1. CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

2. Setting the Stage  USSR was surrounded by missiles from NATO  1961 President Kennedy announces a program to build nuclear shelters and distributes pamphlets on nuclear survival  USSR and USA have a standoff over West Berlin, Khrushchev gives ultimatums for the West to leave, but always backs down…Sino-Soviet split is getting more public as Mao ridicules Khrushchev

3. The Missiles  July 1962, US gov. is aware of USSR importing missiles to Cuba  October 14 th a U2 Spy Plane sees a ballistic missile on a launch pad and photograph more missile sites  October 16 th Kennedy makes a crisis management committee they consider:  1. Airstrikes to destroy the missiles  2. An invasion of Cuba (USSR would react against Berlin)  3. Negotiations  4. Naval Blockade (Kind of illegal)

4. Photographs from U2 Planes

5. Photographs from U2 Plane

6. Kennedy’s Reaction  October 18 th JFK meets with Soviet Foreign Minister, Gromyko, who denied USSR had missiles in Cuba  October 22 nd Kennedy makes speech on TV announcing the missiles in Cuba and the blockade of ships to Cuba…two USSR ships were headed for Cuba  USSR denounces the blockade, and any sinking of ships would be an act of war  October 24 th USSR ships change course away from Cuba

7. The World Waits  October 26 th Khrushchev sends Kennedy a message promising to take out the Cuban missiles if USA takes out the Turkey Missiles  October 27 th U2 Spy plane is shot down over Cuba…another U2 plane accidently flies over USSR land near USSR  JFK orders US missiles around the world disarmed, worrying about the dangerous situation  Che Guevara hides out in the hills, preparing for a US invasion

8. Tensions rise  October 27 th Khrushchev writes a harsher message to JFK, Castro believes a US attack will happen any minute and wants to shoot a preemptive strike against the US  Robert Kennedy suggests replying to the first letter and demanding a reply by October 28 th and they plan for an invasion of Cuba for the 29 th if no word is sent. Robert has a meeting with Gromyko

9. Robert Kennedy and Gromyko

10. Kennedy & Khrushchev

11. The End  October 28 th Khrushchev announces over the radio that construction will stop on the missile sites and they would return to USSR  Kennedy promises not to invade Cuba ever again and to secretly take out missiles in Turkey  Both leaders realized the danger of nuclear brinkmanship and end this policy  Mao ridicules Khrushchev as being a coward, he pushed USSR to attack the US

12. Consequences…  Khrushchev’s reputation is ruined due to the secret clause about Turkey Missiles  Castro is enraged and humiliated when he finds out about the deal and it ruins Cuban-USSR relations for a while  Khrushchev loses control at home and there is a coup against him in October1964…eventually Brezhnev will come out as the new leader of USSR