Cuban missile crisis

• Run by Batista up to 1959 
• Batista is practically a puppet of America and very disliked by the Cubans.
• USA is unhappy with Castro taking power.

This is because America fear a communist Cuba for economic reasons (lots of US money invested in Cuba), for military reasons (Communism near USA) and politically (Containment)

• Castro taken over and removed US business and taken over old US land.
• USA stop $1bn worth of sugar trade and tobacco trade with Cuba.
• This causes Cuba to develop links with the USSR
• Close the embassy

This all pushes Cuba more towards Russia and communism for help.

• Russia sends troops, advisers and nukes to Cuba.
• The US make it clear they won't tolerate nukes on Cuba
• The USSR say they won't build any
• The USSR build nuclear missile silos and SAM sites

• JFK was weak after the failed bay of pigs invasion.
• to defend Castro
• to use as a bargaining chip
• Russian missiles are short range
• In response to nukes in turkey

• The US spot the Silos from a U2 spy plane.
• Kennedy forms a group called Ex-comm to discuss the options
• Kennedy decides to blockade Cuba as this would not start a war
• Khrushchev sends a letter to Kennedy about removing the missiles
• Kennedy agree's and pretends not to have received the letter

• Avoid war
• not humiliating for Khrushchev to back down 
• The blockade bought the US time