Cuban Missile CrisisBy:

Timothy zurrica

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Kennedy spoke of missile gap, USA, USSR• Despite Pentagon telling him U.S. had more • Kennedy maintained his claim, USA has less• After election, khrushchev tested kennedy• 1961 Khrushchev applied pressure to Berlin • eventually built a wall surrounding West

Berlin.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Kennedy told Khrushchev no missile gap.• Khrushchev knew U.S. had more missiles • now he knew the Americans knew.• Soviet missiles can only hit Europe • U.S. missiles can hit Soviet Union.• Khrushchev was boxed in by enemies.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• U.S. missiles in Turkey 150 miles from U.S.S.R. • Cuba was 90 miles from Florida • Khrushchev,

“the 60 mile difference was nothing for a missile"

• Khrushchev feared first-strike by the U.S. • If USSR lost arms race U.S. would attack• Khrushchev looked to counter U.S. lead.

Cuban Missile Crisis• Closest world came to nuclear war• United States highest state of readiness• Soviets Cuba prepared battlefield nuclear

weapons• 1962,USSR behind US arms race.• Soviet missiles could only reach Europe• U.S. missiles could striking entire USSR

Cuban Missile Crisis

• April 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev • placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba.• deployment would double Soviet strategic arsenal • provide real deterrent from U.S. attack• Meanwhile, Castro wanted defense from U.S.• Bay of Pigs failed, 2nd attack inevitable.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Castro approved Khrushchev to place missiles• summer 1962 USSR built missile installations• USA, crisis began October 15, 1962 • Reconnaissance photographs revealed missiles

in Cuba.• Kennedy immediately organized EX-COMM• group of advisors to handle crisis.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• after seven days of guarded; intense debate • Kennedy concluded impose naval quarantine

around Cuba. • wished prevention of more weapons on Cuba. • October 22, public told about missiles,

quarantined island. • missile launched, regarded as attack on USA• Demand Soviets remove offensive weapons

Cuban Missile Crisis

• During public Crisis, tensions built• Kennedy ordered low-level

reconnaissance missions• 25th, Kennedy pulled quarantine line back• military readiness raised to DEFCON 2.• 26th, EX-COMM got impassioned letter from

Khrushchev• will remove missiles if USA doesn’t attack

Cuban Missile Crisis

• October 27, worst day of the crisis. • A U-2 shot down over Cuba• EX-COMM received second letter from Khrushchev • demanding U.S. remove missiles, exchange Soviet’s

missiles.• Attorney general Robert Kennedy suggested

ignoring letter • contacted S.A. Anatoly Dobrynin tell him of

agreement

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Tensions began easing on October 28• Khrushchev announced to return missiles to

USSR• He trusted USA would not invade Cuba. • Further negotiations held to implement the

agreement• USA demand Soviet bombers be removed• specifying USA assured not to invade Cuba.

Work Sited Page

• http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/index.html

• http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/causes.html