Khruschev

Castro

Kennedy

Causes of Crisis
Communists come to power in Cuba -90 miles from

USA(Fidel Castro) Soviet insecurity US capable of striking all USSR. USSR missiles could only strike Europe. Cubas fear of US invasion Fidel Castro aware of several efforts to get rid of him. 1961 Bay of Pigs disaster US funded invasion of Cuba a military disaster for US. Castro asked for and received Soviet weapons to defend Cuba against US attack.

This British cartoon of 29 October 1962 shows Kennedy and Khrushchev arm-wrestling for power, sitting on nuclear weapons.

Map showing every US city in range of missile launched from Cuba.

Options available to Americans.

1. Nuclear Strike? It would cause a nuclear war.
2. Conventional attack? There were Russian troops

in Cuba, and it would probably lead to a war with Russia. 3. Use the UN? Too slow. 4. Do nothing? The missile bases were too dangerous. 5. Blockade? This would stop the missiles getting to the missile bases, but it was not a direct act of war.

Blockade
Kennedy imposed a naval blockade of Cuba. He also sent 125,000 men to Florida to prepare to invade Cuba. If the Soviet ships heading for Cuba did not stop or agree to be searched, a war was likely to start. The Soviet ships stopped before they reached blockade and eventually turned for home.

Solution to Crisis
Soviet missiles would be withdrawn of USA promised

never to attack Cuba. A secret term had the US promise to remove its nuclear weapons from Turkey.

Quotes on Crisis
It was a perfectly beautiful night, as fall nights are in

Washington. I walked out of the president's Oval Office, and as I walked out, I thought I might never live to see another Saturday night." - Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, recalling the Cuban Missile Crisis13

We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just

blinked."

- US Secretary of State Dean Rusk, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, 19629

Results of Cuban Missile Crisis

Success for Kennedy (he had faced down Russians)

resulted in the downfall of Khruschev (lost prestige). Russia lost the respect of China over the crisis. Hotline created to allow easier communication between two superpowers. 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banned all nuclear testing in the atmosphere. Cuba remained a Communist dictatorship under Castro but America left it alone.