After several days of tense stand-off, the two sides came to an agreement to end the crisis. The US publicly declared that it would not invade Cuba and Kennedy privately promised Khrushchev that he would remove US missiles from Turkey. In return, the Soviets agreed to dismantle the missiles and remove them from Cuba. The Soviet ships turned around and returned home.
Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Both superpowers took steps to avoid nuclear war in the future:
• A telephone hotline was set up between Moscow and Washington to deal with potential crises when they arose.
• The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was agreed by the superpowers and others that banned atomic testing on land, sea or in space.
CHECKPOINT!
1. What happened in Cuba in 1959? 2. How did the US government respond to the Cuban Revolution? 3. Why did the Soviet Union place missiles in Cuba in 1962? 4. What did the US do when it discovered the existence of the missiles? 5. How was the crisis resolved? 6. What were the main results of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
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I understand the causes, course and consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD
Soviet missile site in Cuba
Major city
Range of long range missiles (2,000 miles)
USA Salt Lake City Denver Chicago Dallas
Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Range of short range missiles (1,000 miles)
New Orleans Miami Havana Cuba
Atlantic Ocean
New York Washington
The Cuban missile sites and their potential strike range
Go to page 164 of your Sources and Skills Book for an evidence task on Khrushchev’s account of the crisis.
Look at this cartoon from October 1962 and answer the questions that follow:
1. Name the leaders marked X and Y.
2. Describe what is happening in the cartoon.
3. What is the message of the cartoon?
4. Is the cartoon effective in getting its message across? Give reasons for your answer.
5. Does the cartoon support either side? Give reasons for your answer.
