cuban missile crisis, 1962
- American’s supported a corrupt regime under Fulgencio Batista until the Cuban revolution in 1959
- Fidel Castro took over
- Alligned with the Soviets
- The Bay of Pigs (Failed invasion of Cuba)
- 1962 Soviets begin to put Nuclear weapons into Cuba (Noticed by U2 spy planes)
- Kennedy had a fall out with the CIA
- The US had 3 options:
- Diplomatic solution (negotiated settlement)
- A conventional attack (air attack followed by invasion)
- A naval blockade
- Robert Kennedy, attorney general, convinced Security Council to go with blockade
- Ships turn around at the quarantine
- 2 Letters sent from Krushchev to Kennedy
- Brinkmanship ensues (U.N. gets involved)
- Russians pull out of Cuba in exchange for a removal of missiles in Turkey at a later date
- Directly resulted in the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1962
Until the Cuban revolution in 1959 American's supported a crooked regime led by Fulgencio Batista. After the uprising, Fidel Castro took power over the country and he created ties with Soviet Russia. Following the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs the Russians began to put nuclear weapons into Cuba. Naturally, the United States felt threatened as their borders were so close and JFK was presented with three options. Either a solution could be negotiated, a conventional attack on Cuba could be launched, or lastly a naval blockade. Robert Kennedy selected the Naval blockade, and as a result brinkmanship ensued. Eventually, the Russians agreed to relinquish Cuba for a removal of Missiles in Turkey at a later date
“We went Eyeball to eyeball and I think the other fellow just blinked”
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