CubanMissileCoverR6:DM 3/18/15 6:45 AM Page 1 Defining Moments DM Defining Moments The cuban missile Crisis HILLSTROM mnigraphics’ Defining Moments series was created for the express purpose of meeting the Ogrowing appetite for authoritative, useful resources on the nation’s history. This series, which focuses on pivotal events that transformed the United States’ political, cultural, and The Cuban social landscape, will be of enduring value to anyone interested in learning more about Defining Moments America’s past—and in understanding how these events continue to reverberate today. The Cuban Missile Crisis—like all volumes in the Defining Moments series—is arranged in three distinct sections. The Narrative Overview section provides a detailed, factual account Missile Crisis of this “defining moment” in American history, from its earliest inception to its legacy today. The Biographies section includes valuable biographical background on leading figures involved in the era, concluding with a list of sources for further information on the individual. The Primary Sources section collects a broad range of essential and enlightening documents on the topic, from official documents to letters, memoirs, and more. Other valuable features include a glossary of important people, places, and terms; a chronol- ogy of events; a complete bibliography; an annotated list of selected sources for future study; The Cuban missile Crisis The Cuban and a subject index. Students using Defining Moments: The Cuban Missile Crisis will find information on a wide range of topics suitable for historical research and writing reports: • Throughout the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a standoff over the divided city of Berlin, Germany. Compare the Berlin crisis to the Cuban Missile Crisis. How were they similar, and how were they different? • Imagine you are a government official in the Soviet Union in early 1962. Nikita Khrushchev invites you to help him decide whether to send nuclear missiles to Cuba. Analyze various scenarios and then present your advice to Khrushchev. • Examine the legacy of the Cuban Missile Crisis on U.S. foreign policy. What lessons did the country learn, and how have later presidents applied these lessons to the crises they faced? • Some people believe that the best way to avoid nuclear war is to eliminate all nuclear weapons from the world. Other people believe that nuclear weapons act as a stabiliz- ing force in world politics. Explain which position you support and why. For more research topics covered in this volume, please see the full list on pages xv-xvi. Omnigraphics 155 W. Congress, Suite 200 Detroit, MI 48226 Phone: 800-234-1340 Fax: 800-875-1340 Laurie Collier Hillstrom www.omnigraphics.com DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page i Defining Moments The Cuban Missile Crisis DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page ii DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page iii Defining Moments The Cuban Missile Crisis Laurie Collier Hillstrom 155 W. Congress, Suite 200 Detroit, MI 48226 DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page iv Omnigraphics, Inc. Cherie D. Abbey, Managing Editor Peter E. Ruffner, Publisher Copyright © 2015 Omnigraphics, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7808-1348-9 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hillstrom, Laurie Collier, 1965- The Cuban Missile Crisis / by Laurie Collier Hillstrom. pages cm. -- (Defining moments) Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: “Provides users with a detailed and authoritative overview of events surrounding the harrowing 1962 confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, telling the story of the tense thirteen-day standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Includes biogra- phies, primary sources, and more”-- Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-0-7808-1348-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962. I. Title. E841.H548 2015 973.922--dc23 2015003221 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The information in this publication was compiled from sources cited and from sources considered reliable. While every possible effort has been made to ensure reliability, the publisher will not assume liability for dam- ages caused by inaccuracies in the data, and makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy of the information contained herein. This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting the ANSI Z39.48 Standard. The infinity symbol that appears above indicates that the paper in this book meets that standard. Printed in the United States of America. DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page v Table of Contents Preface . .ix How to Use This Book . .xiii Research Topics for Defining Moments: The Cuban Missile Crisis . .xv NARRATIVE OVERVIEW Prologue . .3 Chapter 1: The Cold War . .7 Chapter 2: The United States and Cuba . .23 Chapter 3: The Discovery of Soviet Missiles in Cuba . .37 Chapter 4: The World Reaches the Brink of Nuclear War . .53 Chapter 5: The Cold War Comes to an End . .69 Chapter 6: Legacy of the Cuban Missile Crisis . .89 BIOGRAPHIES Rudolf Anderson Jr. (1927-1962) . .105 American Pilot Who Was the Only Combat Casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis Fidel Castro (1926-) . .110 Premier of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis Anatoly Dobrynin (1919-2010) . .116 Soviet Ambassador to the U.S. during the Cuban Missile Crisis v DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page vi Defining Moments: The Cuban Missile Crisis Alexander Feklisov (1914-2007) . .120 Russian Spy Who Proposed a Deal to Resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) . .125 President of the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968) . .131 U.S. Attorney General and Leader of ExComm Nikita Khrushchev (1891-1971) . .137 Soviet Premier Who Placed Nuclear Missiles in Cuba John McCone (1902-1991) . .144 Director of the CIA during the Cuban Missile Crisis Robert S. McNamara (1916-2009) . .148 U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Cuban Missile Crisis Ted Sorensen (1928-2010) . .153 Special Counsel and Speechwriter for President Kennedy PRIMARY SOURCES The Soviet Union Vows to Defend Cuba . .161 Robert F. Kennedy Describes ExComm Deliberations . .164 John F. Kennedy Tells the World about the Missiles . .168 Nikita Khrushchev Denounces the U.S. Naval Blockade . .174 An Influential Columnist Proposes a Solution . .176 Fidel Castro Calls for a Nuclear Strike . .179 Khrushchev Sends His Conciliatory “First Letter” . .181 Khrushchev Sends His More Aggressive “Second Letter” . .185 Kennedy Responds to Khrushchev’s Initial Offer . .188 Anatoly Dobrynin Worries That Nuclear War Is Imminent . .190 Khrushchev Accepts the Deal . .194 Kennedy Presents “A Strategy for Peace” . .197 The Crisis’s Lasting Impact on U.S. Foreign Policy . .202 vi DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page vii Table of Contents Important People, Places, and Terms . .205 Chronology . .211 Sources for Further Study . .219 Bibliography . .221 Photo and Illustration Credits . .223 Index . .225 vii DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page viii DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page ix Preface hroughout the course of America’s existence, its people, culture, and institutions have been periodically challenged—and in many cases Ttransformed—by profound historical events. Some of these momentous events, such as women’s suffrage, the civil rights movement, and U.S. involve- ment in World War II, invigorated the nation and strengthened American confidence and capabilities. Others, such as the McCarthy era, the Vietnam War, and Watergate, have prompted troubled assessments and heated debates about the country’s core beliefs and character. Some of these defining moments in American history were years or even decades in the making. The Harlem Renaissance and the New Deal, for exam- ple, unfurled over the span of several years, while the American labor move- ment and the Cold War evolved over the course of decades. Other defining moments, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the terrorist attacks of Sep- tember 11, 2001, transpired over a matter of days or weeks. But although significant differences exist among these events in terms of their duration and their place in the timeline of American history, all share the same basic characteristic: they transformed the United States’ political, cultur- al, and social landscape for future generations of Americans. Taking heed of this fundamental reality, American citizens, schools, and other institutions are increasingly emphasizing the importance of understand- ing our nation’s history. Omnigraphics’s Defining Moments series was created for the express purpose of meeting this growing appetite for authoritative, useful historical resources. This series will be of enduring value to anyone interested in learning more about America’s past—and in understanding how those his- torical events continue to reverberate in the twenty-first century. Each individual volume of Defining Moments provides a valuable resource for readers interested in learning about the most profound events in our ix DM - Cuba 3/4/15 11:19 AM Page x Defining Moments: The Cuban Missile Crisis nation’s history. Each volume is organized into three distinct sections—Narra- tive Overview, Biographies, and Primary Sources. • The Narrative Overview provides readers with a detailed, factual account of the origins and progression of the “defining moment” being examined. It also explores the event’s lasting impact on America’s political and cul- tural landscape. • The Biographies section provides valuable biographical background on leading figures associated with the event in question. Each biography concludes with a list of sources for further information on the profiled individual. • The Primary Sources section collects a wide variety of pertinent primary source materials from the era under discussion, including official doc- uments, papers and resolutions, letters, oral histories, memoirs, edito- rials, and other important works.