2. The Arm Race
• USSR and USA both become nuclear power
• Engaged in arm race
• Both sides wanted to take the lead in arms and technology
•
3. The U-2 Crisis
• In 1950, USA started a spy mission in USSR without the permission of
Truman, later Truman called off the operation.
• In 1956, flights again begun with the agreement of President Eisenhower,
and this time they begun a brand-new spy plan called U-2.
• The height of the U-2 was so high that it could not be shot down by the
Russian forces.
• Through this they knew all the Russian weapons and movement.
• Meanwhile, soviet power increased, and they shot down one U-2 plan and
arrested the pilot.
• US was denied after accepted but not apologizes. This escalated the
tension.
4. Policy of deterrence and MAD
• A policy of deterrence generally refers to threats of military
retaliation directed by the leaders of one country to the leaders of
another to prevent the other country from resorting to the threat or
use of military force in pursuit of its foreign policy goals.
• mutual assured destruction, principle of deterrence founded on the
notion that a nuclear attack by one superpower would be met with
an overwhelming nuclear counterattack such that both the attacker
and the defender would be thrashed.
5. Cuba and USA
• Cuba, small island, 90 miles from Florida
• U.S. businesses controlled much of Cuba,
• U.S. military base (Guantanamo)
• US huge naval base
• 1959, Fidel Castro overthrows Batista (US-backed dictator)
• Castro was a pro-communist leader
• Castro nationalized U.S. industries, i.e. sugar
• Castro takes over U.S. businesses
• January 1961, US breaks off diplomatic relations
• April 1961, Bay of Pigs – 1,400 anti-Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Castro
• By Autumn 1962, Cuba has received 1000s of USSR missiles, jets, boats & personnel
7. Cuba and Soviet Union
• After the bay of pigs, soviets' arms flooded into Cuba.
• To help a new Communist state
• To get a launch base for inter-continental missiles (ICMs)
• To test strength of new U.S. president, JFK
• Khrushchev wanted to force JFK to bargain over U.S. missiles in
Europe
8. • By 1962, soviets openly supplying Cuba with arms. (missiles, boats,
tanks, jet bombers, and arm forces).
• American saw this with great concerns, but think its not possible that
USSR would put nuclear missiles in cuba
• Kennedy warned the USSR that he would prevent by whether means
might be necessary.
• Cuba becoming an offensive military base
• USSR assured USA that he had no intentions to put nuclear missiles in
Cuba.
9.
10. 13 days crisis or October crisis
• 14th October 1962, an US U-2 spy plane flew over Cuba.
• It took detailed pictures of missiles sites in Cuba.
• Two things were obvious that these were nuclear sites, and they were
being build by USSR.
• More photos confirmed that more missiles were ready to placed and
this sites could be launch missiles in seven days.
• Also 20 soviet ships were currently on the way to Cuba carrying
missiles.
11. 16th October till 28th October
• Tuesday 16 Oct, Kennedy is informed of the missiles build up
• Saturday 20th October, Kennedy decides on a blockade of Cuba.
• Mon 22nd Oct, Kennedy announces the blockade and calls on the
Soviet to withdraw the missiles
• Tuesday 23rd Oct, Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev saying
that Soviet ships were not observe the blockade and does not admit
the presence of missiles in Cuba.
• Wednesday 24th Oct, The Blockade begins. 20 soviet ships carrying
missiles were reached 500 mile to blockade zone. But suddenly at
night the 20 ships that were close to the zone stop and tur around.
12. • Thursday 25th Oct, The aerial photography reveals that work on the
missiles bases in Cuba is proceeding rapidly.
• Friday 26th Oct, Kennedy receives a personal letter from Khrushchev.
The letter claims that missiles in Cuba are purely defensive but goes
on. First time he admitted the presence of missiles.
• Saturday 27th Oct, Khrushchev sends a second letter, revising his
proposals and saying that condition for removing the missiles from
Cuba is that USA withdraw its missiles from turkey. Kennedy did not
accept this condition.
13. • On the same day, an American U-2 plane is shot down over cuba. The
pilot is killed. Kennedy did not use reprisal attack n Cuba. He decides
to delay the attack and ignore Khrushchev second letter and focus on
first letter and said that if the Soviet Union would not withdraw a
attack will follow. ( some says that Kennedy and Khrushchev had a
private deal)
• Sunday 28th October, Khrushchev replies to Kennedy that Soviet
government has given a new order to dismantle the arms in Cuba.
14. The Outcome
• Cuba stayed Communist and highly armed.
• Nuclear missiles were withdrawn with UN supervision.
• Both leaders gained the confidence
• Kennedy become popular
• They draw the policies of Cold war
• A permanent “ Hot line” was set up between USA and USSR.
