THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS Background Part I

THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Background Part I Cold War Tension ¢ Struggle for Land l East-West Germany Berlin Airlift Berlin Wall l Containment Eastern Europe/Iron Curtain, China, Korea ¢ Spying Mc. Carthy, Rosenbergs, U 2 Incident

Background Part II The Arms Race ¢ ¢ Improved delivery systems l Sputnik ICBMs l Multiple warhead ICBMs Improved Yield l Atom Bomb… Fission Bomb… l Hydrogen Bomb… Fusion Bomb… l Hiroshima blast = 15, 000 tons of TNT. Largest hydrogen bombs today = with 60, 000 tons of TNT. • So a bomb today is like 4000 Hiroshimas.

¢ Hiroshima H-Bomb Test

Background Part II (cont. ) ¢ Mutually Assured Destruction (M. A. D. ) By the 1960 s, it was fairly clear that in a nuclear war, everyone would die. l Even if the bombs didn’t kill everyone immediately, scientists predicted a nuclear winter and nuclear fallout would finish the job l Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado l

Part I. Cuban Revolution ¢ ¢ ¢ Like many Latin American countries, Cuba was run by a dictator The U. S. supported this dictator (like it did in many other Latin American countries) because the dictator protected American economic interests in Cuba Americans owned a lot of the land in Cuba and made a lot of $ from the land from running vacation spots in Cuba l Many Cubans resented the dictator (Batista) and the aid he received from America

Cuban Revolution (cont. ) In 1959, a revolution, led by Fidel Castro, overthrew the Cuban dictatorship ¢ Castro proclaimed the island communist and seized American land oil refineries ¢ America stopped trade with Cuba and Castro increasingly turned towards the Soviet Union as a partner (trade, aid, etc. ) ¢

Part II. The Bay of Pigs Invasion ¢ ¢ ¢ aka The Bay of Pigs Fiasco (from an American perspective) Castro didn’t really make people in Cuba much happier l He allowed very few civil rights : freedom of speech, popular sovereignty, etc. l People’s lives were controlled: where you worked, where you travelled, etc. l Many believed that Cuba had traded one kind of dictator for another kind of dictator The CIA (U. S. Central Intelligence Agency) was given permission by Eisenhower and then JFK in 1960 to train a group of Cuban Exiles living in the U. S. to invade Cuba l Hoped this would spark an uprising of Cubans against Castro and end Cuban Communism

Bay of Pigs (continued) When Cuban exiles landed in a Cuban Bay called the Bay of Pigs, the U. S. air force, which had promised air support, hesitated, not wanting to be brought into conflict with the Soviet Union ¢ The CIA-trained Cuban force was routed by the Castro-led Cuban military ¢ The U. S. had to pay Castro to release them l Huge embarrassment for America on the international stage l

Part III. The Cuban Missile Crisis After the Bay of Pigs, the Soviet Union began to send weapons to Cuba to protect against further invasion ¢ JFK publicly said that the U. S. would not tolerate nuclear weapons in Cuba ¢ l Why such a big deal?

The Cuban Missile Crisis (cont. ) ¢ In 1962, the U. S. , using U 2 spy planes, photographed nuke launch sites in Cuba

The Cuban Missile Crisis (cont. ) ¢ What were JFK’s options? Pretend he doesn’t know the nukes are there and just live with them l Attack Cuba l Anything else? l ¢ Brinksmanship Who is willing to step closer to the precipice of nuclear war? l JFK publicly announced that nukes were in Cuba and that the Soviet Union had to withdraw them l Then, JFK ordered a naval blockade of all ships going to and from Cuba l

The Cuban Missile Crisis (cont. ) ¢ In the end, Khrushchev (Soviet leader) blinked l ¢ Pulled missiles out of Cuba P. S. U. S. agreed to pull missiles out of Turkey, too But… we had never admitted they were there in the first place, so we never admitted they were gone (to the public) l Thus, looked like JFK had won a huge Cold War victory l

Hansen U. S. History The Cuban Crisis Background Part I- Cold War Tensions • Struggle for Land – East-West _______ Berlin _______ – Containment Eastern Europe/Iron Curtain, China, _____ • Spying Mc. Carthy, _________, U 2 Incident Background Part II- The Arms Race • Improved ______ systems – Sputnik ICBMs - _______________________________ – Multiple _______ ICBMs • Improved ________ – Atom Bomb… Fission Bomb… – ____________… Fusion Bomb… – Hiroshima blast = _____tons of TNT. Largest hydrogen bombs today = with __________ tons of TNT. • So a bomb today is like _____ Hiroshimas. • Mutually Assured Destruction ( ______) – By the 1960 s, it was fairly clear that in a nuclear war, ______________. – Even if the bombs didn’t kill everyone immediately, scientists predicted a nuclear winter- _____________________________ and nuclear fallout ____________________would finish the job – Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado - ________________________ Name ___________ Period _____ Note-Taking Guide Part I. Cuban Revolution • Like many Latin American countries, Cuba was run ________________ • The U. S. __________ this dictator (like it did in __________________) because the dictator protected American ___________ in Cuba • Americans owned a lot of the ____ in Cuba and made a lot of _____ from the land from running ______________in Cuba – Many Cubans resented the dictator (_____ ) and the aid he received from America • In 1959, a revolution, led by ______, overthrew the Cuban dictatorship • Castro proclaimed the island _______ and seized American land __________ • America __________ with Cuba and Castro increasingly turned towards the ______ as a partner (trade, aid, etc. ) Part II. The Bay of Pigs Invasion • aka The Bay of Pigs Fiasco (from a U. S. perspective) • Castro didn’t really make people in Cuba much ______ – He allowed very few _______: freedom of speech, popular sovereignty, etc. – People’s lives were ______: where you worked, where you travelled, etc. – Many believed that Cuba had traded one kind of dictator for _______________

• • • The CIA (U. S. _____________) was given permission by Eisenhower and then ____ in 1960 to train a group of Cuban Exiles living in the U. S. to _____________ – Hoped this would spark an ______________ against Castro and end ___________ When Cuban exiles landed in a Cuban Bay called the Bay _____, the U. S. air force, which had promised ______, hesitated, not wanting to ____________________________________ The CIA-trained Cuban force was ___________________ Cuban military – The U. S. had to _____ to release them – Huge _____ for America on the ______________ Part III. The Cuban Missile Crisis • After the Bay of Pigs, the Soviet Union began to ___________________ to protect against further invasion • JFK publicly said that the U. S. would not tolerate __________ in Cuba – Why such a big deal? __________________________ • In 1962, the U. S. , using U 2 spy planes, _______________ sites in Cuba • What were JFK’s options? – __________________ the nukes are there and just live with them – _______Cuba – Anything else? • • • Brinksmanship – Who was willing to step closer to the precipice ________________? – JFK _____________________________________ and that the Soviet Union had to withdraw them – Then, JFK ordered a __________ of all ships going to and from Cuba In the end, Khrushchev ____________ – Pulled ________________ P. S. U. S. agreed to pull missiles ____________________, too – But… we had never admitted they were there in the first place, _____________ (to the public) – Thus, looked like JFK had ___________________________