History 12
Ms Leslie
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USA
Large military – 12.5 million
Navy Larger then UK’s
Huge air force with nuclear weapons
Only nuclear country until 1949
Booming economy after war
USSR
- devastated economically by war
- Stalin enforced internal discipline
- Suspected anyone in contact with
foreigners – shot returning POWs
- Cut down the army in size
- Increased censorship
- Satellite states
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1.
Ideological differences
a. Fear and suspicion – democracy vs
communism
b.Capitalist nations fearing revolutions –
comintern became Cominform enforcing spread of Marxism
c. USSR felt capitalist countries were
preventing communism from spreading
2. Strategic concerns and suspicions
a. Domino theory- Americans thought
European nations would fall one by one
to Soviet influence
b. Satellite States - Soviet expansion into
the Balkans threatened Greek and
Turkish security. – leads to the Truman
Doctrine
c. Marshal plan = obstacle to soviet
domination
1.
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5.
1945 Bulgaria voted to become communist
Tito made Yugoslavia Communist (not Soviet)
1947 Soviets in power in Hungary and
Romania, Poland
1948 Czechoslovakia becomes communist
Finland and Greece under USSR pressure
Armed camps – alliances like NATO and
the WARSAW Pact
2. Building Nuclear arsenals
3. Espionage - CIA formed
4. Establishing ‘backyards’ – not allowing
activity in certain places IE Cuban missile
crisis.
5. Using ‘aid’ with strings attached
1.
6. ‘dollar’ imperialism – such as American
companies going to Latin America, if they
leave the country becomes impoverished
7. Containment – not allowing the spread
of each others ideology
8. Buffer zones – to prevent immediate
attack
9. Appearance of prestige – make other
people join your side by looking better
then the other – IE space race
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Massive migration of
refugees
USSR expelling Germans
from Easter Europe
Economies needed to
get going again to
prevent a depression
UK and Canada sent aid
but only enough for
relief
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June 1947 – George Marshal, the US
secretary of state, announced funds for
European economies.
1949 European output increased 25%
To help prevent other countries from
becoming communist
Britain received - $3 billion, France - $2.7
billion, Italy $1.4 billion, Yugoslavia $109 million
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Marshall Aid was administered by
Organization of European Economic Cooperation (OEEC).
Administered the spending of $28
billion.
The USSR was opposed to this plan as
they could not apply for the aid as they
failed the requirements for political and
economic freedom.
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As per the Yalta and Potsdam
Agreements
The USSR in the Northeast, UK in the
Northwest, USA in the south and France
in the Southwest (Rhineland).
Berlin was completely in the Soviet zone
and also divided; USSR in the East (taking
up 50%), French in the North, Britain in
the East and USA in the South east.
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Allies able to take what ever they wanted
from their zones (reparations)
Russia allowed to take more then their
share
America and Britain soon wanted
Germany on its feet to create a buffer
between the west and USSR
Two sides began to drift apart
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In January of 1947, the British and American
zones were joined together. Called ‘Bizonia’
1948 French sector joined
In non-soviet-Berlin they elected an anticommunist Mayor, Ernst Reuter.
In May of 1949 they held elections and
Konrad Adenhauer became the first
chancellor of the Federal Republic of
Germany in the new capital of Bonn.
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Stalin responded by created the German
Democratic Republic of East Germany
with its capital in Berlin.
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Coined by Churchill - Describes the
division between the West and USSR.
Literally a 2,000 km fence of barbed wire
By 1947 only eastern countries no
communist were Finland, Czechoslovakia
and Greece.
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Civil war after WWII
Greek Communists
(EAM) vs the
government
March 1947 President
Truman pledges $400
million to Greece and
Turkey to help them
remain ‘free’.
Greek communists are
defeated
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Out lined when he pledged $
Commitment to stop the spread of
communism through force.
Will help any country that were having a
totalitarian regime forced on them
Leads to American involvement in Korea
and Vietnam
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Benes returns as president
1946 elections – communists get
38% of vote.
Foreign minister, Jan Masaryk, a
communist and makes Benes
accept the communist dominated
government in 1948.
Government doesn’t last long as
they reject Marshall Aid and a
coup was staged
Masaryk ‘falls’ to his death from a
window
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New elections happen.
Because of the political turmoil the only
political power strong enough to run are
the Communists and they get 88% of the
vote
A lot of communist support as it was
communist partisans who drove out the
Nazis.
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Tito, the war hero, is the
communist leader.
Communist countries
supposed to take orders
from Moscow and send
goods
Poland = coal, Czech =
machinery, Romania = oil.
Tito refuses to comply.
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Stalin does not send troops as he does not
want to risk a conflict with Britain or
America
Tito allows private ownership
Has good relations with the West
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Stalin responded to Marshal Aid with
Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic
Assistance.
Allies introduced the Deutschmark in
West Germany and West Berlin.
Stalin believes the allies will violate the
Yalta Agreement and make 2 separate
Germanys
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June 24, 1948, Stalin blockaded all rail
and roads going into Berlin and West
Germany
Berlin is 100 miles in the soviet sector.
Allies were not going to just hand over 2
million Berliners which would violate the
Truman doctrine
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So they decide to do the Air lift
West Berlin needs 4,000 tons of supplies a
day
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Largest transport plane can take 11 tons
For 318 days planes left West Germany for
Berlin every 30 seconds.
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At the most desperate time, Berlin had
only 1 weeks supply of coal and 3 weeks
supply of food in Jan 1949.
Transports were escorted with B-29
Bombers.
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Stalin tried to entice West Berliners to
move to East Berlin with promises of food
and fuel,
only 2% of people moved.
By May of 1949, Stalin called off the
blockade as it wasn’t working.
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Result of the Air lift
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
April 1949 – 12 countries signed
UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands,
Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Norway,
Denmark, Iceland, Canada, and USA.
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Renounced war except when in aligned
with the UN
Assistance against an aggressor
For 20 years
Permanent military base in Paris.
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USSR responds with the Warsaw Pact in
1955
Treaty for communist countries.
Stalin died in 1953. New leader
Khrushchev created Pact to start to
deStalinize the USSR.
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It was clear that Germany was not going
to be reunited any time soon.
So in August 1949 West Germany became
the German Federal Republic
East Germany became the German
Democratic Republic followed soon after.
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American Policy of stopping the Spread of
Communism.
Fear of Communists become rampant in
America
Senator Joseph McCarthy took over the
House Un-American Activities Committee.
Many people in USA were accused of
being communists and interrogated.
This period of extreme paranoia is
referred to as McCarthyism.
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North Korea was liberated from the
Japanese by the Soviets.
South Korea was liberated by USA
The border was set at the 38th parallel.
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The new leader of
South Korea was
Syngman Rhee and
would become a
dictator in the 50’s
and 60’s.
The Leader of
North Korea was
communist Kim Ilsung.
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Eventually the USSR and USA left their
respective occupied zones and North
Korea attacked South Korea.
The official start was on June 25, 1950.
Truman announced the Truman doctrine
applied to Asia as well as Europe
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North Korea
captured most of
Korea except for a
small area near
Pusan.
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UN met over this invasion and votes to
send in troops
It passed as the USSR is boycotting the
UN for their refusal to recognize
Communist China
Truman sent troops in under the UN flag,
and is joined by 16 other nations
General MacArthur is in charge.
This is the first time the UN was deployed
to protect against an aggressor.
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UN forces landed
on Oct 7, 1950 at
Inchon, south of
the 38th parallel
with instructions
to continue also
long as they did
not meet Chinese
or Soviet forces.
MacArthur was
heading towards
the Yalu River
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China responded to the perceived threat
of invasion by sending troops across the
Yalu on the 26th of October and pushed
the Americans back to the 38th.
Seoul, the capital was re-captured.
America responded with Truman talking
about A-bombs which made everyone
scared – (British PM Atless was able to
talk him out of it.)
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America increased the
defense budget to $50
billion from $13 million
and increase the
standing military to 3.5
million men.
As a result MacArthur
pushed the Chinese
back to the 38th parallel
by Feb 1951.
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Truman decided to
change his plan from a
war of liberation to a
war of containment.
MacArthur disagreed;
he wanted to liberate
both Koreas.
Truman eventually
fired MacArthur on
April 11, 1951.
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The Korean War
was essentially
over with talks
dragging out for
years over the
POW issue.
•In Nov, 1952, Eisenhower becomes president (WWII
hero) with Nixon as his vice president.
•The Secretary of state, Dulles, was anti-red and
threatened China with a-bombs if they did not return
American POWs.
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The Chinese eventually agreed to the
POW terms and on July 23, 1953 a
military armistice was signed.
China had now been dragged in to the
Cold War and had begun helping the
Vietnamese in Indo-China to free
themselves from French-colonial rule.
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After Korea, Containment policy was the
standard
USA signed many agreements
Nato
OAS - Organization of American States - Latin
America
ANZUS - USA, New Zealand and Australia
SEATO - South East Asian
CENTO - Middle East
Stalin died of a stroke
on March 5, 1953. He is
replaced by Nikita
Khrushchev.
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Khrushchev was not like
Stalin – no more purges,
and Destalinization
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Khrushchev announced the crimes of
Stalin during the purges in the 1956 20th
Congress of the Communist Party.
Also condemned the personality cult of
Stalin
Also made Lenin’s proclamation about
Stalin public
Also called for peaceful existence with
the West.
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Had opposition from hardliner communists
such as Molotov and Malenkov.
But they were forced into ‘retirement’ in
1957,
allowing Khrushchev to lead freely until
1964.
Determined to change Soviet economy.
Industry to focus on consumer goods like
TVs and refrigerators to raise the standard
of living.
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Wages also increased under Khrushchev
with increased the spending power of the
average Russian.
38% increase between 1952-58 for urban
workers.
Factory managers were to increase
profits and give the profits to the
workers.
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Cut red tape by de-centralizing decision
making.
Before regions had to submit changed
for approval in Moscow.
Khrushchev set up Regional Economic
Councils to govern smaller areas.
Not all good
 housing shortage – actually 30% less
housing in 1958 then before WWII.
 Also unable to increase agriculture due to
poor soil conditions.
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USA, USSR, UK, France
 to improve relations with the west.
 Discussed security, Armaments, German
unification.
 No agreements were met but the
achieved a friendlier climate.
 Agreed to end the joint occupation of
Austria.
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4 major powers signed to allow Austria to
be independent.
 Austria forbidden to make military
alliances.
 The only treaty since 1946 signed by
Western nations and the USSR.
 Shows co-operation of Khrushchev with
the West.
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Under USSR control since end
of WWII
1956 - workers went on
strike in Pozan
Strike put down by soviet
troops
Khrushchev appeases the
people by releasing the
polish war here, Gomulka
from prison and allowing him
to be leader again
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Gomulka left to develop his own form of
communism as long as he obeyed Russia.
Catholic Church allowed to remain running
Ruled for 14 years
De-collectivized agriculture.
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Under Soviet control since WWII
Hungarian communist party had
bitter in-fighting
Rakosi first Stalinistic leader
A couple years later he’s
replaced by Imre Nagy who is
unable to created any economic
growth
Nagy also a Former Stalinist
prisoner
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Nagy believed in Public debate and civil
freedoms
Ended government control of the press
On Nov 1, 1956 declared he would get out
of the Warsaw Pact and hold free elections
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Khrushchev responded by
putting soviet troops into
Budapest on Nov 4
The street battle resulted in
20,000 dead Hungarians
and 7,000 dead Soviets
Nagy is executed and
replaced by Janos Kadar
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Kadar is in control until
1988
He allowed more
consumer choice
Brought economic
independence from Russia
Americans did not
intervene
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The Forestry Department at the University of
Budapest packed up and left the country
Ended up at UBC
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After Suez Canal Crisis 1955-56
Khrushchev spent his time trying to recruit
allies.
He visited India, Afghanistan and Burma to
help increase Soviet influence in response to
the American system of allies. (CENTO)
This action increased tension between he
two powers.
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August 4, 1957, the USSR
launched the first earth
orbiting satellite called
Sputnik.
now apparent A-bombs
can be delivered with out
planes.
USA revamps its education
system to focus on Math
and Physics
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1959 Khrushchev announced he would
finally sign a peace treaty with East Berlin
Western Nations feared the treaty would
prevent them from accessing West Berlin.
The Prime minister of Britain, MacMillan,
was able to get Khrushchev to postpone the
treaty until after the USSR, UK and USA met.
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1960
happened in Paris with
MacMillan, De Gaulle,
Eisenhower and
Khrushchev.
The meeting collapse
when Khrushchev refused
to meet until the USA
apologized for sending a
spy plane over the USSR.
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Gary Powers, an
American pilot, was
shot down by a missile
over the USSR.
The USA had flown
these planes over the
USSR without penalty
challenging the USSR to
shoot one down.
For years it was unable
to do so, until the USSR
invented a rocket
powered missile.
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Incident was resolved in 1962 when the
Soviets released the American pilot in
exchange for one of their pilots who was
being held by the USA
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concerned about the
number of Berliners
moving to the West.
(2,000 a week)
Kennedy increased
American presence in
Berlin.
Khrushchev responded
by building a wall
around West Berlin.
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Since 1949, 3 million Germans had left East
Germany by going to West Berlin and then
West Germany through the corridor.
The wall was constructed on the morning of
August 13, 1961
Mostly barbed wire
Americans could do nothing but protest
Imprisoned 17 million people
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Within a year the Wall was seven and half
miles long and fences stretched the
remaining 91.7 miles around the city.
12 feet high
With armed guards, watch towers and check
points
500,000 Soviet troops and only
12,000 Americans, 4,000 British soldiers
and about 3-4,000 French soldiers
Attempting to cross meant death (200 die in
the first year alone)
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During this time Khrushchev had ordered
testing on a 58 mega-ton bomb – Hiroshima
was only 0.02 megatons.
This was one reason America did not want
to go to war over Berlin.
The crisis was furthered by Kennedy’s
famous 1963 ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech
where he boldly stated his commitment to
the defense of Berlin.
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In the late 1800’s
America had won Cuba
from Spain.
By the 1950’s America
was supporting a
corrupt regime lead by
Fulgencio Batista who
had seized power
illegally in 1933.
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Americans also
controlled Cuban
economy and
controlled every major
Cuban industry.
Most important was
sugar.
Cuba was one of the
most productive
countries in Latin
America, but the
wealth was not
distributed equally.
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The Cuban revolution
happened on January 1,
1959. Fidel Castro, a trained
lawyer, organized a guerilla
force and overthrew the
Batista regime.
At first it was not a
communist regime, he was a
nationalist who wanted to
free the people from US
imperialism and set up a
welfare system.
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Fidel immediately nationalized American
industries in Cuban and by 1960 America
had stopped buying Cuban sugar.
In Feb. of 1960 Castro signed a trade
agreement with the USSR were the USSR
would buy all of Cuba’s sugar and give aid
as well.
By Jan 1961, America broke off all
diplomatic relations with Cuba.
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Kennedy had inherited Eisenhower’s plan of
helping Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and
recapture it.
The CIA was heavily involved in training the
rebels.
America did not offer troops or air support.
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The Ill-planned invasion happened in April
of 1961, 1400 Cuban patriots never even
made it to shore.
Some of the landing craft had their keels
ripped off from reefs that the CIA thought
was seaweed.
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Castro announced shortly after that Cuban
was a Marxist state.
This attempted invasion showed Castro he
needed military assistance from the USSR.
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Spring and Summer of 1962 the USSR
decided to put Missiles in Cuba.
1. USSR was now behind in the space
race – the USA now had intercontinental ballistic missiles.
2. Cuba and USSR fears American
Invasion.
3. USA had missiles in Turkey
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In August of 1962
an American spy
plan
photographed
surface to air
missiles in Cuba.
They also saw
Soviet built planes
capable of
carrying N-Bombs.
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The USA had 3 developed ways of dealing
with this situation.
1.
A diplomatic negotiation of a
settlement
2. An attack or invasion
3. Naval blockade or quarantine
They called it a quarantine because a Naval
Blockade is seen by the international
community as an act of war.
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Robert Kennedy,
JFK’s Attorney
General convinced
the Security Council
to go with the 3rd
plan.
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The US navy set up the blockade as Soviet
ships were full speed ahead to Cuba with
more missiles.
These ships were probably protected by
Soviet submarines.
This could have ended in nuclear war right
then and there. Kennedy had put the
American military on DEFCON 2 (the next
stage is all out war).
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Wed, Oct 24, the
Soviet ships turned
around.
But there was still no
resolution. Kennedy
and Khrushchev
corresponded to
each other through
letters.
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Oct 26 - 9 am – Khrushchev to Kennedy –
proposed he would remove missiles if
Kennedy would promise not to invade the
island.
Before Kennedy could respond Khrushchev
sent another letter the next morning.
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Oct 27 – Khrushchev to Kennedy – brings up
the missiles in Turkey.
States there is no deal unless those missiles
are removed too.
Kennedy was shocked as those missiles
were old and he didn’t really have any use
for them.
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Robert Kennedy came up
with an idea that JFK
ignore the second letter
and only respond to the
first.
Kennedy responded
favourable to the first and
Khrushchev agreed…. thus
ending the crisis
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The UN became involved during the
supervision of the removal of missiles from
Cuba,
This whole even was an example of
brinkmanship.
This means both sides there taking events
to the edge to get what they wanted.
This was the closest we’ve come to nuclear
war.
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established a direct link between the
Kremlin and the White house.
This is called the ‘red phone’; it’s really
black.
Communication in the crisis was very slow –
the letters needed translating. The first
letter took 6 hours to deliver. They did not
want to go to war because of slow
communication.
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9 months later they agree to an atmospheric
test ban treaty – no more testing bombs in
the open air.
Cuba now a soviet satellite.
By 1964 Khrushchev is dismissed because
of his poor leadership in this crisis
End 