The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

President Kennedy's dealings with a communist threat just 90 miles away from the United States.

Cuba Becomes Communist

• Fidel Castro led a successful overthrow of a US Backed Cuban Government

• Castro transforms Cuba into a Communist nation only 90 miles from the United States

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

• An invasion of Cuban by 1,400 Cuban Exiles

• Authorized by President Kennedy, but was a CIA plan developed under President Eisenhower.

• US Airstrike went poorly, and the planes were ID'd as USA AF Planes

Poll

Will the Invasion be successful?

• Yes, a great success!

• No, a complete disaster.

• The invasion was abandoned at the last minute.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

• The exiles landed at a beach known as The Bay of Pigs and were met with heavy resistance.

• The success of the invasion depended on successful air strikes and the Cuban civilians joining the invasion force.

• Neither of which occured.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion Aftermath

• The United States and Kennedy are humiliated.

• Castro finally turned to the USSR for support.

The Bay of Pigs | JFK Library

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Open Ended

Knowing that the Cubans are leaning on the Soviets for support and protection, what do you think is the next step for Cuban Defense?

October 1962

• U-2 Spy Plane photographs nuclear missiles being assembled in Cuba.

• For several days, to prevent the Soviets and the Cubans from knowing that the US had discovered the missiles, Kennedy met in secret with his advisors to develop a plan of action.

October 22, 1962

• Kennedy orders a Naval "Quarantine" of Cuba.

• To have called it a blockade, which it was, would have been considered an act of war, so the title was meaningful.

Resolution

• Publicly, the US and USSR agree to a deal where the US pledged to not invade Cuba again in exchange for the Soviets removing the missiles from Cuba.

• Privately, the US agreed to also remove nuclear missiles from Italy and Turkey after a period of 6 months.