GLOSSARY
ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE (ABM): a defensive missile designed to destroy an incoming enemy missile. ABM were developed in the USA and USSR in the 1960s. A treaty to limit ABM deployments was later signed in 1972.
BLOCKADE: the surrounding or blockading of a place, especially a port, by an enemy to prevent entry and exit of supplies. It is an illegal act under international law as it is construed as an act of war.
CASTRO, FIDEL RUZ: (1927- ) Cuban revolutionary and statesman, Castro studied law before joining the Cuban People's Party in 1947. He led an unsuccessful revolution in Santiago in 1953, for which he was imprisoned. Exiled in 1956, Castro returned to Cuba a year later, beginning guerrilla operations and in 1958 led a march on Havana (Cuba's capital) in a fight for the end of the dictatorship, to secure a diplomatic Cuba. The dictator, General Batista fled Havana and on the 1st January 1959, Castro declared the Cuban Revolution with himself as Prime Minister. From 1961 Castro was aligned with the Soviet Union. The US claimed he was a Communist, when in fact, while his ideas appeared communist in nature, he was not a member of the party.
COMMUNISM: a political theory derived from Marxism, advocating a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person is paid and works according to his or her needs and abilities.
CONTAINMENT: the doctrine put forward by George F. Kennan and adopted by the USA in March 1947 as the basis for its policy towards the USSR during the Cold War. It involved providing assistance to any government threatened by "Communist Expansionism".
CRUISE MISSILE: a guided missile that flies to its target close to the earth's surface. They can be launched from aircraft, ships, submarines or land sites.
DEFCON: DEFense CONditions. In the event of en emergency, a series of different alert conditions can be called by the US. DEFCON-5 is normal peacetime readiness, DEFCON-4, normal, with increased intelligence and strengthened security measures, DEFCON-3 increase in force readiness above normal readiness, DEFCON further increase if force readiness but less than maximum readiness, DEFCON-1 maximum force readiness.
DEFENSIVE WEAPONS: weapons used to defend from or resist attack. Weapons used for protection from harm or danger.
FIRST STRIKE: an initial nuclear attack by one country designed to knock out their adversary's strategic (nuclear) arsenal.
INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE (ICBM): a land-based missile capable of travelling over 5500km to deliver one or more nuclear warheads.
IRON CURTAIN: the boundary between the Soviet bloc countries of Eastern Europe and the West European countries. The phrase was first used by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in March 1946.
KENNEDY, JOHN FITZGERALD: (1917-1963) 35th President of the USA (1961-1963). Member of the Democrat party, defeated vice-president Nixon in the closest presidential election since 1884. Was the first Catholic and youngest person to be President. Was assassinated in November 1963 in Dallas Texas.
KHRUSHCHEV, NIKITA SERGEYEVICH: (1894-1971) In 1918 joined the Bolsheviks and fought in the Russian Civil War, then, on the death of Stalin, he became the 1st Secretary of the Communist Party (1953-1964) and Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1958-1964). In 1964 he was dismissed from office.
MORATORIUM: a temporary prohibition or suspension of an activity.
MUTUAL(LY) ASSURED DESTRUCTION (MAD): an approach to nuclear deterrence that focuses on the availability of the USA to launch a nuclear attack even after a Soviet first strike. Since mutual destruction is assured, the belief is that a first strike would be deterred.
NORTH ATLANTIC ALLIANCE: for this read NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). Established in April 1949 it was the major defence organisation of the Western Alliance (those non communist states). It originally comprised of 12 countries who were concerned with the expansionist policies and methods of the USSR and eased fears of outside aggression or internal subversion from ideological aims of the Soviet Communist Party.
OFFENSIVE WEAPONS: weapons used in the act of attacking.
PARTIAL BLOCKADE: forming only part of the blockade, for example to prevent entry to a port yet permit vessels exiting.
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE: a Soviet doctrine, put forward by Khrushchev which suggests that peaceful relations between socialist and capitalist countries are possible. War could be avoided while a peaceful competition continued in the ideological, political and economic spheres.
POLARIS SUBMARINES: a US type of submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles, they were designed to carry nuclear warheads.
QUARANTINE: isolation imposed on persons/things that have arrived from elsewhere. In the context of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the term was used euphemistically to refer to what was effectively a blockade.
REARM: to arm again, especially with improved weapons.
REVISIONISM: in the context of explaining the Cold War, this refers to an interpretation that emphasises American expansionism as the source of the conflict. The actions of the USSR are seen as primarily defensive.
SECOND STRIKE CAPABILITY: the ability to launch a retaliatory nuclear attack sufficient to inflict intolerable damage after being hit by an adversary's first strike.
STRATEGIC ARMS: long-range nuclear weapons capable of hitting an adversary's territory. ICBMs, SLBMs and strategic bombers are referred to as such weapons.
THERMONUCLEAR: relating to or using nuclear reactions (for example fusion) that occur only at very high temperatures. In relation to weapons, they are weapons in which an explosive force is produced by a thermonuclear reaction.
UNILATERAL DISARMAMENT: one sided, performed by or affecting only one party. In relation to disarmament , it is the one sided reduction of arms, that is military forces and weapons.