The USA & Events in Cuba, 1959–62
Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 | ||
|---|---|---|
Long-term | Medium-term | Short-term |
Since 1945, US-Soviet relations had been tense. Both countries competed against each other to become the biggest superpower. The USA and the USSR developed powerful nuclear weapons that could destroy the world | The Bay of Pigs incident in 1961 heightened Cold War tensions between the USA and the USSR. Castro publicly announced that he was a Communist. Kennedy warned Khrushchev not to place nuclear weapons on Cuba | On 14th October 1962, a U-2 spy-plane took photographs of missile launch pads in Cuba. Intelligence informed Kennedy that approaching Soviet ships could be carrying ballistic missiles to Cuba |
The USA relied on Cuba's sugar and tobacco exports
US businesses controlled Cuba's sugar trade
The US also owned all of Cuba's oil refineries, railways and electricity
As a result, the US attempted to control the political identity of Cuba
In 1933, the US government supported a military coup by Sergeant Fulgencio Batista. Batista became the president of Cuba
Batista was a very corrupt leader. He:
Stopped elections and refused to follow the Cuban Constitution
Allowed US businesses and rich Cubans to thrive while ignoring the struggles of the poor in society
Allowed American mobsters to create illegal businesses
The USA ignored Batista's corruption
US businesses were profiting from his rule. As a result, the US government provided Batista with weapons to maintain control of Cuba
The Cuban Revolution
In November 1956, revolutionary Fidel Castro began an uprising against Batista
He recruited Che Guevara to join his uprising
Castro began a guerrilla warfare campaign against the Cuban government
In 1958, the international media supported the Cuban revolutionaries
At this stage, the US government stopped giving money and soldiers to Batista
On 1st January 1959, Castro and Guevara's forces defeated Batista
The rebels reached Cuba's capital city, Havana
Batista fled from Cuba to the Dominican Republic
Castro formed a new government in 1959
The US government had many issues with the new Cuban government
The issues discussed above affected the USA's relationship with Cuba in the 1960s
Eisenhower reduced trade with Cuba
In July 1960, the USA bought less sugar from Cuba
By October, Eisenhower began a trade embargo with Cuba
By 1961, US-Cuban relations had broken down
The US government ended their diplomatic relationship with Cuba
What Caused Kennedy to Invade Cuba?
What Caused Kennedy to Invade Cuba?
In January 1961, John F. Kennedy replaced Eisenhower as the President of the USA
Kennedy was an anti-Communist
He did not want a Communist state only 90 miles away from the coast of the USA
When Kennedy assumed the presidency, the CIA created a plan to overthrow Castro
The CIA wanted to use Cuban exiles to invade Cuba
If Cuban exiles invaded Cuba, it would look like a counter-revolution rather than a US-backed invasion
The CIA's Plans for the Invasion of Cuba
The Events of the 'Bay of Pigs' Incident
The Events of the 'Bay of Pigs' Incident
On 17th April 1961, the US government began their invasion of Cuba
The US government sent 1,400 Cuban exiles to Cuba
The invasion force landed in the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba
In less than 24 hours, the invasion force surrendered to Castro's government
Reasons why the Bay of Pigs Invasion Failed
The weakness of the CIA and the invasion force | The strength of Castro's government |
|---|---|
The CIA had given the Cuban exiles limited military training. They were unlikely to win against Castro's army due to their battle experience | Castro knew about the invasion before it began. Castro assembled an army of 20,000 soldiers to attack the Cuban exiles when they landed on the island |
In an attempt to distance themselves from the invasion, the US government refused to send military support to the Cuban exiles | Cuban citizens were happy with Castro's government. The invasion gained limited support in Cuba |
The Impact of the Bay of Pigs Incident on Cold War Relations
The Bay of Pigs incident heightened Cold War tensions between the USA and the USSR
The event was damaging to the USA's reputation
The USA had accused the USSR of forcing people to live under their political influence in Eastern Europe. Attempting an armed uprising against the independent government in Cuba made the USA look as controlling as the USSR
Cuba no longer wanted a diplomatic relationship with the USA
Khrushchev thought the disaster meant that Kennedy was inexperienced and weak
The Bay of Pigs Incident had benefits for the USSR
Khrushchev claimed the failure of the invasion was a success for Communism
The Cuban people were happy living under a Communist government. It showed the world the benefits of Communism
Cuba became closer to the USSR
Castro publicly announced that he was a Communist. He requested help from the USSR to defend Cuba from the USA
In September 1961, Khrushchev declared that the USSR would give weapons to Cuba
The Thirteen Days, 16th-28th October 1962
The Thirteen Days, 16th-28th October 1962
The 'Thirteen Days' refers to the period of 16th October to 28th October 1962
Between these 13 days, the world became the closest it had ever been to nuclear war
Kennedy had to decide on how to deal with potential missile sites in Cuba
The US Defence Secretary, Robert McNamara, told Kennedy that the Soviet missiles would become operational two weeks after their arrival. This gave Kennedy time pressure to make his decision about how to react to the arrival of missiles in Cuba
What Options Did Kennedy Have to Deal with Cuba?
Before making a decision, Kennedy had to consider:
How the American public would react to missiles on Cuba
Little to no reaction by the US government could cause widespread panic in the USA
He needed to show a commitment to the policy of containment
How his decision would affect election results
Elections for the US Congress were in November
If Kennedy failed to deal with the situation in Cuba effectively, it would damage the success of his political colleagues, the Democrats
The impact of his decision on other Cold War issues
Kennedy worried that a strong reaction to Cuba would encourage Khrushchev to become more aggressive over the issue of Berlin
Kennedy had limited options to deal with Cuba
The US government had already attempted an invasion of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs incident in 1961
Kennedy knew that this would be unpopular in Cuba and may cause a major conflict within the country
Bombing Cuba would make the USA look aggressive
Depending on the bomb that the USA used, it could cause a significant number of civilian deaths in Cuba
The Cold War was a war of propaganda
Kennedy had to make the best decision that would not damage the USA's reputation internationally
The Events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis had several positive and negative consequences for the USA
Positive consequences | Negative consequences |
|---|---|
The blockade of Cuba forced Khrushchev to back down. This was a propaganda victory for the USA and containment | Khrushchev achieved the removal of US missiles in Turkey. This aspect of the agreement was kept secret from the US public |
Kennedy had maintained world peace. The US public thought that Kennedy was a strong leader for standing up to the USSR | Some hardliners in the US government thought Kennedy had failed. He had shown weakness by compromising with a Communist power |
Cuba remained Communist and allied to the USSR. Kennedy promised not to invade. This was a failure of containment |