Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis

1. Background

   • Arms Race
     • Superpowers trying to build bigger and more deadly weapons (atom bomb, US-1945, Soviets-1949). Also huge rockets (inter-continental ballistic missiles) which could carry bombs for miles
     • Historians think the fear of the damage could have stopped the fighting
   • Khrushchev and Kennedy
     • After Stalin died in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev replaced him. He wanted to reduce tension between US and Russia (peaceful co-existence). In 1961 JFK became president of US (did not get on well)
     • Outcome
       • Berlin Wall
       • Americans put missiles on Soviet Union in Norway and Turkey
   • Cuba
     • Background
       • Island off coast of US, had an American backed dictator called General Batista (until 1959). Americans controlled most industries including sugar and tobacco
     • Bay of Pigs
       • 1961 - an invasion of Cuba by former Cuban patriots. Invasion was backed by the CIA
     • Cuban Missile Crisis
       • 1962
         • 1962 the USSR constructed missile sites in Cuba (capable of Nuclear attacks on US). Cuba allowed this in response to previous aid
       • JFK
         • JFK demanded their removal but Khrushchev refused
       • blocked waters
         • JFK decided to block Cuban waters (to prevent supplies from Russia)
       • Khrushchev backed down

2. Outcomes

   • Cuban Missile Crisis Outcomes
     • Hotline between Moscow and Washington
     • reduction of Nuclear weapons
   • 1963
     • Test Ban Treaty - all nuclear testing above ground was banned
   • 1968
     • Non-Proliferation Treaty - non-nuclear powers would not be helped to develop nuclear technology
   • 1972
     • SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks). Talks were held between Presidents Nixon and Brezhenev. The SALT1 treaty was signed, which limited the number of weapons on both sides
   • 1979
     • SALT2 was signed by Presidents Carter and Brezhenev