The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

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The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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Castro and Khruschev showing closer ties
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The Crisis

• Soviets armed Cuba with nuclear missiles

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• U2 spy plane photographs sites

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• U.S. territory is vulnerable so JFK demanded
• removal
• Khrushchev warned it could lead to nuclear
• war

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How should JFK handle this crisis?

• pursue diplomacy (talk with Cuba and S.U.)
• blockade Cuba so missiles not fully assembled
• have Air Force do an air strike to destroy sites
• before operational

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JFK announces decision to blockade Cuba to the
public on T.V.

• JFK placed a blockade on Cuba
• warned Soviets of attack if missile fired
• brink of nuclear war

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Soviets show traditional arms in Havanna, Cuba
and send 19 ships w/ materials to finish making
missile sites operational
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(No Transcript)
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Soviet ship Poltava on its way to Cuba (CIA photo)

• Soviet ships turned back at the last minute

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The Compromise
Members of ExComm and JFK planning a compromise

• Soviet missiles removed from Cuba
• U.S. promises not to invade Cuba
• U.S. removed missiles from Italy and Turkey

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JFK signs Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963

• Hotline b/t the S.U. and U.S. leaders
• Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty no
• testing of nuclear weapons aboveground
• JFK foreign policy success