Cuban Missile Crisis + Revolution

By Nae123ivjf3jfscm

  • Fidel Castro overthrew Batista

    • After a 3 year campaign he had control of Cuba.
    • He started killing, arresting, or exiling his political opponents.
    • He also took over American owned businesses (mainly agriculture) and distributed them to Cuba’s peasant farmers.

  • USA responds then Cuba responds JUNE

    • President Eisenhower allowed the CIA to investigate ways ways of overthrowing Castro and disrupt the Cuban economy.
    • The American owned companies refused to work with any other businesses that used materials from USSR.
    • Castro assured Americans in Cuba that they were safe and allowed the US too keep Guantanamo Bay.

  • Cuba + Soviet Union (SUMMER)

    • Cuba and USSR had become allies.
    • Khrushchev gave Cuba 100 million in economic aid and arms.
    • US - Cuban relationship was destroyed.

  • US - Cuba diplomatic relations was officially broken off (JANUARY)

  • Bay of Pigs invasion

    • Kennedy set this plan in motion but it was created under Eisenhower.
    • The US supplied arms to 1400 anti-Castro exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro.
    • When they landed at the Bay Of Bigs they met 20,000 Cuban troops are,Ed with tanks and weapons.
    • Castro killed them all.
    Impact :
    - It told the USSR and Cuba that the US was unwilling to get directly involved in Cuba. (Krushchev was mocking of Kennedy)
    - Made Kennedy seem weak to the Americans (he was new to office).
  • Period: to

    USSR equipped Cuba with arms.

    • May 1962 : Soviet Union announced publicly that is was supplying Cuba with arms.
    • July 1962 : By this time they had the best-equipped army in Latin America.
    • September 1962 : They had thousands of Soviet missiles, patrol boats, tanks, radar vans, missile erectors, jet bombers, jet fighters, 5000 technicians to maintain the weapons.

  • Kennedy warned Krushchev that he would prevent by any means necessary Cuba becoming a military base.

    USSR responded to the USA saying saying they had no intentions of putting nuclear weapons on Cuba.

  • American spy planes nuclear weapons on Cuba

    American spy planes flew over Cuba and took photographs revealing that the USSR was building nuclear missile sites on Cuba. Over the next few days they confirmed that the sites would be ready and supplied with missiles in a week.
    They also found 20 soviet ships carrying missiles to Cuba.

  • 13 days : Day 1

    Kennedy was informed of the missile buildup in Cuba.
    They created the Ex Comm.

  • 13 days : day 5

    Kennedy decided to set a blockade on Cuba.

  • 13 days : day 7

    • Kennedy announced the blockade.
    • He called to the Soviet to withdraw their missiles.
    • He made a public speech to the Americans explaining the situation

  • 13 days : day 8

    Kennedy got a letter from Khrushchev not admitting to having put missiles on Cuba.

  • 13 days : day 9

    The blockade began.
    The soviet ships turned around at 10:32 AM.

  • 13 days : day 10

    Aerial photography reaveled that they were still building the missile basses in Cuba.

  • 13 days : day 11

    Kennedy received a letter from Khrushchev saying the missiles were defensive. They proposed that if they lifted the blockade and agreed to not attack Cuba that they would remove the missiles.

  • 13 days : day 12 AM

    Khrushchev sent a second letter with a second proposal that said that they would remove their missiles if Kennedy removed his from Turkey (he did remove them secretly).

  • 13 days : day 12 PM

    Kennedy decided to delay an attack on Cuba but told the Soviet Union that if they didn’t withdraw their missiles they would attack.

  • 13 days : day 13

    Khrushchev replied to Kennedy saying to keep the peace he will give orders to dismantle and ship back the missiles.

  • Why did the USSR Place nuclear missiles on Cuba ? (not part of the timeline)

    • To bargain with the USA.
    • To test the USA’s limits.
    • To close the missile gap.
    • To defend Cuba (only communist states in the Western Hemisphere)