cuban missile crisis

what happened on tuesday 16 october

kennedy was informed of the missile build uo

saturday 20 october

kennady decided on a blockade on cuba

monday 22 october

Kennedy announced the blockade to the nation and called on soviets for the removal of missiles.

tuesday 23 october

kennedy recieved a letter from krushchev saying soviet ships wont observe blockad.

doesn’t admit to presence of nuclear missiles

wednesday 24 october

the blockade began

a soviet ship accompanied by a submarine approached the blockade zone then turned around

same with 20 other ships they either stopped or turned aorund

thursday 25

despite USSR ships turning around ariel photos showed work on missile bases proceeding rapidly.

friday 26

kennedy received a letter from Krushchev saying the missiles were defensive

this was the first time the Soviets acknowledged the presence of missiles in Cuba.

saturday 27

Kennedy received a second letter from Khrushchev, proposing a deal to remove the missiles from Cuba if USA removed the missiles from Turkey

a US plane was shot down over Cuba

Kennedy was advised to attack Cuba but he delayed the attack and said fi USSR didn’t withdraw missiles an attack would follow.

sunday 28

Khrushchev decided to dismantle the arms in Cuba and ship them back to USSR

why did Khrushchev put missiles in cuba in 1962

to bargain with the USA

to test the USA

to close the missile gap

to defend Cuba

to strengthen his position in USSR

success for USA

resisted hard lines in his own government wanting US to invade Cuba

Khrushchev was forced to back down and remove missiles. USSR felt humiliated

USSR still lagged in the arms race

Khrushchev in 1964 was forced out of power

nuclear missiles removed from Cuba

success for USSR

got USA to remove missiles from Turkey

kennedy had to accept Cuba would remain a communist state in USA’s backyard

Cuba was a valuable ally and was useful to support communists in south america

USA critisised by own allies (eg. British newspaper)

Cuba stayed communist and highly armed and in close proximity to US

Castro kept control of American companies and economic resources he nationalised during his revolution

Khrushchev was portrayed as a peace maker

Cuba was safe from attack

success for both

both reputations improved in their own country

got each other to remove missiles

both more prepared to reduce risk of nuclear war

• permanent hotline phone link

• 1963 nuclear test ban treaty (limited test)