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Case Study
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuba
Cuba
Really old background info…
Late 19thC Spanish colonies in America
were seeking independence
 1898- Spanish-American civil war
 US became ruling power in Cuba
 US agreed to leave but only if Cuba
accepted conditions of Platt Amendment
(1901)

Platt Amendment
Cuba could not transfer territory to
anyone other than US
 US had the right to intervene in Cuban
affairs for the sake of “Cuban
Independence”

Another Historical Document

Munroe Agreement 1823


President James Munroe
“any attempt by a European power to
control any nation in the western
hemisphere would be considered as a
hostile act towards the US”
Background

1901-1950s
Ruled by pro-American Fulgencio Batista
 Ruled by small group of rich and powerful
(mostly foreign, especially US)
 Vast majority- peasantry

Cuba under Batista
Cuba as “America’s Playground”
 Investments in sugar, ENTERTAINMENT
 Examples:

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
 Godfather

Cuban Revolution*
1959- Fidel Castro led forces in
revolution (aided by Che
Guevara)
Goal: overthrow Batista
-fought via guerrilla warfare
-supported by peasants

Castro’s Reforms
1959-1960: Nationalizes previously
owned US sugar estates and cattle
ranches
 Planned to redistribute Cuban wealth
 Began promoting anti-American
sentiments
 ****Cubans who oppose Castro flee to
US

Problems
1960- Castro signs treaty with USSR
(does not formally declare communist)
 Castro nationalized oil refineries
(America had refused to refine Soviet
crude oil)
 US refuses to sell military hardware to
Cubans
 Castro goes to USSR for assistance


1961- Eisenhower ends diplomatic
relations with Cuba
During the Revolution
Cubans fled to US
 Refugees thought stay in US temporary
and would return to Cuba once Castro
fell
 Eisenhower invested $ to help Cubans
plan a counter-revolution

Operation Pluto
Eisenhower trained 1500 Cubans to
attack Cuba with assistance of CIA
 Thought if they attacked, would spark a
popular revolution and others would join

While this is happening…
Cuba’s relationship with USSR growing,
Castro formally declares he’s a
communist in 1961
 1961- Kennedy takes over from
Eisenhower

Bay of Pigs
Planned attack on Cuba by Cuban
refugees
 April 10, 1961
 Lasted 3 days
 Poorly equipped, poorly planned
 Did not receive promised air support
from America

Why didn’t Kennedy send support?
Wanted to claim “plausible deniability”
 Did not want to get directly involved

Mini-Assignment



1.
2.
To be completed and handed in by the
end of class
From what you just learned about Cuba
PREDICT:
what will Castro do next and why?
What will Kennedy do next and why?

What will Kennedy use to justify this?
Cuban Missile Crisis
After Bay of Pigs: Castro approaches
Khrushchev for more weapons (p. 68)
 February 1962- America launches an
economic embargo against Cuba


Won’t trade with them, high taxes on those
that do
What’s Happening
1- Changes to Guantanamo
2- Cuba obtains weapons
Guantanamo Bay
American naval base since 1903
(American-Cuban Treaty gave perpetual
lease)
 Cuban government opposes base
 Once Castro in power: refuses to cash
rental cheques

Guantanamo continued…
Oct 22, 1962- military families evacuated
 US troops placed 75 000 landmines to
protect area (1996- Clinton replaces with
motion sensors)

Cuba Obtains Weapons

June 17-October 22 1962: USSR transfers 24
launching pads, rockets, 45 nuclear warheads,
bombers, aircraft, and 47000 troops




Cuba denies
YouTube - Kennedy addresses the nation on the
Cuban Missile Crisis
What action will Kennedy take?
What will become the policy of the US regarding
the Cubans launching a missile?
Result of Tension:
America puts up “Quarantine” of Cuba
 To stop weapons from entering Cuba
 Lasts 13 days
 Referred to as “October Crisis”

Crisis Ends

After tense negotiations it was decided
between Khrushchev and Kennedy:
USSR would remove troops and weapons
 US would remove missiles from Turkey
