Cuban Missile Crisis

By savannahm5726

  • Cuban Embargo

    U.S. bans all exports to Cuba, making it weak (Cuba relied on U.S. for its oil). The USSR takes advantage and makes Cuba their ally.

  • Kennedy's Presidency

    JFK becomes President

  • Bay of Pigs

    1,400 Cuban exiles launched what became a botched invasion at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba.
    Increased tensions between U.S. and Cuba

  • Discovering Missiles

    U.S. U-2 spy plane takes photos of USSR missile sites in Cuba

  • Executive Committee of the National Security Council

    Created by Kennedy to deal with the nuclear missiles in Cuba

  • Naval Blockade

    Kennedy announced that the US would enforce a quarantine of Cuba and prevent "offensive military equipment" from reaching Cuba. Kennedy stated that the U.S. would not end the quarantine until the Soviet Union removes their missiles.
    US Navy places a blockade around Cuba and tensions rise as Soviet ships approach.
    23 B52 Bombers armed with nuclear weapons are put into the air within striking distance of the USSR.

  • U-2 Incident

    Shooting down of U2 spy plane over Cuba.
    Kennedy receives a telegram from Khrushchev saying he will agree to remove the missiles from Cuba if the USA lifts the blockade and promised not to invade Cuba.

  • Final Negotiation

    A second telegram arrives - this time Khrushchev says he will only remove the missiles if the USA removes its missiles from Turkey.
    Kennedy ignores the second telegram and replies to the first agreeing to lift the blockade and not invade Cuba in return for the removal of Soviet missiles.
    He added that if he did not get a reply by 29th Oct then he would invade Cuba.

  • The End of the Cuban Missile Crisis

    Khrushchev agrees and the crisis is over.
    Publicly, this looks like a victory for Kennedy and the US however secretly he had agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey as part of the deal.