Cuban Missile Crisis: arms race and Castro's Cuba

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America was winning the arms race as they already had dropped the first nuclear bomb on Japanese cities Hiroshima in AUGUST 1945. By 1949 the USSR was producing atomic bombs too. The arms race developed and became a big part because if they actually had a war it could have been the end of the world due to use of nuclear weapons. It would have been destructive if nuclear weapons were used but neither side trusted each other to stop the race. The biggest concern for the USA was the rate of USSR was building nuclear weapons and the size of the weapon e.g. Tsar bomb detonated in 1961 it was the most powerful bomb ever. The USSR concern was US missiles were closer to USSR than it's missiles to the US. In 1958 USA arranged to have nuclear weapons at their UK bases. in 1961 their bases in Italy and turkey received them too. The nuclear weapon in turkey could have a specific target in USSR. However USSR missiles had to travel further and wouldn't be as accurate. America had special bombers that were capable of throwing bombs on the soviet union.

Cuban Revolution- Cuba originally was an ally of USA American presidents had importance for the Cuba relationship. The land in Cuba was owned by american business - They ran 90% of their phone electrical supply

- 50% of the railways - 40% of sugar production - owned and supplied all the oil refineries. 1959 Castro became the leader wanted independence from US. 1960 Castro mad an agreement with the USSR to sell the sugar and buy it's oil. July 1960 USA banned all trade to Cuba.

The Bay of Pigs- Kennedy became president of USA in 1961 by this time CIA tried to assassinate Castro but failed. Americans didn't want their neighbour country to be communist and the USSR ally. they planned an invasion of Cuba for a year - they were trying to make it look like a Cuban revolt - Castro hold was weak.Kennedy invasion was a disaster the plan was known to Cuban government - Cubans didn't want their old leader back - the first strike by the planes missed most of it's targets.

Missile Bases- in spite Of Castro victory he feared another American attack he therefore asked USSR to help defend Cuba from USA he decided to station Russian weapons on Cuban soil

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