Cuban Missile Crisis

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Cuban Missile Crisis
www.sas.upenn.edu/.../ cubanmissilecrisis.html
www.historywiz.com/ cubamissile.htm
www.greatdreams.com/ guarding.htm
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A Brief Introduction

• The Cuban Missile Crisis was a conflict between
  the Soviet Union and the United States over the
  Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba.
  The crisis began on October 15, 1962 and lasted
  for thirteen days. It is regarded by many as the
  moment in which the Cold War was closest to
  becoming an actual nuclear war.
• However, for the courage of two men- President
  John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev,
  the war was prevented beforehand.
  (library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/?tqskip11)

USS Canberra underway during The Cuban Missile
Crisis (Oct. 28 1962)
www.history.navy.mil/.../ sh-usn/usnsh-c/cag2.htm
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Causes of The Cuban Missile Crisis
The American government was also afraid that
communism would spread in the Western Hemisphere.
In addition, the Missiles on the Cuban island,
close to Florida, was a direct threat to the
United States.
Prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of
Pigs invasion took place between the United
States and Cuba. This was an attempt to overthrow
the Cuban dictator in 1961,by president Kennedy.
The failed Bay of Pigs invasion severely
embarrassed the Kennedy administration, and made
Castro wary of future US incursions into Cuba.
Therefore, this invasion led directly to the
Cuban Missile Crisis a year and a half later.
www.cia.gov/csi/studies/vol46no1/article06.html
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John F. Kennedy

• The President of the United States, John F.
  Kennedy, performed brilliantly during the Cuban
  Missile Crisis. This peaceful resolution is
  probably his greatest triumph.

library.thinkquest.org/11046/people/castro.html
Fidel Castro
The leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro sought
protection against the attack of the United
States. His socialistic ideologies and
cooperation with the Soviet Union unsettled the
United States. He has outlasted seven American
presidents, and is still in power today.
library.thinkquest.org/11046/people/j_kennedy.html
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Nikita Khrushchev

• Khrushchev, the Premier of Russia believed that
  Communism was going to be the only way to live.
  This led to what is known as the Cuban Missile
  Crisis. Premier Khrushchev formed a treaty with
  Fidel Castro. Castro was the leader of the new
  Communist nation of Cuba. Castro agreed to let
  Khrushchev place nuclear missiles in Cuba. This
  alarmed the leaders of the United States.

ntap.k12.ca.us/whs/projects/history/khrushchev.htm
l
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Cuban Missile Crisis Timeline
THIRTEEN DAYS

• Day 1 Monday, October 15
• A U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by
  Richard Heyser, reveals several SS-4 nuclear
  missiles in Cuba.
• Day 2 Tuesday, October 16
• After learning of the missiles during
  breakfast, President Kennedy convenes his
  Executive Committee (EX-COMM) to consider
  America's options.
• Day 3- 5 (Wednesday, October 17 - Friday, October
  19)
• Amid scheduled campaign trips to
  Connecticut and the Midwest, President Kennedy
  meets with and advises Soviet Foreign Minister
  Andrie Gromyko that America will not tolerate
  Soviet missiles in Cuba. Gromyko denies the
  presence of any Soviet weaponry on the island.

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• Day 7 Sunday, October 21
• Kennedy decides on a naval blockade of Cuba.
  When confronted with questions regarding rumors
  of offensive weapons in Cuba, he asks the press
  not to report the story until after he addresses
  the American public.
• Day 9Tuesday, October 23
• The Organization of American States supports
  the U.S. decision to quarantine Cuba and, by the
  end of the day, all naval vessels are in place,
  and photos reveal that Soviet missiles are poised
  for launch.
• Last day of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• President Kennedy agreed in his messages
  with Khrushchev that this country would take some
  of the pressure off Castro in return for a
  removal of the Soviet missiles.After losing a
  naval blockade showdown with the United States,
  Khrushchev ordered Soviet nuclear
  missile-launching sites to be removed from Cuba.
• library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/)

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'This hurts me more than it hurts you!
http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?cd3./temp/
pp_TOcV
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(nsarchive.chadwyck.com/cmphotox.html)
Soviet Ships Carrying Jet Light Bomber Crates to
Cuba
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(nsarchive.chadwyck.com/cmphotox.html)
Nuclear Warhead Bunker Under Construction
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(nsarchive.chadwyck.com/cmphotox.html)
Kennedy having a meeting with former U.S.
ambassador to the Soviet Union Llewellyn
Thompso18, 1962).
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Ideological Barriers

• The Cuban Missile Crisis illustrates the
  ideological
• differences between the Soviet Union and the
• United States. The American government has always
• believed that Communism goes against everything
  that the United States stands for.
• First of all,the United States was originally
  founded on the beliefs of Puritanism, and
  ultimately, Liberalism. Therefore, they feared
  that the Communist ideology would undermine the
  foundation of the country.
• Secondly, the American government did not want
  the idea of
• C ommunism to spread throughout
  Latin America, since their
  economic interests were deeply involved.
• I n addition, they wanted to
  avoid Communism spreading
• within the United States.

(ntap.k12.ca.us/.../history/ khrushchev.html)
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• Works Cited
• Pictures
• www.historywiz.com/ cubamissile.html
• library.thinkquest.org/11046/people/castro.html
• www.greatdreams.com/ guarding.htm
• www.sas.upenn.edu/.../ cubanmissilecrisis.html
• http//memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?cd3./temp/
  pp_TOcV