January 1959 Fidel Castro comes to power December

January 1959 Fidel Castro comes to power December 1960 Cuba aligns itself with the Soviets January 1961 The U. S. A cuts off relations with Cuba April 1961 a U. S backed group of Cuban exiles invade Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Castro July 1962 Castro announces that Cuba is taking certain measures that would be the equivalent to world war if America attacked (he attributes this to help from the Soviets

August 1962 U. S senate is alerted to the fact that there is evidence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba September 1962 Soviet Foreign Minister warns America that any attack on Cuba would mean war with the soviets 14 October 1962 U-2 plane flying over Cuba discovers missile sights. Photographs are taken and sent back to U. S 26 October 1962 Khrushchev replies to letter from Kennedy saying that he will remove the missiles if America promises not to invade Cuba

27 October 1962 America agrees never to invade Cuba if Soviets remove missiles… 28 October 1962 Khrushchev announces over Moscow radio that he has agreed to remove the Missiles from Cuba

The U. S had missiles 150 miles from the USSR "Why shouldn't the Soviet Union have the right to do the same as America? " -Nikita Khrushchev KRUSHCHEV= FELT THREATEND BY THIS FACT AND THOUGHT THAT HAVING MISSILES IN CUBA WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE…

The Castro government feared U. S invasion and joined forces with the Soviets to prevent that happening "If I had been a Cuban leader at that time, I might well have concluded that there was a great risk of U. S. invasion. " - Robert Mc. Namara, Secretary of Defence

Cuba became a pawn in the war between the Soviets and the Americans

This tension between the two powers escalated to the brink of nuclear war…

Better communications were set up between the Soviets and the U. S with a permanent hotline direct from the Kremlin to the White House America promised not to invade Cuba The groundwork was set up for anti-nuclear weapon Treaties resulting in the Nuclear test ban treaty