cuban missile crisis
DESCRIPTION
Here are my notes about the cuban missile crisis that I usedfor my history exam, feel free to inform me if there is anything wrong with the context:)(I do the OCR historyB modern world history so pls tell me if there could be anything i could change so it could be used for other exam boards)TRANSCRIPT
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CUBANMISSILECRISISREVISION
CUBANMISSILECRISISIn1958MarxistLeninistFidelCastrodroveawaythecorruptCubanpresidentFulgencioBatista.AsaMarxistCastroquicklyturnedCubaintoaCubanstate.ItwasthefirsttimeinhistorythatacountryinthewesthadfallenundertheredhandsofcommunismandthisfearedtheirAmericanneighbours.CastrohadconnectionswiththeSovietsandNikitaKruschevinsistedontherebeingSovietMissilestobeplantedonCuba.USairplanesquicklydiscoveredthesemissilesitesandfromthenonpeoplefearedthatitwouldhavebeentheblinkofanuclearwar.
BATISTAFulgencioBatistawasthedictatorthatruledCubafrom1952to1958.Heranunderarightwingdictatorshipanddealtwithopponentswithharshpunishments.VerylittleprosperedunderhisregimewhichmadehimanunpopularpersoninCuba,howevertheAmericanssupportedhimregardlessbecausehewasstronglyanticommunist.ManyCubanswere
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tiredofhisrulingandthiswasthemainfactorthattriggeredtheCubanrevolutionleadbyFidelCastro.FIDELCASTROCubanunderwentalotofchangesunderCastrosrule.UnlikeBatista,CastrowasinterestedinMarxismandturnedCubaintoacommuniststate.ThiscontradictedwiththeTrumandoctrineofcontainment,havingacommunistcountrythatisnearAmerica(Cubaisatleast90milesawayfromFlorida)fearedmanyAmericans.BeforeCastrosrule,AmericaandCastroweregoodtradepartners,CastrochangedthisandtradedsugarwiththeSovietsinexchangeforoil,machinesandmoney.ThisoutragedtheAmericansandin1960theyrefusedtotradewithCuba.CastrorespondedwithswiftactionandnationalisedallAmericanownedcompaniesinCuba.
BAYOFPIGSINVASIONOnApril171961,anarmyof1,500cubanexiles,supportedbytheU.Sgovernment,wenttotheBahadeCochinos(BayofPigs)onthesouthofCubainanattempttooverthrowCastro.TrainedsinceJune1960bytheCIA,withtheapprovalofpresidentEisenhower,theseCubanexilesweresuppliedwithammunitionandtrainedbytheUSgovernmentinGuatemala.TheobjectiveofthiswastoformanuprisinginCubaandoverthrowCastro.Theresultoftheinvasionwasdreadful,theexileswereeitherexecutedorkeptinimprisonment.ThefailureoftheinvasionservedasaburdenonKennedyasitshowedthathewasweak.ItalsomadeCastro
suspiciousofUSpolicy.MissilesinCubaInJuly1962,KhrushchevandCastrometinprivatetodiscussontherebeingSovietmissilestobeplantedonCubatopreventanyfutureinvasions.CastrohadagreedwiththeplacementofSovietmissilesonCuba.AnAmericanU2planehadcaughtsightofthesemissilesbeingdeveloped,andonthe16thofOctober,broughtthemtothepresidentsattention.PresidentKennedyhadmetwithKhrushchevthepreviousyearinanattempttoperformatruce.HoweverKhrushchevsawnopurposeincompromisingwithAmericabut
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promisedinsteadnottoplaceoffensiveweaponsinCuba.Itwasevidentfromthegovernmentdocumentsthathebrokehispromise.WhydidKhrushchevputmissilesonCuba?ThereareanumberofdifferentreasonsastowhyKhrushchevwantedtoputmissilesinCuba.Someofwhichwere:
1) KhrushchevknewthatAmericahadmissilebasesacrosstheworld,oneofwhichwasinTurkeyandKhrushchevfeltvulnerableastheSovietUnioncouldbehitundermilitarythreatanditwasclearthatAmericathattheywerewinningthearmsrace.HavingmissilebasesinCubawouldbalanceouttheodds.
2) Kruschevreceivedcriticismfrompoliticianswiththe
sovietUnionandheneededtodemonstratetothemhispower.PlacingMissilesinCubawasagoodwayofdoingthis.
3) KhrushchevwantedtoprotectCubaasitwastheonlycommuniststateintheWestern
Hemisphere.TheBayofPigsinvasionmadeitcertaintotheSovietsthatCubaclearlyneededprotectionfromtheUSA.
KennedysActionsKennedydidn'tknowwhattodosoheassembledagroupofadvisors(calledExComm)togivehimmakesolutionstothediscoveryofthemissiles.Kennedynowhadtotakeactiononthisandtheywereto:
1) Todonothing TheUSwasastrongernuclearpowerthantheSovietssodoingnothingisnotabadidea,howevertheSovietsdidlieabouttheCubanMissilessodoingnothingwouldbeasignofweakness.
2) Promoteanairstrike TheMissileswouldbedestroyedbeforetheywereevenused,howevertheattackmaykillsovietsoldiersandthiswouldsurelytriggeraresponse.Alsoitwasimmoraltoattackwithoutadvancedwarning.
3) InvadeCuba TheAmericanarmyhadenoughexperienceinmilitarywelfaretoinvadeCuba.TheinvasionofCubawouldgetridofthemissilesandCastrohimself.HowevertheUSSRwouldrespondtothisbyeitherprotectingCubaorwithinthesovietsphereofinfluence.InvadingBerlinforexample.
4) DiplomaticPressures GettingtheUnitedNationsinvolvedinthesituationwouldavoidconflictbutiftheUSwasforcedtobackdownthenitwouldbeasignofweakness.
5) BlockadeCuba AblockadewoulddemonstratetotheworldhowserioustheUSwaswithoutharmingCubaortheSoviets..ThiswouldforceKruschevtodecidewhattodonext.Thiswouldn'tsolvethemainproblemasthemissilescouldbeactivatedatanytime,thesovietsmightretaliatebyblockadingBerlinlikeitdidin1948
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Onthe20thofOctober,KennedyhadinstitutedablockadearoundCuba(oranavalquarantineashecoinedit)topreventanymilitarysuppliesfromreachingCuba.Onthe22ndKennedyhadpubliclyannouncedtotheAmericanpublicabouttheblockade.Inaletterfromthe23rdofOctober,KruschevaccusedAmericaofpiracy,andoftryingtoprovokeawarwhichwouldannihilatehumankind.HewarnedthatRussiawouldgetreadyafittingreplytotheaggressor.20RussianshipswereheadingforCuba.OnOctober24thefirstRussianshipreachedtheblockadeandwasallowedthrough.Theothershipsturnedships. On26October,KhrushchevsentatelegramtoKennedy,offeringtodismantlethemissilesitesinCubaifKennedywouldliftthenavalblockadeandagreetonotinvadeCuba.Thenonthe27thOctober,KhrushchevsentanothertelegramdemandingKennedytodismantlethemissilesitesonTurkey.Onthatday,aU2planewasshotinCuba.Thiswasthecrisispoint,peoplefearedthatthiswasanunluckysignofwar.KennedyignoredboththeincidentandthetelegramandinsteadmetwithKhrushchevprivatelyissuingthedismantleoftheAmericanmissilebasesinTurkey.Onthe28th,KhrushchevagreedtodismantlethesitesinCubaandonthe20thNovemberRussianbombersleftCubaandKennedyliftedthenavalblockade.