10 - Cuba [1959-1962] - Cuban Missile Crisis

Post-War Cuba and the Seeds of Revolution

• Cuba as an American Asset: During the $1940s$ and $1950s$, the Caribbean island of Cuba served as a primary "playground" for the United States, characterized by its beaches, casinos, and nightlife in Havana.

• Economic Control: American corporations held nearly total ownership over Cuban land and industrial sectors. The U.S. perceived the island effectively as an extension of its own territory and a vital economic resource that posed no security threat.

• The Batista Regime: The country was governed by Fulgencio Batista, described as a brutal dictator whose leadership eventually alienated the Cuban populace.

• The Rise of Fidel Castro: Following years of guerrilla warfare in the mountains, Fidel Castro, a $33$-year-old lawyer, entered Havana on $01/08/1959$.

• Post-Revolutionary Order and Purge: The transition of power was noted for its initial order, with no looting or street crimes. However, the new administration tried and executed over $500$ members of the former Batista regime for alleged crimes against the people. This violence led thousands of Cubans to seek exile in the United States.

• Social Reform Programs: Castro’s revolution was popular among the masses due to promises of honesty in administration, the creation of health and education programs, and extensive job provision.

• Land Reform: A central pillar of the revolution was the nationalization of millions of acres of land previously held by American companies, which was redistributed to the Cuban people.

The Escalation of US-Soviet-Cuban Tensions

• Diplomatic Rejection: When Castro visited New York to address the United Nations, President Eisenhower refused to meet with him.

• The Soviet Alliance: Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet leader, seized the opportunity to support the new revolutionary government, offering economic aid and credit. Cuba began purchasing cheaper oil from the Soviet Union.

• Refinery Conflict: American-owned refineries in Cuba refused to process Soviet oil. In response, Castro deployed his militia to seize the refineries.

• Economic Retaliation: President Eisenhower retaliated by cutting Cuba’s share of the U.S. sugar market by $95\%$. Castro then nationalized an additional $\$1,000,000,000$ worth of American investments.

• The "Dirty War": The U.S. initiated a complete trade embargo and tasked the CIA with recruiting and training Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro. Sabotage efforts included burning sugarcane fields using small planes with incendiary devices.

• The La Coubre Explosion: Over $100$ people were killed when the freighter La Coubre, carrying Belgian arms, exploded in Havana Harbor. CIA sabotage was suspected by the Cuban government but never officially proven.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion and Its Aftermath

• The Invasion Plan: President John F. Kennedy inherited a CIA plan to use a band of Cuban exiles to invade the island and spark a popular uprising. CIA officials promised Kennedy an easy victory.

• Presidential Reservations: Kennedy publicly stated on $04/15/1961$ that the U.S. would not intervene with armed forces and denied American involvement.

• Initial Air Strike Failures: On $04/15/1961$, six American bombers, disguised as Cuban aircraft, attacked airfields but only destroyed three Cuban planes and killed $7$ civilians.

• The Landing: On $04/17/1961$, approximately $1,500$ exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs, located $125\,\text{miles}$ south of Havana.

• Failure and Defeat: Kennedy canceled scheduled air support due to international diplomatic pressure. Castro’s remaining air force destroyed supply ships. Within $72\,\text{hours}$, the invasion force was either killed or captured by the mobilized Cuban military.

• Shift to Socialism: Following the invasion attempt, Castro formally declared the Cuban Revolution to be socialist and intensified his requests for Soviet military protection.

• Operation Mongoose and Assassination Plots: Following the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the CIA was ordered to develop new ways to "get rid of" Castro, ranging from assassination attempts to psychological warfare, such as trying to spray LSD into a television studio.

Operation Anadyr: The Deployment of Nuclear Missiles

• Khrushchev’s Strategic Calculation: Khrushchev recognized that the Soviet Union’s long-range missile capabilities were limited compared to the U.S. However, placing medium-range missiles in Cuba would effectively turn them into strategic weapons capable of reaching most of the U.S.

• Parity with Turkey: The Soviets and Cubans viewed this as a justifiable response to the U.S. deployment of Jupiter missiles in Turkey.

• Secret Shipment: In July $1962$, the Soviet Union launched a massive logistical operation involving approximately $150$ ships. They successfully transported $43,000$ troops and nuclear equipment to Cuba, camouflaging military gear under civilian vehicles and tractors.

• U.S. Intelligence Failures: Despite reports from agents in Cuba regarding "weird weapons" and missile trailers, Washington initially dismissed these as rumors until photographic proof was obtained.

Discovery and the Thirteen Days of Crisis

• Photographic Evidence: On October $14$, a $U-2$ spy plane captured images of the island. On October $15$, analysts identified $SS-4$ ballistic missile sites.

• The Briefing: At $08:45\,\text{AM}$ on October $16$, President Kennedy was informed of the missile presence.

• The ExComm Debates: Kennedy’s advisors considered several options:

  • Air Strikes: A popular early choice to destroy the sites immediately.

  • Invasion: A full-scale military takeover of Cuba.

  • Diplomatic Negotiation: Working through the UN or direct bilateral talks.

  • Blockade (Quarantine): A naval perimeter to prevent further military shipments.

• The Pearl Harbor Analogy: Robert Kennedy argued against a surprise air strike, comparing it to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in $1941$ and stating he did not want his brother to be "another Tojo."

• Soviet Deception: During a White House meeting, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko claimed all Soviet aid to Cuba was purely defensive in nature.

The Blockade and Global Escalation

• Public Announcement: On October $22$ at $7\,\text{PM}$, Kennedy addressed the world, announcing the "quarantine" of Cuba and demanding that Khrushchev remove the missiles.

• Military Readiness: The Soviet Union reacted by putting its forces and Warsaw Pact allies into combat readiness. The U.S. Strategic Air Command moved to $DEFCON\,2$, the highest level short of active war.

• The Naval Standoff: On October $24$, Soviet ships heading for Cuba slowed down or altered course just before reaching the quarantine line.

• Confrontation at the UN: Adlai Stevenson publicly confronted Soviet Ambassador Zorin at the UN, presenting the $U-2$ photographs when Zorin refused to answer whether missiles existed in Cuba.

• The Bucharest Interception: On October $25$, Kennedy ordered the interception of the Soviet oil tanker Bucharest as a signal of resolve.

Black Saturday and the Resolution

• The Tactical Nuclear Threat: Unknown to the U.S. at the time, Soviet forces in Cuba were equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles intended to annihilate any invasion force.

• The First Letter: On October $26$, Khrushchev sent a letter suggesting a compromise: the Soviets would remove experts and missiles if the U.S. promised not to invade Cuba. He used the metaphor of two men pulling a rope with a knot in the middle.

• The Second Letter and Escalation: On October $27$, Khrushchev sent a second, more demanding letter, insisting on the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey. On the same day, a $U-2$ plane was shot down over Cuba by a Soviet $\text{SAM}$ site, killing the pilot.

• The Robert Kennedy Gambit: At Robert Kennedy's suggestion, the U.S. decided to ignore the second letter and the plane shootdown, responding only to the first letter’s offer.

• The Secret Deal: Robert Kennedy met secretly with Ambassador Dobrynin. He conveyed that while the U.S. would not remove the Turkey missiles under a public quid pro quo, the President would guarantee an invasion-free Cuba and give private assurances that the Turkish missiles would be removed later.

• The End of the Crisis: On the morning of October $28$, Radio Moscow announced that Khrushchev had ordered the dismantling and return of the missiles to the Soviet Union.

• Cuban Reaction: Castro and the Cuban leadership were irate, feeling they had been excluded from the agreement and used as a pawn in superpower politics.

• Success of Diplomacy: The resolution prevented a nuclear war that many participants believed was only hours away. The event transformed global politics and led to a new era of communication between the superpowers.