The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962

Danger on the Doorstep The most dangerous crisis of the Cold War happened in 1962 on the island of CUBA, off the coast of Florida. In 1956, Fidel Castro had begun a Revolution which led to the overthrow of the corrupt dictatorship of General Batista. The USA feared Castro and his Communist style policies, such as State Control of factories. When Castro visited the USA in 1959, President Eisenhower refused to meet him. The USA cut all trade links with Cuba. In response, Castro turned to the USSR, who by 1960 accounted for 80% of Cubas exports.

Growing Tension The growing friendship between Cuba and the USSR prompted the USA to take action to overthrow Castro. The American CIA trained and armed anti-Castro Cuban Exiles and made plans to invade the island. In April 1961, 1,500 exiles landed at the BAY OF PIGS in Southern Cuba. Castro’s troops overcame the invasion. The USA did not intervene and the whole incident was a huge embarrassment for the USA, not least the new President Kennedy, who was accused of being “soft on Communism”

Soviet Build Up The Cuban Government turned to the USSR for military assistance. On Oct. 14th 1962, an American U2 Spy Plane took aerial photos that proved that the Soviets were building Nuclear Missile Bases in Cuba. This sent shock waves through the White House, as any missiles launched from Cuba could hit all major American Cities within minutes! There was also evidence that ships with these Missiles were already en route from the USSR to Cuba.

“It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.”

Thirteen Days that Shook the World US President Kennedy demanded that the Soviets dismantle the Missile Bases immediately. He also order a Naval Blockade of Cuba to prevent the Missiles from being delivered. He warned USSR leader Khrushchev that all Soviet ships heading for Cuba would be stopped and searched. Khrushchev argued that Soviet Missiles in Cuba were no more of a threat to the USA than American missiles in Turkey were to the USSR. The 2 Superpowers were now on a Collision Course, which brought the World closer to the brink of Nuclear War with every hour that passed.

Back From the Brink Eventually, on OCT. 24th, the Soviet Ships turned back, before reaching the US blockade. Two days later Khrushchev wrote to Kennedy promising to remove the Missile Bases if the USA agreed not to invade Cuba. The USA agreed. The Crisis was over, with both sides claiming a victory. The World breathed a sigh of relief! 6 months later the USA withdrew its Missiles from Turkey, denying that this was in any way linked to the Cuban Incident.

RESULTS Both Superpowers realised how close they had come to Nuclear War. They tried to improve East-West relations by setting up a Direct Telephone line (“The Hotline”) between the White House and the Kremlin in Moscow. Both sides realised the need to slow the rate of weapons build up. In 1963 they signed a Test Ban Treaty and in 1969 they signed a Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Cold War entered a more “stable” phase in the years which followed