LET’S TALK ABOUT

The Cuban
Missile Crisis
Saber Khan
 Introduction
HEY, FUTURE HISTORY BUFFS AND COOL KIDDOS, GATHER 'ROUND FOR
A STORY THAT'S JUICIER THAN A FRUIT PUNCH POPSICLE! IT'S THE
SWINGING '60S, AND THE WORLD IS PLAYING A GAME OF SUPERPOWER
HIDE-AND-SEEK. IMAGINE THIS: SUNNY CUBA, PALM TREES SWAYING,
AND SUDDENLY, BAM! IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SALSA AND SUNSHINE
ANYMORE – IT'S THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS, THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN
OF THE GROWN-UPS WITH THEIR BIG IDEAS AND EVEN BIGGER TOYS.
GET READY TO DIVE INTO A TALE WHERE COUNTRIES WERE LIKE
SUPERHEROES WITH REALLY SCARY GADGETS, AND THE WHOLE PLANET
HELD ITS BREATH FOR A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE THAT COULD'VE
CHANGED HISTORY FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY "BLAST OFF"! SO,
BUCKLE UP, LITTLE TIME TRAVELERS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE STORY OF
HOW THE WORLD ALMOST TURNED INTO ONE BIG "UH-OH" MOMENT!
 Before we continue, Let us
look at some keywords:
Brinkmanship- pushing a situation to the point of disaster
without quite going over the edge. Brinkmanship is mainly a
political policy.
overthrew- to depose, as from a position of power;
overcome, defeat, or vanquish:
blockade- seal off (a place) to prevent goods or people from
entering or leaving.
Containment and brinkmanship:
The Cuban Crisis
Another tactic developed during the Cold War was brinkmanship. This is the
practice
of pushing dangerous events to the edge (or brink) of disaster in order to gain
an
advantage. Posturing and discrediting the opponent was used to portray the
enemy in
a negative light. These strategies were applied during the events in Cuba that
led to the
extension of the Cold War beyond Europe.
 Background to the Crisis
Until 1959 US commercial farmers and businessmen had interests in
Cuba. It was a poor country, dependent on US sugar imports. The US
turned a blind eye to the brutality of the Cuban dictator, Batista.
In 1959, Castro led a revolution and overthrew Batista’s regime.
Castro announced plans to nationalise land in Cuba and indicated
that he needed loans from the USA.
The US refused to lend money to Castro as he was viewed to be
Marxist.
The US threatened to cut sugar imports from Cuba.
Cuba turned to the USSR and signed a trade agreement with Russia
In retaliation to US trade cuts, Cuba nationalised all American-
owned companies.
The CIA assisted a group of exiles with planning a counter-
revolution against Castro’s government.
AND THEN
WHAT
HAPPENED
NEXT ? ...
This invasion was a disaster and an embarrassment for Kennedy’s
administration.
Castro asked for weapons from the USSR to defend itself against the USA and
he declared himself a Marxist.
The US viewed Cuba as another Soviet satellite state.
In June 1962, Cuba received shipments of arms and MIG-21 fighter jets from the
USSR.
Medium range missiles and bombers arrived.
The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
On 14 October 1962, an American spy plane detected a nuclear missile
base on the island.
Kennedy set up a special committee to advise him on the way forward.

On 22 October, Kennedy announced a blockade of the island, which

placed the island under quarantine until the missile sites were removed.
Khrushchev defended Soviet actions as an act of self-defence on Cuba’s side due
to
the role of the USA in the Bay of Pigs disaster.

Khrushchev accused the US of piracy and did not turn the warships around that
were en route to Cuba.

Letters were exchanged between the two leaders and the world waited anxiously
to see what would happen.

Khrushchev offered to dismantle the Soviet nuclear missile bases in Cuba in return
for the dismantling of US missile bases in Turkey.
The crisis was averted by means of diplomacy.
Once the crisis was averted there was a thaw in the Cold War: a hotline
telephone link was set up between Moscow and Washington as a direct line of
contact.

In August 1963 a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed to end nuclear testing above
ground.
In 1968 a Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty
was signed, which
aimed at preventing
the spread of nuclear
weapons to countries
that did not have
them.
 let's wrap up our adventure through the
Cuban Missile Crisis! We've traveled back to a
time when the world held its breath, and it
felt like a giant game of don't-let-the-nuclear-
cat-out-of-the-bag.
But guess what? Our planet made it through
the ultimate game of hide-and-seek without
any BOOM! The grown-ups put on their
superhero negotiation capes, sat around a big
table, and decided talking was way cooler than
launching missiles.
 So, here's the takeaway: When things
get tough, talking it out is like using a
superhero power called "peace."
Remember, in the grand play of history,
being a peacemaker is the real
superpower. Now go out there, spread
good vibes, and who knows, maybe
you'll be the next hero in the history
books!🚀✌️ #PeaceOutCrisis