Cuba

What involvement did America have in Cuba before the revolution?

trading links (sugar, cigars, coffee), they supported Cuban independence from Spain in 1898, helped appoint Fulgencio Batista in government, had a naval base in Cuba (Guantanamo).

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When was the Cuban revolution and why did it happen?

It was in 1959 - Batista was overthrown and replaced by Fidel Castro. It was to stop the injustice/inequality towards common Cubans (Batista's government was very corrupt).

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What was the USSR's reaction to the Cuban revolution?

USSR supported Cuba by supplying arms to Castro and buying Cuban products.

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What was America's reaction to the Cuban revolution?

1960 - stopped buying Cuban sugar and then bans all trade with Cuba. 1961 - all American businesses in Cuba are nationalised by Cuba.

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What was the Bay of Pigs and why did it have to be kept a secret?

America trained 1,400 Cuban exiles to invade Cuba. It had to be kept a secret as the US couldn't be seen to be involved as it would be seen as an act of war against Cuba and ultimately the USSR.

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Why was the Bay of Pigs a failure?

20,000 Cuban troops against 1,400 Cuban exiles, Kennedy didn't send air support as promised, operation wasn't kept a secret, exiles were only lightly armed, exiles didn't know the terrain well enough, lack of support from Cuban general public.

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What were the consequences of the Bay of Pigs?

Kennedy is criticised and seen as a weak leader, Castro accepted support from the USSR, Castro nationalised all industries (July 1961), Castro announces that he is communist.

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What were the causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

USSR were worried about missile gap, US U2 spy plane spots missile sight being built, Cuba was afraid of another US attack, USSR increased support for Cuba, Khrushchev was worried about NATO missiles in Turkey.

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What were the three options that Kennedy had?

Naval blockade, invade Cuba, do nothing.

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What did Kennedy decide to do about the missile bases? What was Khrushchev's reaction?

Kennedy imposed a Naval Blockade. Khrushchev told the ships to turn around.

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What did Khrushchev''s first letter propose? and what did his second letter propose?

1st - said he would remove missiles from Cuba if America would agree that they would not invade Cuba. 2nd - wanted NATO missiles removed from Turkey.

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What did Kennedy say in response to Khrushchev's letters?

accepted Khrushchev's offer to remove the Cuban missiles (if they weren't, an attack would follow). He ignored the second letter.

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What arguments are put forward to prove that Kennedy won?

he kept the removal of missiles a secret, he was seen as powerful, he refused to remove the blockade, missiles were removed from Cuba.

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What arguments are put forward to prove that Khrushchev won?

independence of communist Cuba was maintained, his reputation was strengthened worldwide, missiles were removed from Turkey, missile gap had been reduced.

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What decisions were made in aid of world peace, following the Cuban Missile Crisis?

direct 'hot-line' phone link was set up between Washington and the Kremlin, a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed by both countries in 1963 - could only test weapons underground.

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What does ICBM stand for?

Inter-continental ballistic missiles - missiles that can fly from one continent to another.

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Card 4

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Card 5

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