American Development Bank
- Eisenhower ordered an embargo to Batista
- May 1959 Castro lead program which saw loads of American properties seized
- America imposed economic sanctions and reduced imports of sugar cane by 95%
- Castro had seized $1 billion worth of American assets
- 1961 US decided they had to remove Castro
3
Q
Which Soviet Visited Cuba and what was agreed
A
- Soviet First Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan visited Cuba February 1960
- Arranged $100 million in credits and tied Cuba into a economic and political relationship
- First shipment of crude oil from USSR arrived in April 1960 and US oil refused to refine it
4
Q
Bay of the Pigs Invasion
A
- Planned by Eisenhower but Kennedy inherited it
- Plan to land 1500 anti Castro exiles on Cuba and use military coup to remove him
- Unmitigated disaster and humiliation for Kennedy
- This proved Castro’s power in Cuba was strong and consolidated
5
Q
Operation Mongoose
A
- 30 October 1961 it aim was to overthrow Castro through use of Covert operations and facilitate and anti-Castro revolt
- Kennedy’s military advisers developed airstrike plan OPLAN 312 and land-based invasion OPLAN 314
- March 1962 Operation Kick start happened in the Caribbean
- Khrushchev’s defence minister Malinovsky Cuba could stand no more than a wekk so decided to deploy Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba
6
Q
Operation Anadyr
A
- Soviets supporting Castro politically, economically and militarily.
- Soviets provided fighter planes, bombers and 14,000 ground troops reaching between 1100 and 2800 km
- Chance that Khrushchev couldn’t have ignored
- Khrushchev hoped to develop a linkage strategy between Cuba and Berlin
- 42 Nuclear weapons placed on Cuba
7
Q
Day One Missile Crisis
A
Top secret meeting known as Excomm is formed to advise Kennedy
8
Q
Day 2
A
- More U-2 spy plane photos confirm the missiles are becoming operational
- Discussion of airstrike of blockade
9
Q
Day 3
A
- Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko meets Kennedy
- Gromyko denies that they are offensive weapons on Cuba
10
Q
Day 4
A
- Military leaders are pushing for an airstrike
- Kennedy leans towards a naval blockade
11
Q
Day 5
A
- Kennedy decides to impose a naval blockade around Cuba to stop more missiles arriving
- Plans announced to American people
12
Q
Day 6
A
- Final preparations for the blockade
- US military forces worldwide are on high alert
13
Q
Day 7
A
- Kennedy addresses the nation on TV
- The blockade is officially announced
- US places military forces on Defcon 3
14
Q
Day 8
A
- Soviet ships continue to Cuba
- Defcon 2 announced
15
Q
Day 9
A
- First Soviet ships approach blockade and some turn around to avoid confrontation
- Khrushchev refuses to remove the missile
16
Q
Day 10
A
- Adlai Stevenson confronts Soviets at UN crisis still remains at a standstill
17
Q
Day 11
A
- First letter from Khrushchev offering to remove the missiles if the US doesn’t invade Cuba
- Secret discussions begin
18
Q
Day 12 (Black Saturday)
A
- A US U-2 spy plane is shot down over Cuba and the pilot is killed
- A second and more demanding letter from Khrushchev demands the removal of US Jupiter missiles from Turkey too
19
Q
Day 13
A
- Khrushchev agrees to dismantle the missile sites in Cuba in exchange for:
- Public US promise to not invade Cuba
- To remove Jupiter missiles from Turkey later
20
Q
Significance of the Crisis
A
- 1963 Hot-line connecting the Kremlin and White House
- October 1963 Moscow Test Ban Treaty
- China and France continued to test nukes in atmosphere
- Treaty crucial for detente
- Cuba remained a communist state but meant that US containment had failed
- Paved the way for Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty 1968 and SALT agreements 1970s
