The Cuban Missile Crisis

05 November 2004 (Lecture #30)

Cuban background

• US protectorate from the Spanish-American War until 1934
• US supported corrupt regime, waiting for a viable alternative
• Castro liberates Cuba from corrupt regime

o Expected to be well-received by the US

o US suspicious which turns Castro off (Castro rejects Soviets; his communist brother talks to Soviets)

• Castro nationalizes US businesses in Cuba
• CIA begins counter-revolution efforts
• Castro comes to the United Nations – gives three hour praising communism

o UN had expected him to give a quick five minute introduction asking for aid

Bay of Pigs

• Good initial plan but Kennedy handicaps the plan

o Takes away air support and moves to a location far from mountains where they could conduct guerilla warfare

o Dismal failure – KGB knew of plans, told Castro; eliminates any chance of success

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Why missiles in Cuba?

o Protect Cuban communists as Soviet prestige

o Counter US Turkish missiles

• US detects large number of movements to Cuba by Soviets (engineers, air defense system, etc)

o Kennedy secures promise from Khrushchev to only move in defensive weapons

• Khrushchev moves in nuclear weapons (US detects)

o Kennedy sets up quarantine, Soviet ships turn back

o Shows Khrushchev not willing to fight a limited war at the risk of nuclear holocaust

• Consequences: turning point à showed how dangerous nuclear brinkmanship was

o Both sides agree only to use nuclear weapons to defend NATO and Warsaw

o Communists between countries improved

o Politburo for Khrushchev to retire

o US still has bad relations with Cuba

Conclusions

• Cold War’s point of max danger
• Has impact to today