US containment of communism - cuba
a) Describe the Bay of Pigs incident of 1961. [4]
The Bay of Pigs incident was where armed Cuban exiles, numbering about 1400, were supported by the USA to invade Cuba and try to topple Castro from power. Castro had nationalised industry in Cuba after the revolution in 1959 and many anti-communist Cubans fled to the USA to escape. Kennedy broke off diplomatic relations in 1961 with Cuba after it had allied itself with the USSR and supplied the exiles with the resources they needed. It was a complete failure for the Americans as 20,000 Cuban troops easily stopped them
The Bay of Pigs incident was where armed Cuban exiles, numbering about 1400, were supported by the USA to invade Cuba and try to topple Castro from power. Castro had nationalised industry in Cuba after the revolution in 1959 and many anti-communist Cubans fled to the USA to escape. Kennedy broke off diplomatic relations in 1961 with Cuba after it had allied itself with the USSR and supplied the exiles with the resources they needed. It was a complete failure for the Americans as 20,000 Cuban troops easily stopped them
b) Explain the reasons why Khrushchev put nuclear missiles on Cuba in 1962. [6]
Khrushchev put nuclear missiles on Cuba because the USA had nuclear missiles in Turkey, which was close to the USSR geographically. Khrushchev was desperate to balance the scales and bridge the missile gap between the USA and the USSR. This meant that by placing missiles on Cuba, which was less than 150km from the US coastline, Khrushchev would be able to even the odds against the USA in the arms race during the Cold War.
Another reason Khrushchev put nuclear missiles on Cuba was so Cuba could defend itself. Cuba was a communist ally of the Soviet Union and Khrushchev needed to show members of his party and other communist countries that he was ready to help his allies in the event of an invasion. This seemed especially possible after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 when Cuban exiles, armed by the USA, attempted to overthrow Castro’s regime
Khrushchev put nuclear missiles on Cuba because the USA had nuclear missiles in Turkey, which was close to the USSR geographically. Khrushchev was desperate to balance the scales and bridge the missile gap between the USA and the USSR. This meant that by placing missiles on Cuba, which was less than 150km from the US coastline, Khrushchev would be able to even the odds against the USA in the arms race during the Cold War.
Another reason Khrushchev put nuclear missiles on Cuba was so Cuba could defend itself. Cuba was a communist ally of the Soviet Union and Khrushchev needed to show members of his party and other communist countries that he was ready to help his allies in the event of an invasion. This seemed especially possible after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 when Cuban exiles, armed by the USA, attempted to overthrow Castro’s regime
c) ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis was a victory for the USA.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. [10]
I agree that the Cuban Missile Crisis was a victory for the USA. Firstly, Kennedy’s use of a naval blockade to stop more Soviet ships bringing missiles to Cuba called Khrushchev’s bluff on 24 October 1962. Khrushchev lost his nerve and ordered the twenty ships to turn around and not cross the blockade, which would have led to US ships firing on them and possibly starting a war. This meant that Kennedy’s tactics had worked and forced the Soviet Union to retreat.
Furthermore, the USA was victorious because Kennedy managed to get the nuclear missiles removed from Cuba on 28 October 1962. Khrushchev’s first letter to Kennedy said that he would remove the missiles if the USA promised not to invade Cuba in the future. After ignoring a second letter, Kennedy agreed and Khrushchev removed the missiles. This kept the USA safe from a nuclear strike. Cuba was only 150km from the US coastline and nuclear missiles on Cuba could have hit many US cities and killed millions of Americans.
However, it could be argued that the Soviet Union was victorious. Khrushchev had managed to get a promise from Kennedy not to invade its communist ally Cuba. This meant that the Soviet Union still had a communist state very close to the borders of the USA and a place from which to support communists in South America. This would be a major achievement for the USSR.
Also, Khrushchev did manage to get the US missiles from Turkey removed. This did help remove a nuclear threat to the USSR as Turkey was very close to the Soviet border. It also helped balance the missile gap between the two superpowers.
Overall, I think the USA won even though Khrushchev did claim a victory back in the USSR. Ultimately, the USA got the USSR to back down when it approached the blockade and forced Khrushchev to try to make peace when Kennedy threatened to invade Cuba. This made Khrushchev look weak in the USSR and would lead to his downfall two years later. He was also forced to keep the removal of the US missiles in Turkey a secret. This meant Khrushchev could not publicly proclaim this a victory for the USSR. Finally, the USSR had to remove its missiles from Cuba. The Americans were allowed to check them as they were put on the Soviet ships and many in the USSR felt this was a humiliation.
I agree that the Cuban Missile Crisis was a victory for the USA. Firstly, Kennedy’s use of a naval blockade to stop more Soviet ships bringing missiles to Cuba called Khrushchev’s bluff on 24 October 1962. Khrushchev lost his nerve and ordered the twenty ships to turn around and not cross the blockade, which would have led to US ships firing on them and possibly starting a war. This meant that Kennedy’s tactics had worked and forced the Soviet Union to retreat.
Furthermore, the USA was victorious because Kennedy managed to get the nuclear missiles removed from Cuba on 28 October 1962. Khrushchev’s first letter to Kennedy said that he would remove the missiles if the USA promised not to invade Cuba in the future. After ignoring a second letter, Kennedy agreed and Khrushchev removed the missiles. This kept the USA safe from a nuclear strike. Cuba was only 150km from the US coastline and nuclear missiles on Cuba could have hit many US cities and killed millions of Americans.
However, it could be argued that the Soviet Union was victorious. Khrushchev had managed to get a promise from Kennedy not to invade its communist ally Cuba. This meant that the Soviet Union still had a communist state very close to the borders of the USA and a place from which to support communists in South America. This would be a major achievement for the USSR.
Also, Khrushchev did manage to get the US missiles from Turkey removed. This did help remove a nuclear threat to the USSR as Turkey was very close to the Soviet border. It also helped balance the missile gap between the two superpowers.
Overall, I think the USA won even though Khrushchev did claim a victory back in the USSR. Ultimately, the USA got the USSR to back down when it approached the blockade and forced Khrushchev to try to make peace when Kennedy threatened to invade Cuba. This made Khrushchev look weak in the USSR and would lead to his downfall two years later. He was also forced to keep the removal of the US missiles in Turkey a secret. This meant Khrushchev could not publicly proclaim this a victory for the USSR. Finally, the USSR had to remove its missiles from Cuba. The Americans were allowed to check them as they were put on the Soviet ships and many in the USSR felt this was a humiliation.
