This document is a summary of all the information an web student would need in order to write paper one (a discursive essay and extended writing) on the Cuban Missile Crisis. I have used these notes to study as they are colourful, easy to understand and I created them with the most necessary inform...
Shira Woolf – History Paper 1 Cuban Missile Crisis Summary 1
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
OCTOBER 1962
CONTAINMENT- USA foreign policy to stop the spread of communism
BRINKMANSHIP- art of pursuing a dangerous (MAD – mutually assured destruction) policy to
the limits of safety before stopping
BACKGROUND
Cuba is a large island 150km off east coast of USA
USA treated Cuba as their ‘playground’ à holiday destination
• Cuba was dominated politically and economically by USA
à USA owned businesses (capitalism)
àGuantanamo = huge naval base in Cuba owned by USA
At the time Fulgencio Batista, a US backed, military dictator ruled Cuba (1952-1959)
1ST JANUARY 19969: Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista
à Took 3 years of Guerrilla campaigns
àmembers of small independent groups, lead by Castro took part in irregular fighting against the
larger regular forces of Batista
Castro’s new government nationalized private mainly American companies
*Nationalised – transfer of major branch of industry/commerce from private ownership to state
owned control
à USA became angry as they lost businesses +end economic ties:
USA imposed economic embargo àboycott of sugar trade
Castro still ensured that all Americans living in Cuba were safe + wanted to run country without
interference
Summer 1960 Castro starts receiving arms from the USSR
WHY WOULD USSR HELP CUBA?
1. Cuba was a new communist state à launch base for missals
2. Krushev wanted to test JFK strength + force him into bargaining
19 DECEMBER 1960: CUBA OPENLY ALIGNS ITSELF WITH THE SOVIET UNION AND THEIR POLOCIES
BAY OF PIGS ENVASION
APRIL 1961
USA Government backed + assisted an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs (south of country)
à anti- Castro Cubans invaded to try overthrow Castro
à force was defeated by Cuban Government within a few days
Cuba and USSR thought the failed invasion showed that the USA was unwilling to get directly involved
Khrushchev (new soviet leader) was scornful of Kennedy’s (USA leader) pathetic effort to remove
communists from Cuba
à failed act of containment on USA’s side
Clearly Cuba had become a ‘Hot Spot’ in the Cold War
NUCLEAR BASES
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