Studied by 6 people
The Cuban Missile Crisis, Czechoslovakia, An Easing of Tension
1933-1959
Cuba was ruled by a corrupt and brutal government led by Bartista
American Investment led to
US and Cuban businessmen becoming very wealthy life for ordinary Cubans was very tough
By the 1950s
Cuba was fed up with the regime a young lawyer Fidel Castro called for revolution
Fidel Castro was
arrested and sent to exile
In 1956
Castro returns with 81 supporters and begins a 2-year guerrilla war campaign
1st January 1959
Batista's government collapses and Castro is declared the new leader of Cuba
Castro never
referred to communism he talked of a fight by ordinary Cubans to create a freer and fairer society
Castro was willing
to work with the USA, he visited but Eisenhower refused to meet with him
In Cuba Castro started
to reorganise how the country worked taking many businesses into state ownership including American businesses
Without the USA Castro
turned to the USSR for help in building the economy
In response the USA
planted an embargo on Cuba and now Cuba was totally reliant on the USSR
The Bay of Pigs 1961 Plan
Group of Cuban exiles trained by the CIA would take over the country the USA air force would help them, the invasion would help other Cubans take arms against Castro
The Bay of Pigs 1961 Problem
Most Cubans supported Castro and many USA senior's thought the involvement was illegal under international law
However having spent
$5million it was decided the plan would go ahead
17th April 1961
Cuban exile's landed on the beach on the Bay of Pigs. It was a total disaster
Kennedy at the last minute
withdrew the US air force leaving the exiles totally exposed
What happened to the Cuban exiles
200 were killed and 1197 were arrested and taken prisoner by Castro
Consequences of The Bay of Pigs for the USA
obvious that the USA was involved and had broken international law, they were humiliated and Kennedy months into his presidency looked weak and incompetent
Consequences of the Bay of Pigs for Cuba
pushed Castro further into his alliance with the USSR
For Khrushchev
having an ally near USA was an opportunity not to be missed, especially with the USA arms and nuclear weapons base in Turkey.
Summer 1962
First nuclear weapons arrive in Cuba
14th October 1962
USA realise what is going on
21st October 1962 (1)
Kennedy tells the people what is happening
21st October 1962 (2)
Kennedy orders a blockade on Cuba and says that any ship that attempts to reach the island will be shot at by the US Navy
22nd October 1962
Kennedy places USA on DEFCON 3
Convinced Kennedy would invade Cuba
Khrushchev prepares for a fight
23ird October 1962
Soviet ships arrive in Cuba bringing more missiles now a game of brinkmanship
24th October 1962
UN General Secretary U Thant calls for a compromise ships face each other, USA moved into DEFCON 2
7:15 am 25th October 1962
Soviet ship reached quarantine allowed to pass when they realised it was an oil tanker
Kennedy prepares to invade
assembles 120,000 USA troops in Florida
26th October 1962
Kennedy receives letter from Khrushchev saying he will remove the missiles from Cuba
27th October 1962 (1)
USA detects a Soviet submarine close to Cuba believing they were at war the captain almost launches a nuclear torpedo
27th October 1962 (2)
Cuba shoots down a Soviet Spy Plane
27th October 1962 (3)
US plane drifts into soviet airspace
27th October 1962 (4)
Kennedy receives a second letter from Khrushchev saying he promises to remove the missiles but demands Kennedy removes the missiles from Turkey and Italy
Kennedy agrees but
asks Khrushchev to keep it a secret
Positive Consequences for Khrushchev
Claimed to encourage world peace, supporting smaller countries against the USA, Cuba remained a close ally to the USSR, removal of nuclear weapons in Turkey and Italy
Negative Consequences for Khrushchev
Senior members of the communist party felt he had been reckless, just as they were gaining an advantage and it contributed to his removal on 14th October 1964
Positives for Kennedy
Shown he was not a weak leader, no direct nuclear threat to the USA as missiles could not reach USSR to USA
Negatives for Kennedy
Removal of American weapons in Europe if it had been public would have been seen as a major retreat from Europe
Consequences of CMC
Drew attention to the risk of brinkmanship and lack of control, Crisis only resolved when communication was direct so they installed a 'hotline' between The White House and the Kremlin, Partial Ban Treaty (1963) banned the testing of nuclear weapons except underground, Recognised the arms race could not continue this way
What was lifelike for people living in Czechlovakia?
Communist one-party state, answered to Moscow (WP), media and press tightly controlled and freedom of speech was banned, no opportunities to see what life was like outside moscow
However, by the 1960s
economic problems, the leader Antonin Novotny was corrupt and unpopular, Ota Sik called for change and argued that ordinary people should have more power and the ban on private businesses should be banned, Moscow rejected these calls for change
January 1968
Novotny forced to resign and was replaced by Alexander Dubcek
What reforms did D put in place?
removed state control of businesses, freedom of speech, ended press censorship, allowed trade unions and gave Czechs the right to visit other countries
What did D do after Moscow accepted his initial reforms
Prague Springs announced plans to open borders to other Western Countries and remove all censorship of the press
Why was D a problem for Brezhnev?
Needed to maintain control of Czechoslovakia without causing more problems, made worse by Polish students calling for reforms
What was decided in June 1968?
WP Carry out military exercises along Czech border which sent a clear message to Dubcek
July 1968
WP met without Dubcek and issued the Warsaw Letter final warning he did not listen and WP used force to solve the problem
20th August 1968
Soviet forces entered Czechoslovakia seized control of Prague, Dubcek ordered the army not to resist, 100 people were killed, 500 were wounded and new hard-line government installed in Moscow
Global Response to C (1)
Communists were outraged and saw it as an act of imperialism, protests in China and Yugoslavia which was outside the Soviet Sphere of Influence, small protest in Red Square in Moscow
Global Response to C (2)
Biggest threat came from the Red Army: they had been told that the invasion was at the request of the Czech people damaged the Soviet leader's reputations, destroyed their trust in communism
Western Response (1)
USA condemned the invasion and cancelled the meeting between Brezhnev and Johnson however they were more concerned with the Vietnam War and wanted to avoid increasing tensions
Western Response (2)
UN was going to pass a Resolution or statement, but the USSR Veto made this impossible, established in Hungary 1956 the West would not interfere with Soviet Action behind the iron curtain
The Brezhnev Doctrine
November 1968 B made a speech that if any country in the WP that had behaved the same way C had done, they would face the same consequences
USA response to the Brezhnev Doctrine
At first ended talks that were intended to improve relations, took a different view to save the progress that had been made
China response to Brezhnev Doctrine
Suspicious worried the USA might interfere with China which was undergoing a cultural revolution
What were the two main sources of tension in the late
Vietnam: USA's involvement had grown over the 60s USSR saw the USAs actions as an attempt to force their ideology on a country embracing communism Human Rights: Lack of freedom of speech and censorship in the USSR, many saw CW as a struggle of freedom vs oppression, although it did not disappear USA leaders did not want it to stop peace talks
Reasons for Detente (1)
China-Soviet Split: USA saw it as an opportunity to build a relationship with the world's second biggest communist country. February 1972 Nixon became first president to visit China
Reason for Detente (2)
Conflict: Vietnam war showed that nuclear weapons did not help win conventional wars. Neither side wanted a war
Reason for Detente (3)
The Nuclear Issue: CCMC. Concerns less stable countries would build nuclear weapons, co-operation would stop the spread of nuclear bombs
Reason for Detent (4)
Both countries were spending thousands on the arms race continuing as they were it would bankrupt the USSR
SALT 1 1969/May1972
Banned new ballistic missiles Reduced the number of anti-ballistic missile defence systems that could be built
Effects of SALT 1 and 2
improved relations did not last cold war continued for another 20 years moments of tension: Africa, Middle East and Central America
