ON THE BRINKCauses and Effects of the

Cuban Missile Crisis

OVERVIEW

This lesson examines:• Historical and immediate contexts of the

Cuban Missile Crisis• US and Soviet actions during the crisis • Resolution and long-term consequences

The Monroe Doctrine

In the early 1800’s, US President, James Monroe, claimed Central and South America as the American sphere of influence:

“The American continents … are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers."

The Monroe Doctrine

“...It is impossible that the allied [European] powers should extend their political system to any portion of [the Americas], without endangering our peace and happiness: nor can any one believe that our Southern Brethren, if left to themselves, would adopt it of their own accord.”

How might the nations of Central and South America have viewed the Monroe Doctrine?

The Nuclear Imbalance

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviets had less nuclear missiles than the US and could not directly target the US while the Americans could“Thor”

Class: IRBM Range: 2,000 milesLocation: UK

“Jupiter”Class: MRBM Range: 2,400 milesLocation: Italy and Turkey

How might the Soviets have felt about this imbalance and what might they

have attempted in order to correct it?

Change in Cuba

Context Question: How did the US respond to the presence of communism on the Korean peninsula?

Change in Cuba

In Jan, 1959, Fidel Castro’s revolution created a communist state which was 2,400km away from the US

• Castro nationalized US sugar industries

• Cuba requested assistance from the USSR in 1960

• US broke ties in Jan 1961

Change in CubaThe failure of American diplomacy led to other

actions:

• In April 1961, US-trained rebels invaded the “Bay of Pigs” to overthrow Castro

• The invasion failed and most rebels were captured or killed

• The US isolated Cuba diplomatically and

economically

• Cuba requested additional aid from the Soviet Union

What led to a breakdown of relations between the US and Cuba?

What kind of assistance might Castro have asked for after the Bay of Pigs incident?

Actions and Responses

Oct 13, 1961: A U2 spy-plane identified potential Soviet missile facilities being established on Cuba

On Oct 22, 1961, President Kennedy announced to the American public that Soviet missiles were being deployed on Cuba

He stated that if built, the missiles had the potential to reach as far north as “Hudson

Bay, Canada”

Actions and Responses

Launch airstrike on missile sites and invade

Cuba

Blockade Cuba by navy and prevent

missile delivery

Negotiate to remove

missile sites from Cuba and Turkey

Result? Result? Result?

US starts war with the

Soviet Union

US forces the Soviets to

start conflict

American public sees

US president as weak

Allow Soviet missiles to be

installed in Cuba

Result?

American public would remove US president

If the blockade was broken by Soviet

vessels, the US would then launch an

invasion of Cuba

If the USSR launched any missiles against

the US, Kennedy promised “full

retaliatory response upon the Soviet

Union”

What did Kennedy do next?

• Asked the Soviets to remove the missiles

• Readied US forces for an invasion

• Created a naval “quarantine” around Cuba

How did the Russians respond?

• USSR foreign minister, Gromyko, flew to Washington to meet with Kennedy

• Russian ships loaded with missiles continued towards Cuba

• Khrushchev first offered that the missiles would be removed if Kennedy guaranteed Cuba would not be invaded

• Before Kennedy could respond, Khrushchev also demanded that the Jupiter missiles in Turkey be removed

How could Kennedy avoid

war while having the missiles

removed?

Publicly, Kennedy agreed to stop the invasion for withdrawal of the missiles.

Privately, Kennedy was willing to remove missiles in Turkey.

Khrushchev ordered the withdrawal of ships before

hearing the final offer.

War was avoided and the crisis was over.

Resolution

Resolution

• What was “brinkmanship” and what could have resulted by following this policy?

• How might the Soviet leadership have viewed Khrushchev’s actions?

• Who would emerge as the “winner” in this conflict and why?

Long-term Consequences

• The Soviet missiles were removed under UN supervision

• The US quietly removed the Jupiter missiles from Turkey

• The US and USSR established a “hotline” between the two leaders

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

• What major factors led the USSR to install missiles in Cuba?

• What responses were available to the US and why did they choose the one they did?

• What was the key turning point of the conflict?

• What did each side gain and/or lose?