Cuban Missile Crisis Trivia

1. In which year did the United States become aware of Soviet plans to station missiles in Cuba?

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: 1962

The United States of America became aware of this in 1962 and the fact that the Soviet Union was taking active steps to place missiles in Cuba - a clear threat to the United States. John F. Kennedy was the US president at the time.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Kennedy and Khrushchev

Ultimately, both kept their cool in this crisis.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: October 16, 1962

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Spy plane

In October 1962, a United States U-2 reconnaissance spy plane that was flown by Richard Heyser discovered that the Soviets were building underground sites in Cuba for the potential launch of offensive missiles against the United States.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Air strikes followed by invasion

Good thing Kennedy was tough enough not to get pushed around by the military. If the US had attacked Cuba, we might not be sitting here at our computers now.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Dean Acheson & Acheson

Dean Acheson was Secretary of State under Harry S Truman.

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Set up a naval 'quarantine' (partial blockade) around Cuba

Kennedy became aware in October of 1962, and ordered the U.S. Navy to set up a partial naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the delivery of nuclear weapons to the country. Kennedy announced to the world that he was setting the quarantine up until the missiles from Cuba were removed. A full-scale nuclear war between the two superpowers would have been a possible outcome if Soviet ships had challenged the U.S. actions. The USA did not use the word "blockade", which is technically an act of war.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: A naval blockade of Cuba

Probably the best option, he could not have sat by and done nothing, nor could he be overly aggressive. This was just the right move to "tighten the rope", and to call the Soviet's bluff. Tactically, it was useless, since Soviet ships could have gone around the blockade. But strategically, it showed the Soviets that the US would not back down.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Nikita Khruschev

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: 12 Miles

During this era, the United States would not allow any naval vessel reach within 12 nautical miles of the North and South American coastline which includes the islands as well. Within those 12 miles, vessels flying the flag of another nation are under the jurisdiction of that other nation, with the exception of a wide list of situations which are considered of overriding importance (bearing weapons of mass destruction; carrying contraband cargo; broadcasting on unlicensed frequencies; engaging in criminal acts that may affect those on shore, etc.). It also related to the majority of other countries in the Americas.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: The Nixon-Castro-Khrushchev meeting

Oddly enough, the USA can be blamed just as much as the Soviets and the Cubans. During the Eisenhower administration, Nixon was the Vice President. When Castro first came to power in January 1959, he wanted to meet with US officials, and wanted to ally himself with the West. Castro met with Nixon in April 1959, and it did not go well. Nixon despised Castro for his socialist tendencies. Nixon essentially told Castro he was not interested in any kind of alliance with him. Castro then met the Soviets at the UN in September 1960. With Cuba being 90 miles off the coast of Florida, it was a strategic goldmine for the USSR. If Nixon had been a little more aware of the fact that the Cold War was fought through the Third World, he might have realized that the USA needed Cuba, because if they rejected Cuba, they would just run to the Soviets for military and economic aid. The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for 34 days during October-November 1962 - the Soviets installed nuclear missiles in Cuba. The Soviets withdrew their missiles on the understanding that the USA would not invade Cuba and would remove their missiles from Turkey.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Inspection of incoming cargo ships

After much debate with his advisors, President Kennedy decided that the quarantine and inspection of incoming ships would be the best solution to avoid an immediate nuclear exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Nikita Khrushchev

Nikita Khrushchev was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and in effect head of the Soviet administation during this missile crisis. He served from 1953-1964. He was in charge of launching plans to place missiles on the Cuban territory.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: The UN

The US delegate to the UN (Stevenson) embarrassed the Soviets in front of every member nation. The Soviets denied putting missiles on Cuba, up until Stevenson pulled the evidence from his briefcase. It was quite a show.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: quarantine

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Turkey

The U.S. missiles in Turkey threatened the Soviet Union, which made the Soviet Union set up missiles in Cuba. This was because both countries wanted to set up missiles that were closer to each other, so that it could strike within a few minutes if there was to be a nuclear strike.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Promised not to invade Cuba and took down some of its missiles in Turkey

Tactically, it was a loss for the US. Since the USSR didn't suffer any tactical loss, in the end the Soviets stood where they originally were, and the US gave up 2 things. But the Turkey deal was kept secret. And publicly, it destroyed the USSR. So in the end, it was an even situation. Please note that the Turkey missiles were already scheduled for removal, but Kennedy used it as a bargaining chip. It wasn't technically part of the deal, but it put the US in a favorable position to offer Turkey in exchange for Cuba.

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Bay of Pigs Invasion

During this era, the Bay of Pigs Invasion by CIA-backed Cuban exiles in 1961 caused the Soviets to place missiles on the Cuban territory. Cuba was a strong ally to the Soviet Union, and was against the covert operation(s) the United States had done to oust the Cuban Premier, Fidel Castro.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: A US trade embargo for more than 45 years

The US is still punishing Cuba for Castro's indiscretions. With a trade embargo, Cuba's economy has been suffering, but amazingly, Castro remained in power till 2008. There has been talk of lifting the embargo, but seems it is unlikely. There is still a lot of resentment towards Castro for accepting the Soviet missiles. This resentment is totally appropriate, considering Castro's actions were irresponsible and created a dangerous situation.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Dobrynin and Gromyko

Gromyko gave the President a false answer by telling him that the Soviet interest in Cuba's military was only for '...the purpose of contributing to the defense capabilities of Cuba.'

From Quiz Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Demanding the removal of U.S. missiles in Turkey in exchange for Soviet missiles in Cuba

On October 27, Khrushchev proposed removing Soviet missiles and personnel if the U.S. would guarantee not to invade Cuba. On that same day, a U-2 spy plane was shot down, and Kennedy received another proposal from Khrushchev demanding the removal of U.S. missiles in Turkey in exchange for Soviet missiles in Cuba.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Trying to subvert the Bolshevik revolution

Khrushchev stressed this constantly, mainly to get support from the public, since the Bolshevik revolution was considered sacred in the USSR, much like the Declaration of Independence in the US.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Adlai Stevenson & Stevenson

Adlai Stevenson was also a two time Democratic presidential candidate who ran against Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: A direct phone line from the White House to the Kremlin

One of the biggest problems during the CMC was the inability for the two powers to communicate. This created confusion and misinterpretation between the two countries. The phone made sure that any misunderstanding would be addressed.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: U2

You may remember Gary Powers who was shot down while flying over the USSR. At the time, the US thought no Soviet SAM could fly that high. This incident had a lasting negative impact on US-Soviet relations.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Organization of American States

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: clandestine, provocative

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: October 28, 1962

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Fidel Castro & Castro

Castro has been the leader of Cuba since his overthrow of Batista in 1959.

From Quiz The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer: Dean Rusk

Remember, Dean Acheson was Secretary of State during Truman's administration and was only called in as an advisor. Lyndon Johnson was Kennedy's Vice President, and Robert F. Kennedy was the President's brother and Attorney General.

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