3.4.2
The Cuban Missile Crisis & its Significance
13 Days of the Missile Crisis
13 Days of the Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the Cold War got to a 'hot' war.
Discovery of the Soviet missiles
Discovery of the Soviet missiles
- Khrushchev thought that the missiles he had placed on Cuba were there in secret.
- Yet, on 14th October, a U-2 spy plane confirmed the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.
- On 16th October, Kennedy met with his security council to consider his options.
Kennedy quarantines Cuba
Kennedy quarantines Cuba
- On 22nd October, Kennedy addressed the American nation on TV.
- He proposed that there should be a naval quarantine on Cuba, preventing weapons from being shipped to Cuba.
- Kennedy stated that any Soviet ships carrying weapons to Cuba would be turned away.
- On 23rd October, the UN publicly condemned the USSR for supplying weapons to Cuba.
Khrushchev's response
Khrushchev's response
- On 24th October, Khrushchev condemned the quarantine saying:
- ‘You, Mr. President, are not declaring a quarantine, but rather are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force… You are no longer appealing to reason, but wish to intimidate us’.
Soviet reaction
Soviet reaction
- The first Soviet ships that reached the quarantine line stopped or turned around.
- On 26th October, Khrushchev offered to move the Soviet military presence in Cuba in exchange for the USA to promise that they would not invade the USSR.
- Castro ordered anti-aircraft missiles to be deployed on low flying planes which he deemed to be reconnaissance planes.
Turkey
Turkey
- On 27th October, Khrushchev demanded that US nuclear missiles be withdrawn from Turkey.
- Kennedy agreed to this but due to fear of condemnation from NATO this trade was kept secret at first.
- At the same time, a U-2 spy plane monitoring the missiles was shot down over Cuba, killing the pilot, Major Rudolph Anderson.
Resolution of the crisis
Resolution of the crisis
- Neither side escalated the conflict, despite the pilot being shot down.
- On 28th October, Khrushchev agreed to remove his missiles from Cuba.
- Khrushchev did not mention this publically.
- At the same time, however, Castro refused to allow the UN to Cuba to inspect his missile sites.
Significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest that the West and East came to a ‘hot war’.
Avoiding a 'hot war'
Avoiding a 'hot war'
- There was no actual war because world leaders from the USA and USSR realised the need for diplomacy and communication. - It was clear that both Khrushchev and Kennedy understood each other and had mutual respect for one another which was promising for future negotiations.
- In fact, a ‘hotline’ was installed between the two leaders so that in the future immediate communication between the two could be had.
Moscow Test Ban Treaty
Moscow Test Ban Treaty
- In October 1963, the Moscow Test Ban Treaty was signed which limited the testing of nuclear weapons.
Success for the USSR
Success for the USSR
- For the USSR, the crisis seemed a success due to the fact that Cuba’s communist state had been protected.
- It also showed that the US policy of containment had failed and Kennedy stuck to his promise of removing the missiles in Turkey.
Failure for the USSR
Failure for the USSR
- However, Khrushchev had publicly backed down. This made him look weak.
- The USA used its superior power to put pressure on the USSR and the naval blockade made the USSR look weak.
- The USSR had to restore its international reputation after the incident, but world peace had been restored.
Historical interpretation
Historical interpretation
- Historian John Swift argued in History Today (2007) ‘Kennedy certainly came out of the crisis with a reputation greatly enhanced in the west. Khrushchev, for his part, was deemed by his colleagues to have suffered a humiliation, and the crisis was one of the issues that led to his being deposed in October 1964’.
1Origins of the Cold War, 1945-9
1.1Events of 1945
1.2The Collapse of the Grand Alliance
1.3Developing Tensions
1.4US Involvement in Europe
2Widening of the Cold War
2.1US Containment in Asia
2.2The Korean War
2.3Increasing Cold War Tensions, 1949 -1953
3The Global War
3.2Cold War Rivalries
3.3Conflict in Asia
3.4Confrontation Between Superpowers
4Confrontation & Cooperation
4.2Cooperation
4.3Pressures on the USSR
5Brezhnev Era
5.1Detente
5.2Second Cold War
5.3Developments in Africa & Americas
6Ending of the Cold War
6.1Gorbachev
6.2Cooperation between US & USSR
6.3Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe
6.4End of Tensions Across the World
Jump to other topics
1Origins of the Cold War, 1945-9
1.1Events of 1945
1.2The Collapse of the Grand Alliance
1.3Developing Tensions
1.4US Involvement in Europe
2Widening of the Cold War
2.1US Containment in Asia
2.2The Korean War
2.3Increasing Cold War Tensions, 1949 -1953
3The Global War
3.2Cold War Rivalries
3.3Conflict in Asia
3.4Confrontation Between Superpowers
4Confrontation & Cooperation
4.2Cooperation
4.3Pressures on the USSR
5Brezhnev Era
5.1Detente
5.2Second Cold War
5.3Developments in Africa & Americas
6Ending of the Cold War
6.1Gorbachev
6.2Cooperation between US & USSR
6.3Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe
6.4End of Tensions Across the World
Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered