Cuban Missile Crisis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cuban Missile Crisis
Part of the Cold War
Date October 16–28, 1962 (Naval quarantine of Cuba ended November 20) Location Cuba Result The Soviet Union removing nuclear missiles from Cuba America removing nuclear missiles from Turkey and Italy Agreement with the Soviet Union that the United States would never invade Cuba without direct provocation Creation of a nuclear hotline between the United States and the Soviet Union
Belligerents
China  Soviet Union  Cuba Supported by: Warsaw Pact	United States  Italy  Turkey Supported by:  NATO
Commanders and leaders
Nikita Khrushchev Anastas Mikoyan Rodion Malinovsky Issa Pliyev Georgy Abashvili Fidel Castro Raúl Castro Che Guevara	John F. Kennedy Robert McNamara Maxwell D. Taylor Curtis LeMay George Whelan Anderson Jr. Alexsys Soriano Robert F. Kennedy Amintore Fanfani Giulio Andreotti Cemal Gürsel İlhami Sancar
Casualties and losses
None	1 U-2 spy aircraft lost 1 killed

Cuba's location on a map

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very tense time between the Soviet Union, the United States, and Cuba. It happened in 1962 during the Cold War. In Russia, it's called the Caribbean Crisis. In Cuba, it's known as the October Crisis.

This crisis began when the Soviet Union started building secret missile sites in Cuba. Cuba is very close to the United States. These missiles could reach many American cities. This event was one of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War. Many people believe it was the closest the world ever came to a nuclear war.

Before this, in 1959, Fidel Castro took power in Cuba. His new government took over American businesses there. Because of this, the US government stopped buying things from Cuba. This started an embargo (a ban on trade) against Cuba in 1962.

In October 1962, American ships blocked Soviet ships carrying missiles from reaching Cuba. This was a very risky move. Eventually, the Soviets and Cubans agreed to remove the missiles. In return, America promised not to attack Cuba. The US also secretly agreed to remove its own missiles from Turkey.

What Caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Fidel Castro, Cuba's leader

The Cuban Missile Crisis had several important causes. It was a mix of fears, politics, and past events.

The Cold War and Communism

The United States and the Soviet Union were the two main superpowers after World War II. They were in a long-lasting conflict called the Cold War. This was a fight of ideas: the US supported capitalism and democracy, while the USSR supported communism. The US was very worried about communism spreading around the world. They especially did not want a communist country close to their borders.

Cuba, a small island nation in the Caribbean, became a communist country under Fidel Castro. This worried the US because it was so close to Florida. The US also had missiles in Turkey, a country near the Soviet Union. The Soviets felt threatened by these missiles.

Fidel Castro and Cuba

In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution in Cuba. He removed the old leader, General Batista. Batista had been a military dictator with ties to the US. When Castro took power, he nationalized many American companies in Cuba. This meant he took their private property and made it belong to the Cuban government.

The United States reacted by stopping all trade with Cuba. They also stopped buying Cuban sugar, which was Cuba's main product. This hurt Cuba's economy badly. To help Cuba, the Soviet Union stepped in. They agreed to buy Cuban sugar and offer support. Castro then declared himself a Marxist-Leninist, fully aligning Cuba with the Soviet Union.

Nikita Khrushchev's Goals

Nikita Khrushchev was the leader of the Soviet Union at the time. He had several reasons for wanting to help Cuba and place missiles there:

• He wanted a communist country very close to the United States. This would be a strong symbol of Soviet power.
• He wanted to test the new US president, John F. Kennedy. Khrushchev thought Kennedy might be weak.
• He wanted a way to get the American missiles out of Turkey. These missiles were a threat to Russia.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion

President Kennedy meets with General Curtis Lemay

In April 1961, the US tried to overthrow Castro's government. This was called the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The US trained Cuban exiles (people who had left Cuba) to invade the island. However, the invasion failed badly. It was a big embarrassment for President Kennedy and the US.

This failure made Castro feel unsafe. He worried the US would try to invade again. It also made Khrushchev think that Kennedy was not strong enough to handle a crisis. Because of these fears, Castro asked Khrushchev for help defending Cuba. The Soviet Union agreed to build missile sites in Cuba. These missiles could hit major cities in the United States.

The Crisis Unfolds

The most intense part of the crisis lasted for about two weeks.

Discovering the Missiles

On October 14, 1962, a United States Navy U-2 spy plane flew over Cuba. It took pictures that clearly showed the Soviet Union building missile bases. When President Kennedy saw these pictures on October 16, he knew it was a very serious problem. He believed Cuba was preparing to attack the United States.

Kennedy's Difficult Choices

Kennedy had to act quickly. He gathered a special group of advisors called EXCOMM (Executive Committee of the National Security Council). They discussed many options:

On October 20, Kennedy decided to create a naval blockade around Cuba. This meant US ships would stop all ships going to Cuba to prevent more military supplies from arriving.

Khrushchev's Response

Khrushchev's letter to Kennedy

On October 25, Soviet ships reached the blockade and were stopped by the US Navy. The world held its breath, fearing a direct conflict.

On October 26, Nikita Khrushchev sent a letter to Kennedy. It seemed very personal and stressed. In the letter, Khrushchev offered to remove the missile sites from Cuba. In return, he wanted Kennedy to promise not to invade Cuba. Kennedy saw this as a good sign.

However, the very next day, a second, more official letter arrived from Russia. This letter added a new condition: the US must also remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey. This would have been a fair trade, as both countries had missiles close to each other's borders. But Kennedy could not publicly agree to remove the missiles from Turkey. It would make Turkey feel unprotected and upset US allies.

Kennedy and his advisors were unsure if Khrushchev was still in charge, as the two letters were so different. Kennedy decided to respond to the first letter publicly, agreeing not to invade Cuba. At the same time, he sent a secret message to Khrushchev. In this secret message, he agreed to remove the US missiles from Turkey in a few months, but this had to remain a secret.

Khrushchev agreed to the secret deal. On November 1, the missile sites in Cuba began to be removed. The crisis was over.

What Happened After the Crisis?

The Cuban Missile Crisis ended peacefully, but it had lasting effects:

• Cuba remained a communist country, close to the United States.
• President Kennedy was seen as a hero in the United States for handling the crisis and avoiding war.
• The missile sites in Turkey were removed, though secretly.
• A direct communication line, known as the "hotline," was set up between Washington D.C. and Moscow. This allowed the US and Soviet leaders to talk directly during future crises, preventing misunderstandings.

The crisis showed how dangerous the Cold War could become. It also showed that leaders could find ways to solve problems without starting a nuclear war.

Images for kids

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  15 US-built PGM-19 Jupiter missiles were placed in Turkey in 1961.

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  This map shows how far the Soviet missiles (Il-28, SS-4, and SS-5) based in Cuba could reach.

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  A map made by American intelligence showing missile activity in Cuba in September 1962.

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  A U-2 spy plane photo of Cuba, showing Soviet nuclear missiles and their equipment.

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  One of the first U-2 spy plane photos of missile bases being built, shown to President Kennedy on October 16, 1962.

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  President Kennedy and Secretary of Defense McNamara in an EXCOMM meeting.

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  President Kennedy meets with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in the Oval Office on October 18, 1962.

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  A US Navy P-2H Neptune plane flying over a Soviet cargo ship carrying crated Il-28 planes during the Cuban Crisis.

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  President Kennedy signs the order for the naval blockade of Cuba in the Oval Office on October 23, 1962.

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  Adlai Stevenson shows aerial photos of Cuban missiles to the United Nations on October 25, 1962.

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  A map showing where American and Soviet ships were during the height of the crisis.

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  The nuclear-armed Jupiter missile. The US secretly agreed to remove these from Italy and Turkey.

See also

In Spanish: Crisis de los misiles de Cuba para niños