Cuban Missile Crisis

Date

October 1962

Cuban Revolution (1959)

• Cuba was ruled by General Batista, a corrupt and unpopular dictator.

• USA supported him because he was anti –Communist

• Batista overthrown in 1959 by Fidel Castro after a guerrilla war

• Castro implemented many social reforms to improve the lives of the working class( mostly education/healthcare)

• Huge areas of land and industry (much of it owned by Americans) was seized and run by the new government

• Castro had Communist sympathies and formed an alliance with the Soviet Union in 1960.

• The USSR gave Cuba $100 million in economic aid and supplied Cuba with arms

Why did the Cuban Revolution worry America?

• Naval Base

o The Americans had a large naval base on the island at Guantanamo Bay.

o Concern that it might be seized

• Cuban exiles

o Thousands of Cuban exiles fled to the USA after the revolution.

o They placed political pressure on the US government to do something

• US businesses

o Americans owned businesses on Cuba, particularly agriculture.

o Castro confiscated land and industry

• Geographic proximity

o Batista had been a strong anti-communist ally of the USA

o The US was fearful of having a Communist regime so close

Reaction of the USA

• USA stopped economic aid, banned trade with Cuba in 1960 and broke off diplomatic relations in 1961

• Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961

o President Kennedy gave arms, equipment and transport to support an invasion of Cuba by 1,400 Cuban exiles.

o The US military was not directly involved

o Invasion was badly planned and the exiles were heavily outnumbered. The invasion failed disastrously

Results

o Increased suspicion

▪ Khrushchev and Castro became very suspicious of American policy towards Cuba.

▪ The Soviets increased military aid and later setup sites for nuclear missiles o USA looked weak

▪ Although the USA gave some support to exiles, they were not willing to get directly involved in Cuba.

▪ It made Khrushchev believe that placing nuclear missiles on Cuba would not get a strong response

o Strengthened Castro

▪ Strengthened Castro’s position politically.

▪ The people were angry at American interference

Why did Khrushchev place nuclear missiles on Cuba?

Strategic position of Cuba

• Cuba was well worth defending from invasion

• Cuba was in a strong strategic position so close to the US mainland

• Cuba also provided a strong base for supporting Communist movements in South America

• Excellent propaganda. Cuba had become Communist willingly without a Soviet army occupation. Its proximity was embarrassing to the USA

Domestic position

• America’s superiority in nuclear missiles undermined Khrushchev’s power in the USSR

• Forcing the USA to accept Soviet missiles on Cuba would improve his political standing

• Khrushchev wanted to test the new US President.

• Kennedy had already demonstrated in the Bay of Pigs invasion that he might not really have the determination to deal with Castro properly

‘Missile Gap’

• The USA had more long range nuclear missiles than the USSR.

• The USA also had missiles placed in Turkey and Western Europe: very close to the USSR’s borders

• Medium range missiles could reach most of the USA from Cuba and they were cheaper and easier to produce than long range weapons

• Placing missiles on Cuba would narrow the “Missile Gap” or at least be traded for the removal of missiles from Turkey

Kennedy’s options in Cuba

Do nothing

• For

o The USA had superiority in nuclear missiles o Overreacting might provoke nuclear war with the USSR 63

• Against

o Doing nothing would be a sign of weakness, particularly after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion

Air strikes

• For

o Knock out the missiles before they were operational

• Against

o Complete destruction of the sites could not be guaranteed.

o Cuba might retaliate with a nuclear strike

o Killing Soviet technicians working on the missile sites might provoke the USSR

o Attacking without warning might undermine the USA’s moral standing Invasion

• For

o Would get rid of both missiles and Castro

• Against

o The USSR would probably respond militarily by sending troops to support Cuba or invading other territories like Berlin Blockade

• For

o Would show the USA was serious, but stopped short of an act of war o Placed emphasis on Khrushchev to make next decision

• Against

o Berlin vulnerable to a retaliation blockade o Did nothing to remove the missiles already on Cuba, which would be ready to launch in 7 days

Diplomacy

• For

o It would avoid conflict

o Left military options open

• Against

o Might be seen as a sign of weakness by the USSR, particularly if the US was asked to back down

How did Kennedy resolve the CMC?

1. Kennedy formed ExComm, a committee of advisers to make decisions during the crisis

2. Kennedy decided to impose a naval blockade of Cuba and called upon the USSR to withdraw its missiles

3. Khrushchev sent a letter to Kennedy saying that the blockade would not be observed by Soviet shipping. However, a convoy escorted by Soviet submarines turned round before it reached the blockade

4. Khrushchev sent a first proposal on 26 October in a letter to Kennedy offering to dismantle the missiles in return for ending the blockade and an assurance that the USA would not invade Cuba

5. Khrushchev sent a second proposal on 27 October, adding the withdrawal of missiles from Turkey to his list of requirements to dismantle the missiles 64

6. An American U2 spy plane was shot down over Cuba. Kennedy was advised to attack Cuba

7. Kennedy agreed to Khrushchev’s first proposal of 26 October: to end the blockade and promise not to invade Cuba in return for dismantling the missiles 8. Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the nuclear missiles

Who emerged best from the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Castro

• Success

o Although the missiles were removed, the USSR continued to supply Cuba’s army with modern equipment. Cuba’s security was assured and America never attempted to invade again

o Castro retained control of American companies on the island. o He was also able to support Communists in South America and Africa

• Failure

o Castro was angry that the missiles were removed

Khrushchev

• Success

o Khrushchev looked like a responsible world leader who took the first move to find compromise and avert nuclear war

o Cuba’s security was guaranteed. It could remain a useful ally and base for supporting Communists in South America

o The USSR was safer from nuclear attack after missiles were removed from Turkey.

o However, the deal was kept secret, so to the world it looked like Kennedy had won

• Failure

o Many, particularly those in the Soviet military, felt humiliated having to ship the missiles back to the USSR

o The USSR never caught up with the USA in its nuclear arsenal. Despite developing its own ICBMs, the Missile Gap was never closed o Khrushchev was forced from power in 1964. Many felt that the Cuban Missile Crisis contributed to his fall

Kennedy

• Success

o The crisis boosted Kennedy’s popularity and reputation in the US and abroad. His deal regarding missiles in Turkey was kept secret, so it looked to the world like he won

o He had stood up to the USSR and they had backed down, not challenging the naval blockade

o The missiles on Cuba were dismantled - the cause of the crisis - and never returned. America was safer from nuclear attack

• Failure

o Kennedy had to remove nuclear missiles from Turkey.

o NATO allies were unhappy that Kennedy had traded them to end the crisis because it was technically their decision

o Castro’s Communist regime remained in Cuba o American failure to remove him from power showed Containment was failing

Who was to blame for the CMC?

Khrushchev

• Khrushchev took the decision to place missiles on Cuba, which triggered the crisis.

• He wanted to close the Missile Gap and improve his own political position at home • Khrushchev was mistaken by Kennedy’s resolve over Cuba.

• Miscalculated Kennedy’s determination to stand up against threats

Kennedy

• The failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion helped cause the crisis o It made Khrushchev believe that placing nuclear missiles on Cuba would not get a strong response.

o USA appeared that it would not get directly involved in Cuba

o Failed invasion also made Khrushchev and Castro very suspicious of American policy and fearful of another attack

• USSR made to feel insecure because of the Missile Gap o America’s high spending on nuclear weapons in the arms race and placing nuclear weapons in Turkey made the USSR feel vulnerable