7. US Foreign Policy Berlin, Korea and Cuba (Mutually Assured Destruction)

What threats did the Russian military bases have on the USA?

1000 mile range of attack on major US cities of Washington, NY, Denver and Salt Lake City

When was the CMC?

October 1962

What was believed to be the cause of the CMC?

Fidel Castro requested the missiles following the Bay of Pigs incident 18 months prior

What would later be discovered to be the cause?

Castro goaded Khrushchev and the Kremlin, saying they “lacked revolutionary spirit”

For how many days did Kennedy spend negotiating with the Kremlin?

13, ignoring the advice of his military advisors who wanted to attack Cuba directly

What was the consequence of negotiations?

Khrushchev agreed to remove all missiles from Cuba and have approaching war ships turn back or be searched by the US military

What did the USA agree on their side of the deal?

The US agreed to remove their missile bases in Turkey and Cuba

What else was established between the US and Russia as a result of the CMC

A nuclear “hotline”, as a 24/7 connection route between the White House and Moscow, the phone was brought everywhere by Kennedy (including to his Presidential visit to Ireland in 1963)