How safe was the world in 1960?
How effectively did the USA contain the spread of
Communism? Case Study 1: Cuba
Where is Cuba?
Background to Cuba
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
USA helped Cuba become independent from
Spanish rule in 1898.
The Americans had helped Batista come to power
and supported him. However because of his
increasing corrupt government they started to
support Castro.
In 1959 Fidel Castro overthrew Batista in and set up
a new pro-Communist government.
Clearly friendly relations between the USA and
Castro did not last long.
Castro blamed the USA for Cuba’s poverty.
From the summer of 1960 Castro was receiving
arms from the Soviet Union.
What could America do?
Discuss the pros and cons of each of these ideas with a partner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Wait and see what develops
Negotiate diplomatically with Castro
Show Castro who is boss by not buying
from him
Go straight in with American troops and get
rid of Castro
Initial Reactions from the USA
1.
2.
3.
USA stopped buying Cuban sugar in 1960
1961 banned all trade with Cuba
1961 broke off diplomatic relations
…..However, these all had the opposite effect
pushing Castro closer to the USSR.
The ‘Bay of Pigs’ Invasion
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President Eisenhower promised to help Cuban
refugees who wanted to get rid of Castro.
In 1961 President Kennedy replaced Eisenhower.
He was told of a CIA plan to invade Cuba and
overthrow Castro.
Kennedy allowed the plan to go ahead.
On 17th April 1961, supplied arms, equipment and
transport for 1400 anti-Castro exiles landed at the
Bay of Pigs in southern Cuba.
They were outnumbered by almost 300 to 1! Within
three days they were all dead or in prison. Kennedy
was furious.
Results of the ‘Bay of Pigs’
1.
2.
3.
The Cuban army had
defeated the invaders
so easily that Castro
became more popular.
Castro now saw the
USA as a very series
threat indeed and
asked Khrushchev for
help to defend Cuba.
Kennedy was
humiliated.
“ How could I have
been so far off base?
All my life I’ve known
better than to depend
on experts. How
could I have been so
stupid to let them go
ahead?”
This is what Kennedy
told a friend after the
Bay of Pigs disaster.
The truth is uncovered: the October Crisis.
On 14th October
1962, an American
U-2 spy plane flew
over Cuba and took
detailed pictures of
what the USA had
been dreading –
missile sites in
Cuba.
Why did Khrushchev want to place missiles on Cuba?
Why did Khrushchev offer to help?
After the Bay of Pigs invasion, Castro was worried about
further invasions. He asked for Khrushchev's help – and the
USSR promised to help Cuba with weapons.
Think why Khrushchev was only too willing to help!
Opportunity to redress the
‘failure’ over Berlin.
Would mean USSR had
weapons base within 90
miles of US eastern coast.
USSR nuclear weapon
deployment was far inferior
to USA.
Khrushchev knew that USA
had missiles in Turkey – he
wanted the equivalent.
Putting nuclear weapons on
Cuba would put pressure on
the USA.
US missiles in Turkey meant
USA had ‘total coverage’ of
USSR.
How did the Soviet Union help Cuba after 1961?
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After the Bay of Pigs disaster, Soviet arms flooded into
Cuba.
By July 1962 Cuba had the best equipped army in
Latin America.
By September it had thousands of Soviet missiles, plus
patrol boats, tanks, radar vans, missile erectors, jet
bombers, jet fighters and 5000 Soviet technicians
The USA watched with increasing alarm. Would the
Soviets turn Cuba into a nuclear weapons base?
On 11th September Kennedy warned the USSR that he
would prevent Cuba from becoming a nuclear missiles
base but Khrushchev assured him that they had no
intentions of doing this.
How dangerous were missiles on Cuba?
What could the USA do?
President Kennedy organized ExComm (the Executive
Committee). This was group of political and military advisors
including Robert Kennedy and Theodore Sorensen. They
debated what to do day and night for nearly seven days!
The wrong decision would lead
to nuclear war.
Kennedy’s Options
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Do nothing
Surgical air attack
Invasion
Diplomatic Pressures
Blockade
What did the USA do?
On 22 October, Kennedy announced a “strict quarantine on
all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba”. If
Soviet vessels did not stop, US ships had orders to fire.
Why do you think Kennedy took this decision?
At the same time, Kennedy ordered his forces to be ready
for war. The world had never been closer to nuclear
conflict.
Kennedy stated that if the blockade is ‘forced’, the USA will
be at war. The Soviet ships continued to sail towards Cuba.
The impact of the blockade
th
th
October
Radio
26th28
October
Khrushchev
th
th
23rd
26
14
27
14 October
22
24
Soviets
October
October
say
Khrushchev
spy
Kennedy
that
plane
they
Moscow
announces
sends
a letter to that
announces
receives
shot
are
calls
then
photographs
just
down
sends
anhelping
news
emergency
the
over
another
Blockade
that
show
Cuba.
Cuba
the
nuclear
weapons
Kennedy
sayingwould
he
meeting
Soviet
message
and
on
Kennedy
evidence
national
that
ships
ofsaying
the
the
decides
of
have
television
USA
Ex
missile
that
Comm
turned
was
tothe
bewould
removed.
In secret
withdraw
the
respond
tointerfering
USA
decide
bases
must
around
to how
on
the
in
withdraw
Cuba
first
Cuban
the letter
US
the USA
missiles
soagreed
long astothe
missiles
should
affairs
from
react
Turkey
remove
missiles
USA
promised
notinto
Turkey
invade
The impact of the crisis
Telephone hotline
set up in 1963.
Test-ban treaty
signed in 1963 –
ban on testing nuclear
weapons.
Both superpowers
realized how close
they had come to
nuclear war.
Turkey missile deal
remained secret
Cold War never became
as serious again. Despite
future tensions, there
was a major change in
attitude.
Impact of the
Cuban Missile
Crisis, 1962
Kennedy appeared to
have stood up to
communism – massive
public opinion boost.
Is this fair? Why
should Khrushchev
be praised?
Khrushchev came out of the
crisis badly – criticized both
for trying to place missiles in
Cuba, and also for giving into
the USA.
Consider the impact of the crisis. Arrange these statements
in order of importance.