Increased tension: the Cuban missile crisis

The Cuban revolution

• USA controlled Cuba's industry, railways and electricity production

• Cuba ruled by unpopular and repressive dictator - Batista

• 1959: Batista overthrown by Fidel Castro who was a communist

• Castro removes US capitalist companies

US response to Cuban revolution

• US imposed trade embargo’s on Cuban goods

• This threatened to bankrupt the Cuban economy

The Bay of Pigs

• Eisenhower authorises scheme where Cuban exiles would be trained to invade Cuba

• 1961 = US bombs part of Cuba's airforce

• Exiles land at bay of pigs and are met with force of 20,000 men from Castro's army

• 100 exiles were killed and 1100 imprisoned

Bay of Pigs consequences

• Exiles released after $53 million worth of food and medicine given to Cuba

• Humiliation for US

• Castro pushed closer to Soviet Union

Cuban missile crisis: causes

• USSR sends missiles to Cuba

• In response, America places a naval blockade or quarantine around Cuba to stop Soviet ships

• USSR ships turn back

• US spy planes report building work at missile launch sites on Cuba

• Khrushchev agrees to remove launch sites if USA lift blockade, promise not to invade Cuba and remove missiles from Turkey

Cuban missile crisis: consequences

• Both sides consider themselves victorious

• Hotline set up between Washington and Moscow

• Led to 1963 test ban treaty, the Outer Space treaty and the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty

• Created willingness to work together

The Treaty’s

• Test ban (1963) = banned testing of nuclear weapons in space, underwater and in the atmosphere

• Outer space (1967) = agreed not to use space for military purposes

• Nuclear non-proliferation (1968) = promise not to share nuclear technology with other countries