The Cuban Misile crisis

WHY DID KENNEDY PUT MISSILES IN CUBA???

• Khrushchev wanted to produce more nuclear warheads and close the 'missile gap' between him and the USA
• the USA had missiles in western Europe and in turkey well within the range of the USSR. placing the missiles in Cuba would help restore the missile balance
• the USSR had more cheap medium range missiles than the USA and putting them in Cuba would be perfect
• soviet missiles in Cuba would strengthen his bargaining position with the USA
• Khrushchev had been very keen  to defend Cuba it was the only communist country in the western hemisphere and had just survived the Bay of Pigs invasion
• it would…