Based on Your Knowledge of the Cold War, Complete the Following Chart
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THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
Background to the Cuban Crisis East and West had come very close to direct conflict on a number of occasions since 1945.
BASED ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE COLD WAR, COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART: Cause of the crisis Events Consequences
Berlin Blockade (1949)
Korean War (1950-53)
Berlin Wall (1961)
After the increase in tension that had taken place throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s, the Cold War was now firmly underway. The Americans believed firmly that it was necessary to their security to stop the expansion of communism wherever it occurred. During the 1960’s this lead them to the brink of a nuclear war over the stationing of Soviet missiles on Cuba. Cuba is an island country that is only 100 miles away from America.
The USA’s role in Cuba In 1898 the Americans helped the Cubans win independence from Spain. This meant that the Americans played a major part in Cuban affairs ever since. American companies had large shares in Cuban companies especially in mining and agriculture. In 1934 the Americans helped the Cuban military Officer Batista come to power. His government was corrupt and repressive and many Cubans saw it as a symbol of American power.
http://www.activehistory.co.uk/main_area/games/ppt_online/index.php?id=cuba_context
DESCRIBE THE U.S. INFLUENCE IN CUBA UNDER THE BATISTA GOVERNMENT.
The Cuban Revolution In 1959, Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro. Castro promised to help the poor and began appointing communists to his government. He became a communist himself. In 1960 Castro signed a treaty with the Soviet Union in which Cuban sugar would be swapped for Soviet machinery and economic aid.
WHY WAS THE U.S. ANNOYED WITH FIDEL CASTRO AND CUBA?
The U.S. Reaction The U.S. was extremely unhappy with this because they were worried that its companies might lose a lot of money and the Soviets could put weapons on Cuba to threaten the U.S. In 1960 the U.S. stopped buying sugar (Cuba’s main crop). In retaliation, Cuba nationalized (took over) all American owned companies. In 1961 America broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba.
WHAT DID THE AMERICANS THINK THEIR INVASION OF 1961 WOULD ACHIEVE?
The Bay of Pigs – April 1961 In 1961 the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) organized Cuban exiles (Cuban people who had left because of Castro) to invade Cuba to try and bring back Batista. The CIA trained them and President Kennedy supported it secretly. The idea was that the Cuban people would rise up against Castro and help the exiles once they landed.
A force of 1400 exiles invaded at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961 but were met by 20,000 Cuban soldiers who quickly put the invasion down. They were very well armed and trained partly due to Soviet help. The exiles and America had also underestimated Castro’s popularity and his grip on power in Cuba.
WHAT WERE THE REAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE FAILED “BAY OF PIGS” INVASION? Consequences of the Bay of Pigs This invasion convinced Castro that he needed more help from the Soviet Union. He asked the Soviet Union publicly for help with weapons to defend Cuba. In September 1961 Khruschev announced that he would send weapons to Cuba to help it and within months Castro had many of the latest Soviet weapons.
WHY DID THE SOVIET UNION DECIDE TO PUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS ON CUBA?
Soviet Actions America was worried that the Soviet Union would station nuclear weapons on Cuba. Khruschev told Kennedy that he would not put nuclear missiles on Cuba because there was no need to have such missiles outside of the borders of the Soviet Union. However, he decided that although he would not give nuclear weapons to the Cubans, he would put nuclear weapons on Cuba secretly if he could do it. He did this for a number of reasons. 1. The Americans had more missiles and nuclear weapons than the Soviet Union. The Americans also had nuclear missiles in Turkey which had a border with the Soviet Union. By putting nuclear missiles on Cuba, Khruschev would be narrowing the gap in weapons between the Soviet Union and American. 2. He might be able to use them as a bargaining tool. If he agreed to remove Soviet missiles from Cuba then he might be able to get some concession out of the U.S. 3. To defend a fellow communist country from the threat of the capitalist U.S.
Range of the missiles in Cuba
Missiles on Cuba On 14th October 1962, a U.S. spy plane took pictures of what looked like missile bases being built. Some were near completion and ready to fire within seven (7) days. More Soviet ships were sailing to Cuba with missiles as well. Kennedy was in a really difficult position. He knew that the Soviets would not remove the missiles easily. He couldn’t attack the missile sites or Cuba because this would start a war and nuclear weapons would probably be KENNEDY’S OPTIONS: used. This was becoming a deadly game. Who would 1. Nuclear Strike? It would cause a nuclear war.blink first? 2. Conventional Attack? There were Soviet troops in Cuba and it would probably lead to a war with the Soviet Union. 3. Use the United Nations? Too slow. 4. Do nothing? The missile bases were too dangerous. Missiles could be launched that would strike Washington D.C. in 13 minutes. 5. Blockade? This would stop construction of the missile base, but it was not a direct act of war. AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH OPTION WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY? (REMEMBER, YOU DO NOT WANT TO APPEAR TOO WEAK AGAINST THE COMMUNISTS.)
WHAT ACTION DOES KENNEDY TAKE?
What Did Kennedy Do? Kennedy decided to blockade Cuba to stop Soviet ships landing their missiles. He told the Soviets that if their ships attempted to go through the blockade then the U.S. would sink them. This would lead to war. Khruschev said that the Soviet Union would not turn its ships around and accused Kennedy and the U.S. of piracy. The world held its breath as 20 Soviet ships steamed towards the blockade. The tension built for the next 72 hours while the U.S. waited to see what would happen.
When the Soviet ships got to the blockade, they were ordered by the Kremlin to turn around and go home.
HOW DOES THIS CRISIS GET RESOLVED?
Missiles Still In Cuba However, there were still missiles in Cuba. Khruschev wrote to Kennedy and told him that if the blockade stopped, he would remove the missiles. He also wanted the promise that the U.S. would not attempt to invade Cuba in the future. This seemed really positive for the U.S. However, on the 27th of October, Khruschev sent another letter saying that he wouldn’t remove the missiles until the U.S. removed their missiles in Turkey. The same day, a U.S. spy plane was shot down over Cuba. The world held its breath again. It looked as though a war was about to begin. Kennedy chose to ignore Khruschev’s second letter and responded to the first. He told Khruschev that he would remove the blockade if the Soviets withdrew the missiles but if they didn’t, an attack would follow.
On the same day, Robert Kennedy, the President’s brother, went to see the Soviet ambassador in Washington and told him quietly that the U.S. would strongly consider removing its missiles from Turkey in a short space of time. This was on condition that this negotiation be kept secret from the rest of the world. On the 28th October 1962 Khruschev said that he would order the removal of the missiles. He kept his word. The crisis was over.
WHO DO YOU BELIEVE WAS THE VICTOR (WINNER) OF THIS INCIDENT?
Who Won? The U.S. claimed that they had won because they got what they wanted. The missiles were removed from Cuba and it looked to the rest of the world like Khruschev backed down. This improved Kennedy’s reputation as he was the man who faced down the Soviets and won.
The secret negotiations between Robert Kennedy and Ambassador Dobrynin to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey was never confirmed or made public. In fact, memoirs written from Khruschev and Robert Kennedy still do not clear up what was actually said.
Read the following excerpts and make your own decision.
Robert F. Kennedy's (edited) Description I telephoned Ambassador Dobrynin about 7:15 P.M. and asked him to come to the Department of Justice. We met in my office at 7:45. I told him first that we knew that work was continuing on the missile bases in Cuba and that in the last few days it had been expedited. I said that in the last few hours we had learned that our reconnaissance planes flying over Cuba had been fired upon and that one of our U-2s had been shot down and the pilot killed. That for us was a most serious turn of events.
President Kennedy did not want a military conflict. He had done everything possible to avoid a military engagement with Cuba and with the Soviet Union, but now they had forced our hand. Because of the deception of the Soviet Union, our photographic reconnaissance planes would have to continue to fly over Cuba, and if the Cubans or Soviets shot at these planes, then we would have to shoot back. This would inevitably lead to further incidents and to escalation of the conflict, the implications of which were very grave indeed.
He said the Cubans resented the fact that we were violating Cuban air space. I replied that if we had not violated Cuban air space, we would still be believing what Khrushchev had said— that there would be no missiles placed in Cuba. In any case, I said, this matter was far more serious than the air space of Cuba—it involved the peoples of both of our countries and, in fact, people all over the globe.
The Soviet Union had secretly established missile bases in Cuba while at the same time proclaiming privately and publicly that this would never be done. We had to have a commitment by tomorrow that those bases would be removed. I was not giving them an ultimatum but a statement of fact. He should understand that if they did not remove those bases, we would remove them. President Kennedy had great respect for the Ambassador's country and the courage of its people. Perhaps his country might feel it necessary to take retaliatory action; but before that was over, there would be not only dead Americans but dead Russians as well.
He asked me what offer the United States was making, and I told him of the letter that President Kennedy had just transmitted to Khrushchev. He raised the question of our removing the missiles from Turkey. I said that there could be no quid pro quo or any arrangement made under this kind of threat or pressure and that in the last analysis this was a decision that would have to be made by NATO. However, I said, President Kennedy had been anxious to remove those missiles from Italy and Turkey for a long period of time. He had ordered their removal some time ago, and it was our judgment that, within a short time after this crisis was over, those missiles would be gone.
I said President Kennedy wished to have peaceful relations between our two countries. He wished to resolve the problems that confronted us in Europe and Southeast Asia. He wished to move forward on the control of nuclear weapons. However, we could make progress on these matters only when the crisis was behind us. Time was running out. We had only a few more hours—we needed an answer immediately from the Soviet Union. I said we must have it the next day.
I returned to the White House.... [Robert F. Kennedy, Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis (New York: New American Library, 1969), 107-109.] Khrushchev's Description The climax came after five or six days, when our ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Dobrynin, reported that the President's brother, Robert Kennedy, had come to see him on an unofficial visit. Dobrynin's report went something like this:
"Robert Kennedy looked exhausted. One could see from his eyes that he had not slept for days. He himself said that he had not been home for six days and nights. 'The President is in a grave situation,' Robert Kennedy said, 'and does not know how to get out of it. We are under very severe stress. In fact we are under pressure from our military to use force against Cuba. Probably at this very moment the President is sitting down to write a message to Chairman Khrushchev. We want to ask you, Mr. Dobrynin, to pass President Kennedy's message to Chairman Khrushchev through unofficial channels. President Kennedy implores Chairman Khrushchev to accept his offer and to take into consideration the peculiarities of the American system. Even though the President himself is very much against starting a war over Cuba, an irreversible chain of events could occur against his will. That is why the President is appealing directly to Chairman Khrushchev for his help in liquidating this conflict. If the situation continues much longer, the President is not sure that the military will not overthrow him and seize power. The American army could get out of control."'
[Khrushchev Remembers, intro., commentary, and notes by Edward Crankshaw, trans. and ed. by Strobe Talbott (Boston: Little, Brown, 1970; citation from paperback edition, New York: Bantam, 1971), pp. 551-52] http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/moment.htm
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
The Soviets claimed that they won. Cuba was now a communist country allied to the Soviet Union only a few miles from America. The U.S. would not really dare to get involved with it again. However, Khruschev lost face both at home and with other countries. He was removed from his job a few years later partly because of this.
Some people say that neither side really won or lost. The two sides learned from the crisis. In an effort to try to stop future crisis from happening, a hotline between the Kremlin and the White House was set up and in 1963 a nuclear test ban treaty was signed. The world never came as close to nuclear war again. Relations on the whole between the two countries started to get better after the Cuban Missile Crisis.