Road to Crisis
The revolutionary leader who seized power in Cuba in 1959.
Who was Fidel Castro?
Kennedy’s brother, Attorney-General and close adviser during the crisis.
Who was Robert Kennedy?
The United States secretly agreed to remove these missiles from Turkey.
What were Jupiter Missiles?
The 13-member committee formed to advise Kennedy during the crisis.
What was EXCOMM?
This Soviet submarine almost launched a nuclear torpedo after American ships dropped signalling depth charges.
What was the B-59?
This unsuccessful 1961 invasion was intended to remove Castro from power.
What was the Bay of Pigs?
The Soviet leader who authorised the placement of missiles in Cuba.
Who was Nikita Khrushchev?
Kennedy announced the naval quarantine to the American public on this date.
What was the 22nd October?
Advisers who supported aggressive military action were known by this bird-related term.
Who were Hawks?
The principle that a nuclear attack would lead to the destruction of both sides.
What is Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)?
This organisation trained and equipped approximately 1,400 Cuban exiles for the invasion.
Who were the CIA?
This EXCOMM member was Kennedy’s vice-president during the crisis.
Who was Lyndon B. Johnson?
This date became known as “Black Saturday” because several incidents brought the world close to nuclear war.
What was 27 October 1962?
This bird-related term described those who favoured negotiation or restraint.
Who were doves?
Before Castro’s revolution, the United States controlled approximately this percentage of Cuba’s mines.
What was 90%?
American missiles positioned in this country threatened the Soviet Union and encouraged Khrushchev to place missiles in Cuba.
Where is Turkey?
Robert Kennedy secretly met with this Soviet ambassador to help negotiate the settlement.
Who was Anatoly Dobrynin?
Khrushchev publicly announced the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba on this date.
What was 28 October 1962?
The American military readiness level reached on 25 October, one step below nuclear war.
What was DEFCON 2?
Kennedy decided to impose a naval blockade on this date.
What was the 21st October 1962?
More than this number of Bay of Pigs invaders were killed.
What is 100?
This US Secretary of Defense supported the naval blockade.
Who was Robert McNamara?
The White House received both a back-channel offer and Khrushchev’s first letter on this date.
What was 26 October 1962?
American forces were unaware that B-59 carried this weapon.
What was a nuclear torpedo?
American ships used these low-powered weapons to signal B-59 to surface.
What were signalling depth charges?