The Cuban Missile Crisis: Decisions and Impact

1
The Cuban Missile Crisis Decisions and Impact
2
Possible options to deal with the Cuban crisis
provided by ExCom

1. Do nothing
2. Place diplomatic pressures and warn the USSR
3. Make a secret deal with Castro
4. Place a blockade around Cuba
5. Send an airstrike against Cuba
6. Launch a full scale invasion of Cuba

3
Why did they pick the blockade?

1. A small scale invasion might face the same type
   of defeat as the Bay of Pigs and it wouldnt
   guarantee elimination of all the weapons.
2. The attack could be seen by the world as Pearl
   Harbor in reverse.
3. An air strike might provoke the Soviets.
4. The middle in decision making.

4
Kennedys decision

• Naval Blockade
• Watch of military moves
• Any launching of missiles would be viewed as an
  attack by the USSR on the US and we would respond
  in kind
• Guantanamo would be reinforced
• US call on the OAS and UN to meet
• Hope that the Cubans would rise up and overthrow
  Castro

5
Results

• Khrushchev agreed to pull out the missiles.
• The US agreed to secretly pull their missiles out
  of Turkey.
• The US agreed never to invade Cuba.