Cold War 1960s

President Kennedy approves CIA plan to start an uprising in Cuba.

Kennedy refuses to provide American air support to backup forces on land.

Rebel leader Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba in 1959 and set up a communist dictatorship.

The Bay of Pigs fails, Kennedy is embarrassed and takes the blame. It makes Kennedy look weak.

On April 17th, 1961, 1,500 Cuban exiles land in the Bay of Pigs, Cuba.

Mid- October 1962- American spy plane flying over Cuba discovered that the Soviets were building launching sites for

nuclear missiles.

On October 22, 1962, President Kennedy appeared on national television. He revealed to the nation the

"secret, swift, and extraordinary buildup" of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Next, Kennedy orders the U.S. Navy to blockade, or close off, Cuba until the Soviets removed their missile.

Five days later, the Soviet ships turned back. The Soviets agreed to remove their missiles from Cuba,

and the United States agreed not to invade Cuba.

With disaster averted, Kennedy and Khrushchev worked to build better relations. In 1963 a hot line was

set up between Moscow and Washington for instant communication in times of crisis.