The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

• American's supported a corrupt regime under Fulgencio Batista until the Cuban revolution in 1959
• Fidel Castro took over
• Alligned with the Soviets
• The Boy of Pigs (Failed invasion of Cuba)
• 1962 Soviets begin to put Nuclear weapons into Cuba (Noticed by U2 spy planes) 

The Crisis
    The US had 3 options:

1. Diplomatic solution (negotiated settlement)
   
2. A conventional attack (air attack followed by invasion
   
3. A naval blockade
   

• Robert Kennedy, attorney general, convinced Security Council to go with blockade
• Ships turn around at the quarantine
• 2 letters sent from Krushchev to Kennedy
• Brinkmanship ensues (U.N. gets involved)
• Russians pull out of Cuba in exchange for a removal of missiles in Turkey at a later date
• Directly resulted in the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1962

Summary

Cuba brought in communism, the first communist country in the western hemisphere. JFK's initial reaction was to invade Cuba, this invasion was known as the Bay of Pigs, but this attack failed because JFK pulled the air support out at the last moment. In 1962, the Soviets put nuclear weapons in Cuba, which caused fear for the US. JFK's brother convinced the Security Council to do a naval blockade.  The Russians agree to leave Cuba if Americans remove missiles in Turkey which was a direct result in the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1962.