Cuba
- The USA considered Cuba to be in her ‘sphere of influence’ - Monroe Doctrine. 🌎
- In 1959, the unpopular Batista is overthrown by Fidel Castro (Cuban Revolution)
- The USA react badly - Eisenhower refuses to meet with Castro.
- Castro implements a series of social and economic reforms - nationalising US business interests.
- USA place trade embargo 🗜💰on Cuba and back a planned invasion by 1400 Cuban exiles.
- 🐷 April 1961 - Bay of Pigs landing a fiasco - CIA call it a ‘perfect failure’
- Relations between Cuba and USSR grow closer (they’re already buying Cuban sugar)
- To defend Cuba from another invasion - Khrushchev places irbms on Cuba operation ANADYR (Or was he just closing the missile gap?) Or putting a 🦔 in uncle sam’s underpants!
- U2 spy planes ✈️ provide the President (JFK) with evidence of missile bases under construction - sparks a 13 day crisis.
- Doing nothing would be a failure for US containment policy - JFK establishes ExComm - hawks and doves - he decides on a QUARANTINE. 🚢
- JFK opts for a policy of ‘gradual escalation’ - 🎢 arguably it works - Khrushchev calls JFK’s action international piracy, but he orders ships to turn around (24 Oct)
- Behind scenes the US is planning for a full scale invasion of Cuba (he hopes it won’t be needed)
- Khrushchev sends a telegram offering to remove missiles if U.S. promise not to invade Cuba. JFK 😊
- Second telegram also demands removal of US missiles from Italy and Turkey (silly Khrushchev forgot that bit!)
- JFK ignores second telegram (smart move) but behind the scenes diplomatic ‘back channels’ are set up.
- Deal done - Khrushchev goes on Soviet radio to say missiles will be removed - JFK promises no invasion of Cuba.
- Secret deal - US agree to remove missiles from Italy and Turkey - Crisis averted no nuclear showdown! 🧨
- Positives - Improved comms ☎️ Hotline between Washington and Moscow, agreed a Test Ban Treaty 📜