CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Setting the Stage USSR was surrounded by missiles from

NATO 1961 President Kennedy announces a

program to build nuclear shelters and distributes pamphlets on nuclear survival

USSR and USA have a standoff over West Berlin, Khrushchev gives ultimatums for the West to leave, but always backs down…Sino-Soviet split is getting more public as Mao ridicules Khrushchev

The Missiles July 1962, US gov. is aware of USSR importing

missiles to Cuba October 14th a U2 Spy Plane sees a ballistic

missile on a launch pad and photograph more missile sites

October 16th Kennedy makes a crisis management committee they consider: 1. Airstrikes to destroy the missiles 2. An invasion of Cuba (USSR would react against

Berlin) 3. Negotiations 4. Naval Blockade (Kind of illegal)

Photographs from U2 Planes

Photographs from U2 Plane

Kennedy’s Reaction October 18th JFK meets with Soviet Foreign

Minister, Gromyko, who denied USSR had missiles in Cuba

October 22nd Kennedy makes speech on TV announcing the missiles in Cuba and the blockade of ships to Cuba…two USSR ships were headed for Cuba

USSR denounces the blockade, and any sinking of ships would be an act of war

October 24th USSR ships change course away from Cuba

The World Waits October 26th Khrushchev sends Kennedy a

message promising to take out the Cuban missiles if USA takes out the Turkey Missiles

October 27th U2 Spy plane is shot down over Cuba…another U2 plane accidently flies over USSR land near USSR

JFK orders US missiles around the world disarmed, worrying about the dangerous situation

Che Guevara hides out in the hills, preparing for a US invasion

Tensions rise October 27th Khrushchev writes a

harsher message to JFK, Castro believes a US attack will happen any minute and wants to shoot a preemptive strike against the US

Robert Kennedy suggests replying to the first letter and demanding a reply by October 28th and they plan for an invasion of Cuba for the 29th if no word is sent. Robert has a meeting with Gromyko

Robert Kennedy and Gromyko

Kennedy & Khrushchev

The End October 28th Khrushchev announces over

the radio that construction will stop on the missile sites and they would return to USSR

Kennedy promises not to invade Cuba ever again and to secretly take out missiles in Turkey

Both leaders realized the danger of nuclear brinkmanship and end this policy

Mao ridicules Khrushchev as being a coward, he pushed USSR to attack the US

Consequences… Khrushchev’s reputation is ruined due to

the secret clause about Turkey Missiles Castro is enraged and humiliated when

he finds out about the deal and it ruins Cuban-USSR relations for a while

Khrushchev loses control at home and there is a coup against him in October1964…eventually Brezhnev will come out as the new leader of USSR