More cuban missile crisis notes
Cuban Missile Crisis
Brinkmanship
Definition: Brinkmanship refers to the art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping. Its primary application is in politics, where it involves pushing a situation to the brink of disaster to achieve the most advantageous outcome by forcing the opposition to concede.
Overview of the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day conflict occurring in October 1962 between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba, during which both superpowers were armed with nuclear weapons. Both nations practiced brinkmanship throughout the conflict.
Geographical Context: Cuba is an island situated approximately 160 km off the coast of the USA, traditionally having a subservient relationship with the USA.
Historical Context of Cuba Pre-Crisis
The United States maintained a significant naval base on the island at Guantanamo Bay.
US companies held control over much of Cuba's economic wealth, including oil refineries, cattle ranches, hotels, and railways. Additionally, the US purchased the majority of Cuba's export crop, sugar, making Cuba economically dependent on US trade.
Despite the wealth in certain sectors, much of the Cuban population lived in poverty.
In the 1950s, approximately 40% of Cuba's 6 million people were illiterate, with an acute shortage of medical professionals, educators, schools, and hospitals.
A stark wealth gap existed, with 25% of the population owning 50% of the land.
In 1952, a dictator named Batista seized power in Cuba, with the US government viewing his regime as a safeguard against communism despite his close ties to organized crime.
A group of revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro, eventually overthrew Batista’s government, leading to Batista's exile in January 1959. Castro was welcomed into Havana with large demonstrations following the revolution (referred to as the Cuban Revolution).
US Response to the Cuban Revolution
The US government harbored suspicion towards Castro's regime, especially following his introduction of socialist reforms that included:
Redistribution of land.
Nationalization of transportation and selected industries.
Collectivization of agriculture.
During an April 1959 visit to Washington, Castro emphasized support for the “west” in the context of the Cold War, despite not being a communist at that time.
In June 1959, during talks in Egypt, Russian Premier Khrushchev offered to barter Soviet oil in exchange for Cuban sugar. This prompted the US to ban sugar exports from Cuba, causing significant economic damage since the US had previously been the primary buyer of Cuba's sugar crops.
By 1961, the US severed diplomatic ties and prohibited the sale of arms to Cuba. When a shipment of Belgian arms meant for Cuba was destroyed in Havana harbor, suspicions fell on US agents, leading to Cuba officially cutting relations with the US.
Hostility increased as Castro began negotiations with the Soviet Union, which resulted in thousands of Soviet technicians and advisors arriving in Cuba, fostering a belief in the US that Cuba had become a communist state. This concern was particularly relevant during the Cold War, as a communist government so close to US territory was alarming.
The US secretly initiated plans to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro.
The Bay of Pigs Incident
Under President John F. Kennedy's administration, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) devised a plan to send Cuban exiles back into Cuba to incite a rebellion against Castro.
This operation took place in April 1961 and is known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
Approximately 1,500 exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs, but within three days, Castro's forces duly crushed the invasion.
The invaders suffered complete defeat, with many killed or captured; the invasion was a colossal failure for the US, which faced embarrassment due to the public exposure of its involvement and poor planning.
As a consequence of this failure, Castro openly declared Cuba a communist state, providing evidence of US attempts to destabilize his government, and prompting Cuba to seek support from the USSR for economic and diplomatic aid.
In response, the Soviet Union provided arms to Cuba for defense against potential US aggression.
Discovery of Missiles in Cuba
The CIA had deployed U2 spy planes to take aerial photographs of Cuba. Analysis of these images revealed Russian personnel in Cuba assembling nuclear missiles.
The CIA categorized these installations as nuclear missile sites capable of launching missiles that could threaten major American cities.
Upon presenting this information to President Kennedy and his Senior staff at 11:45 AM, the seriousness of the situation was fully recognized.
To address it, Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy created the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (ExComm), which was comprised of generals, admirals, CIA personnel, and cabinet members, with Robert F. Kennedy serving as chair.
The Blockade
On October 20, Kennedy decided to impose a blockade on Cuba, which was a strategy to prevent further delivery of Soviet missiles to the island.
On October 22, Kennedy publicly called on Khrushchev to remove the missiles.
Khrushchev, feeling pressure to respond firmly to maintain his reputation as a leader of the communist world, refused to acknowledge the blockade or the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba on October 23.
On October 24, the first Soviet ships (escorted by a submarine) arrived at the 800 km exclusion zone, while 300 US Navy ships set sail towards Cuba without specific orders.
To reinforce its position, four military battalions were sent to Guantanamo Bay, missile sites in the US were made ready for an attack, and 20 planes armed with nuclear bombs were ready for immediate strike against the USSR.
Jet fighters were launched from Florida towards Cuba, intensifying the potential for a military engagement.
Khrushchev expressed frustration with his military for failing to conceal the missiles as tensions soared between the two superpowers. In response, Castro mobilized Cuba's military forces.
At 10:32 AM on October 24, Soviet ships halted and turned around in response to the blockade.
Developments Following the Blockade
On October 25, aerial photographs showed continued missile site construction in Cuba.
On October 26, Kennedy received a letter from Khrushchev proposing negotiations regarding the missiles, which included the removal of the blockade and assurances against a US invasion of Cuba.
The key elements of Kennedy’s acceptance of Khrushchev’s proposal included:
Agreement from the USSR to remove missile systems from Cuba under UN supervision and to prevent the further introduction of such weapons into Cuba.
US commitment to remove the existing blockade and offer assurances against invading Cuba following appropriate arrangements through the UN.
Khrushchev's response expressed satisfaction with the negotiations and recognition of the responsibility to maintain global peace; this conciliatory communication received on October 27 effectively brought the Cuban Missile Crisis to a close.
Castro was outraged, having not been informed about the decision; he learned of the agreement through the radio.
Removal of the Blockade and Aftermath
On November 20, the dismantling of bombers and fighter jets began, and on November 21, Kennedy officially terminated the quarantine of Cuba.
Effects of the Crisis
The crisis brought the US very close to nuclear war, primarily due to an impending invasion of Cuba.
The situation revealed a gross underestimation by the US of Soviet and Cuban military strength, both in manpower and weaponry, indicating that an invasion would likely lead to extraordinary human casualties.
Nine months post-crisis, Kennedy and Khrushchev consented to an agreement to prohibit atmospheric nuclear testing, signaling a newfound willingness to engage in cooperation.
Despite these movements towards de-escalation, on November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated, and Khrushchev was ousted from power by Communist opponents.
Following the crisis, a direct communication line, known as the “hotline,” was established between the Kremlin and the White House, ensuring that future communications could occur without delay.