THE CUBAN MISSILE

CRISIS

Background Part I Cold War Tension

Struggle for LandEast-West Germany Berlin Airlift

Berlin Wall Containment Eastern Europe/Iron

Curtain, China, Korea Spying McCarthy, Rosenbergs, U2

Incident

Background Part II The Arms Race

Improved delivery systems Sputnik ICBMs Multiple warhead ICBMs

Improved Yield Atom Bomb… Fission Bomb… Hydrogen Bomb… Fusion Bomb… Hiroshima blast = 15, 000 tons of TNT.

Largest hydrogen bombs today = with 60,000,000 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 1960s, it was fairly clear that in

a nuclear war, everyone would die. 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

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 and from running vacation spots in Cuba 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 and 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

He allowed very few civil rights : freedom of speech, popular sovereignty, etc.

People’s lives were controlled: where you worked, where you travelled, etc.

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 CubaHoped 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 militaryThe U.S. had to pay Castro to

release themHuge embarrassment for America

on the international stage

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 CubaWhy such a big deal?

The Cuban Missile Crisis (cont.)

In 1962, the U.S., using U2 spy planes, photographed nuke launch sites in Cuba

What were JFK’s options? Pretend he doesn’t know the nukes are

there and just live with themAttack Cuba Anything else?

Brinksmanship Who is willing to step closer to the

precipice of nuclear war? JFK publicly announced that nukes were in

Cuba and that the Soviet Union had to withdraw them

Then, JFK ordered a naval blockade of all ships going to and from Cuba

The Cuban Missile Crisis (cont.)

In the end, Khrushchev (Soviet leader) blinkedPulled missiles out of Cuba

P.S. U.S. agreed to pull missiles out of Turkey, tooBut… we had never admitted they were

there in the first place, so we never admitted they were gone (to the public)

Thus, looked like JFK had won a huge Cold War victory

The Cuban Missile Crisis (cont.)

Hansen Name _____________________U.S. History Period _________

The Cuban Crisis Note-Taking Guide

Background Part I- Cold War Tensions • Struggle for Land

– East-West _______ Berlin _________ Berlin _______

– Containment Eastern Europe/Iron Curtain, China, _________

• Spying McCarthy, _________________, U2 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 1960s, 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 - __________ ______________________________________

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 and 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 and ____________________

• 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 U2 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 ________________ ______________________________________