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Assembling of Missiles in Cuba
- U-2 spy plane (takes overhead shots) and see missiles being set up in Cuba
- Suspicion of the missiles that were caught on camera from the U-2 spy plane was assigned by Kennedy himself
- East coast and midwest of US are easy for Cuba to target with their missiles in case anything occurs against the Soviet Union
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Period: to
Cuban Missile Crises
- Part of Cold War
- Race between the East and West about who has the greater nuclear weapons in the world
- Cuba was one of the countries that the US wanted to convert to democracy, which Soviet Union did not want happening
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Appeal to Kennedy and Executive Community
- Tell Kennedy (president) about the missiles in Cuba
- Based on where the missiles are in Cuba was able to hit Washington in a matter of minutes (10)
- Holds a meeting with the executive community (national security council)
- What to do about the crisis occurring
- Their missiles look like a first strike offensive attack
- Communist Leader Kruschev
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Kennedy Meets Andrei Gromyko
Andrei states
- that the missiles are not offensive weapons
- only used for the missiles are for defence
- People see it as a deadly threat that could lead to WWIII
- Krushchev probably tells him otherwise in order to cover up their use of missiles -
Decisions to Avoid Conflict with Soviet Union
- Options to get Cuban missiles taken out:
- Maybe blockade Cuba (act of war/ starvation)
- Air attacks on the missile silos
- Invade Cuba - Thought would work the best
- Army and navy get ready for any attack
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Agreement and Speech to Public
- Puts out for the first speech: talks to the US about whats going on
- Tries to tell the people about how there won't be another war
- Kennedy Administration: decide to filter the shipments and turn back ships that carry defensive weapons
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Krushchev Responds to Kennedy's Administration
- Soviet Union denies Kennedy Administration and says its an act of aggression and will continue to ship their missiles to Cuba
- They find it to be not fair due to the United States having missiles pointed at them in Turkey and Italy, while they aren't allowed to have missiles in Cuba
- This urges Soviet Union to put their missiles close by
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Kennedy Answers
- Kennedy replies: we cannot tolerate these missiles on the US borders
- 14 soviet ships turned away back from Cuba
- Possible that Krushchev is easing up?
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Krushchev Tries to Reason
- Krushchev replies: we have no attention to attack US for no reason but to defending our allies
- Turkey and Italy (allies of US) have missiles pointed at Soviet and Cuba wants to put missiles in their allies territory towards US
- State that if they promise to not attack Cuba and we will take away the missiles
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Turning Point of Conflict
- Krushchev changes thought: states that he will take out the missiles out of Cuba if US removes their missiles from Turkey and Italy
- This would seem like an act of weakness to the US public, but was a good idea that makes him look like he won this battle
- U-2 spy plane shot down over Cuba - local decision by a cuban and Krushchev didn't want that
- Kennedy: agree to first statement: they will not invade Cuba if they remove missiles while not taking out their missiles in Turkey/ Italy
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Agreement and Hidden Purposes
- Krushchev changes thought: states that he will take out the missiles out of Cuba if US removes their missiles from Turkey and Italy
- U-2 spy plane shot down over Cuba - local decision by a cuban and Krushchev didn't want that
- Kennedy: agree to first statement: they will not invade Cuba if they remove missiles while not taking out their missiles in Turkey/ Italy
- One of the biggest scares in the United States
