CRISIS

The closest the world came to annihilating itself.

Karan Katyal & Spencer Gillis

Background to the Events in Cuba

Cuba, small island, 160 km from coast
of Florida.

US ally, US businesses & US military

base. (Guantanamo)

1959, Fidel Castro overthrows Battista

(US-backed dictator), establishing Communist government.

Early attempts at Containment Castro takes over US businesses.

relations.

January 1961, US breaks off diplomatic April, 1961, Bay of Pigs 1,400 antiCuban exiles attempted to overthrow Castro.

Autumn 1962, Cuba has received

1000s of USSR missiles, jets, boats & personnel.

Tension Between Superpowers

Causes

There had been growing tensions between Russia and America. Especially because of the - space race, the arms race and nuclear testing, and American funding of anti-communists in Vietnam and Laos.

Fidel Castros Cuba

Castro took power in 1959, which was threatening to the USA since of its geographical proximity.
1n 1960 Castro made a trade agreement with Russia for sugar in return of money, oil and machines. The Americans were frightened by this and stopped trading with Cuba in 1960. In retaliation Cuba nationalized all America-owned companies

The Bay of Pigs In April 1961 the CIA encouraged and funded an attempt by anti-Castro-Cuban exiles to invade Cuba. They failed miserably which embarrassed Kennedy. As a result Castro requested and Russia publicly promised weapons .to defend Cuba against America

Events
October 14 : A U-2 flying over western Cuba obtains photographs of missile sites October 14 - 17: The Joint Chiefs of Staff strongly advise Kennedy to make an air strike ( the discussions are referred to as the EX-COMM's ) October 18: Gromyko assures Kennedy that Soviet Cuban aid has been only for the "defensive capabilities of Cuba." October 22: Congressional leaders are shown the photographic evidence of the Soviet missile Cuban installations and the President addresses the nation regarding the Cuban crisis October 23: Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev in which Khrushchev states that there is a, "serious threat to peace and security of peoples." Robert Kennedy speaks with Ambassador Dobrynin

October 24: Soviet ships, en route to Cuba, reverse their course except for one. US Military forces go to DEFCON 2
October 25: JFK sends a letter to Khrushchev placing the responsibility for the crisis on the Soviet Union October 26: Khrushchev sends a letter to President Kennedy proposing to remove his missiles if Kennedy publicly announces never to invade Cuba October 27: Kennedy sends Khrushchev a letter stating that he will make a statement that the U.S. will not invade Cuba if Khrushchev removes the missiles from Cuba October 28: Khrushchev announces over Radio Moscow that he has agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba In return the US agrees to the withdrawal of US nuclear missiles from Turkey ending the Cuban Missile Crisis

Major Players

Was in office for two years (1961-1963) before he was assassinated.

President John F. Kennedy

He felt betrayed when he heard about the Soviet missiles in Cuba on October 16.

For several months before Kennedy had been informed by the Soviets through secret channels that they would not place offensive weapons in Cuba.

Appointed his most trusted advisors to serve on the EX-COMM (Executive Committee of the National Security Council). This group of 19 men extensively helped Kennedy throughout the crisis by providing intelligence, editing his letters, and debating over the best course of action.

President Kennedy met with this group in secret for many days before any public declaration was made to discover a solution.

He did not want the Soviet Union to know he had discovered the missiles in Cuba.
Kennedy wished to find a peaceful resolution and hoped to avoid armed conflict and was seen as a hero who had fought Communism and won in America at the end of the crisis .

Major Players

Premier of the Soviet Union (1958-1964)

Nikita Khrushchev

Had the idea in the spring of 1962 to place nuclear weapons in Cuba in order to balance of power in the Cold War. The Soviet Military assured him that the missiles could be put in Cuba secretly and the US would not be able to discover the missiles long after they were installed at least until November. He was stunned on October 22 when he found out that the Americans had discovered the missiles. Handled most of the decisions during the crisis unlike President Kennedy.

Was in direct conversation with President Kennedy through many letters on behalf of the Soviet Union.
He also wanted to avoid armed conflict and aimed for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

His peaceful compromise with the US was seen a Soviet loss by the Communist Party officials and Khrushchev was removed from power two

The Soviet Unions nuclear missiles were withdrawn from Cuba.

Consequences

American nuclear missiles were withdrawn from Turkey and Italy - done secretly A major embarrassment for Khrushchev and the Soviet Union for two reasons.

The withdrawal of American missiles was not made public then. Seemed like the Soviets were retreating from a situation they had started without much negotiation.

Cubas Castro took the compromise as a partial betrayal by the Soviets.

In particular because the issues like the status of Guantanamo were not addressed.
Caused Soviet-Cuban relations to get much worse in the future.

This strengthened Fidel Castros position as the Cuban leader. Agreement between the Soviet Union and America never to invade Cuba Spurred the Hotline Agreement

Moscow-Washington nuclear hotline (direct communication link) A way that the two leaders of these nations could easily communicate to solve such a crisis.

Consequences

Jupiter - intermediate range ballistic missile America agreed to secretly withdraw these missiles from Turkey and Italy. Originally deployed to Turkey and Italy in the early 1960s. Part of NATOs Cold War barrier against the Soviet Union.

Videos

President Kennedy addresses the nation on the Cuban Missile Crisis :

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=W50RNAbmy3M

Clip from the movie - 13 Days In October

http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=VGx7dimJ6ns&feature=relate d

A Letter From Khrushchev

An excerpt from a letter Khrushchev sent to President Kennedy on October 26.

Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles sites in Cuba if Kennedy promised not to invade Cuba. The invasion of Cuba would make Khrushchev look bad and could also lead to a nuclear war.
This was the reaction that Kennedy wanted.
Everyone needs peace; both capitalists, if they have not lost their reason, and still more, communists. War is our enemy and a calamity for all people.If indeed war should break out, then it would not be in our power to stop it, for such is the logic of war. I have participated in two wars and I know that war ends only when it has rolled through cities and villages, everywhere sowing death and destruction. I should like you to agree that one cannot give way to pressures; it is necessary to control them. If people do not show wisdom, then in the final analysis they will come to a clash, like blind moles, and then reciprocal extermination will begin. If you have not lost your self-control, then Mr. President we and you ought not now to pull on the end of a rope in which you have tied the knot of war, because the more the two of us pull, the tighter the knot will be tied. And a moment may come when that knot will be tied so tight that even he who tied it will not have the strength to untie it. And then it will be necessary to cut that knot. And what that will mean is not for me to explain to you, because you yourself understand perfectly what terrible forces our countries possess. Let us not only relax the forces pulling on the end of the rope; let us take means to untie the knot. We are ready for this.

 Cuba remained Communist & heavily

armed (without nuclear missiles)

Outcome and Significance

Both leaders didnt lose face and came

away with concessions

Permanent hotline between White

House & Kremlin set up

Supported theory of containment & coexistence because alternatives unimaginable

Massive Retaliation

The Cuban Missile Crisis led Kennedy to rethink the doctrine of massive retaliation adopted during the Eisenhower years. Instead, Kennedy talked about the need for a flexible response to local Cold War conflicts.

Vietnam

When communists seemed on the verge of taking over Vietnam, the president tested this new approach. He sent money and military advisors to Vietnam to build noncommunist forces in that country. By the end of 1962, more than 9,000 American military advisors were helping to defend Vietnam from communism.

Nuclear War

The missile crisis left Kennedy and Khrushchev frightened by how close they had come to nuclear war. As a result, both men began looking for ways to ease tensions between the superpowers.

Hotline

As a first step, the two leaders established a hotline. This line of communication would be kept open at all times so they could contact each other instantly during a crisis. The hotline still exists today and has been tested once an hour since 1963.

USS Gearing, a U.S. Destroyer, participating in the Naval Blockade

U.S. Navy low-level photograph of San Cristobal MRBM site No. 1

The U-2 Plane