The Cuban Missile Crisis

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Soviet and US Relations With Cuba

Before the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the USA's relationship with Cuba was strained.

Before 1959, Cuba (an island close to the USA), cooperated with the USA under the leadership of the dictator General Batista.
- In the year 1959, Fidel Castro led a socialist revolution that overthrew US-supported General Batista.
- This ended the co-operation between Cuba and America.

In response, and looking for a strong partner against the Americans, Cuba began to trade with the USSR.
Initially, the USSR had not helped Castro to power; however, links strengthened, and the Soviets began to sell oil and fuel to Cuba.

Cuba began to ask the Soviet Union for military defence support. At the same time, the USA was trying to bring Cuba back into America’s sphere of influence.
The USA refused to acknowledge the government under Fidel Castro (the revolutionary who took power in 1959), and the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) unsuccessfully tried to assassinate him.
Kennedy and the CIA decided that extreme action needed to be taken against Cuba.

On 17th April 1961, America invaded Cuba.
The invasion was made to look like a Cuban revolt because the US used only Cuban soldiers.
The USA assembled a group of Cuban exiles called 'Brigade 2506'. The CIA funded them, gave them US plans, and launched an invasion from Guatemala.
- The US aim was to overthrow Castro’s communist government.
- The 1,400 US-backed Cuban paramilitaries (or soldiers) were met by an army of 20,000 Cuban communists. The US-backed Cuban army surrendered.

Fidel Castro had been informed about the impending invasion before it was launched.
- This allowed him to prepare his armies.
The American planes used in the raid made it clear that it was a US invasion.

1,202 members of Brigade 2506 were captured.
Castro offered to release the men in exchange for $28 million worth of tractors, before an agreement was struck in 1962 to deliver $53 million worth of food and medicine to Cuba, in exchange for the prisoners.
Kennedy attended their 'welcome back' ceremony in Florida.

The Bay of Pigs invasion destroyed the possibility of good Cuban-American relations.
Fidel Castro cemented his socialist rule in Cuba.
The USA lost face. They had funded a failed invasion and pretended they weren't involved.

In October 1962, the USA discovered Soviet Union missile sites on Cuba. President Kennedy and his team had to decide the best course of action.

In April 1961, the USA had designed the invasion of Cuba, led by Brigade 2506.
In October 1962, the USA discovered Soviet Union missile sites on Cuba.
- Cuba was only 90 miles from the coast of Florida, which is why the US felt threatened.
- Cuba had allowed the Soviet Union to station (put) missiles there to act as a deterrent to stop the USA from attacking Cuba again.

On Monday, 22nd October at 7pm, President Kennedy addressed the American TV networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) to inform them about the situation in Cuba.
The US media and public were panicked when they heard about the missile sites on Cuba.

Kennedy's personal Cabinet and advisors were divided into 2 groups - doves and hawks.
- The ‘hawks’, like Dean Acheson, wanted aggressive action against Cuba.
- The 'doves', led by US Defence Secretary, Robert McNamara, thought that nuclear war would lead to Mutually Assured Destruction and wanted no risks.
Kennedy could have:
- Invaded Cuba and destroyed the missile sites
- Done nothing and allowed the missile sites to be built
- Find a creative solution in the middle ground

The USSR initially said that they would not respect the 'quarantine zone' and that any action towards their ships would provoke military action.
If the Soviet and American ships had engaged in any battles or conflict, it could have provoked a nuclear war.

On the 27th of October 1962, Krushchev and Kennedy compromised.
- The Soviet Union would not place any missiles in Cuba, if the USA removed its warheads (likely ICBMs) from its army bases in Europe (mainly in Italy and Turkey).
- This would mean that neither superpower had missiles within range of the opposition's territory.

The USA takes missiles out of Europe without telling the public (allowing Kennedy and the American hawks to save face).
On the 28th of October, Krushchev goes on television, agreeing not to send missiles to Cuba. Soviet ships never crossed the blockade, and war was avoided.