Cuban Missile Crisis

By: Zach Frye

The Players

Nikita Khrushchev• Premier of the Soviet

Union• Born: 1894. Died: 1971• Born in Kalinovka, Russia• Worked as shepherd and

locksmith• Joined communist party in

1918• Attended communist high

school in 1921

Nikita Khrushchev (con.)• Became head of

communist party in 1953• Became Premier in 1958• Did not want war with

western countries• Wanted peaceful co-

existence with all notions• Worked to expand

economic competition with all nations

Fidel Castro• Premier of Cuba• Born: 1926• Born in Mayari, Cuba• Attended University of

Havana • Opened law office with

two partners

Fidel Castro(con.)• Ran for election to Cuban

House of Representatives• Held rebellion and was

captured• Sentenced to 15 years• Released early and exiled

to Mexico• January 1, 1959 assumed

control of Cuba

John F. Kennedy• President of the United

States• Born: 1917 Died: 1963• Born in Brookline,

Massachusetts • Enrolled in Harvard and

graduated in four years • Entered the U.S. Navy in

WW2

John F. Kennedy(con.)• Commanded boat that was

rammed by Japanese • Rescued several crew

members but contracted malaria

• Was told by soviets they would not put nuclear weapons in Cuba

• Like Khrushchev hoped for no armed conflict

October 15, 1962• Reconnaissance photos

caught soviets under construction in Cuba

• Early the next day President Kennedy was informed

• Organization of EX-COMM

• Ordered and naval quarantine of Cuba

October 22, 1962• President Kennedy

informs public of quarantine

• Demanded Nikita Khrushchev remove all missiles from Cuba

• Premier Khrushchev ordered if U.S. invasion launch the nukes

October 27, 1962• A U.S. U-2 spy plane was

shot down over Cuba• EX-COMM receives

another letter demanding U.S. removal of nuclear weapons in Turkey in exchange for soviet missiles

• Attorney Gen. Robert Kennedy ignored the second letter and accepted the first letter

October 28, 1962• Khrushchev announced

dismantle of nuclear arms in Cuba

• Also soviet light bombers removed from Cuba

• U.S. agreed to not invade Cuba in order to resolve tensions

• Further negotiations were held to ensure peace

The End