5. The crisis over Cuba, 1962

• Increased tension over Cuba:

  • crisis mainly caused by increasing rivalry (USA + USSR) for influence over Cuba
  • strong American in Cuba since 20th century + American presidents believed that Cuba's friendship = important -> close to the US mainland (145km away) - part of USA sphere of influence
  • USA had strong economic interests + by 1950s USA controlled most of Cuba's industry, railways + electricity production
  • also a popular holiday destination for Americans
  • 1950s - Cuba ruled by a repressive + v. unpopular dictator, Batista, but supported by USA
• The Cuban Revolution, 1959:

  • overthrow of Batista by Fidel Castro
  • Castro wanted greater independence from US + took control of all property that was located in Cuba
  • Castro's removal of US capitalist companies (+ pro-America Cubans) + desire to help ordinary citizens - seemed to be USA worse nightmare (socialist leader on their doorstep)
  • USA banned the import of Cuban sugar - threatened to bankrupt cuban economy
  • USA, aware that Castro had communist connections, ignored his gov -> he turned to the SU for help
• Soviet relations w/ Cuba:

  • Khrushchev = delighted to have an ally close to USA's mainland - offered to buy the Cuban sugar
  • also sent weapons to Cuba (end of 1959) + in 1960, senior soviet diplomats visited Castro
  • Castro seen as a 'beacon, a hopeful lighthouse...'
  • Sep 1960 -> Khrushchev openly promised to send Castro military assistance - this pushed Castro more closely to the Soviet camp
  • Khrushchev keen to challenge the USA over Cuba + sure that he could out-manoeuvre Kennedy (inexperienced American P) + needed some successes to deflect criticism of his failures in the SU
• Bay of Pigs, April 1961:

  • Because of Soviet involvement w/ Castro -> USA broke off diplomatic relations w/ Cuba (Jan 1961)
  • Eisenhower authorised a scheme (before the end of his presidency) -> Cuban exiles (in the USA) trained for the invasion of Cuba -> Kennedy accepted this scheme
  • Aim = remove Castro
  • fully equipped exiles would land in Cuban + cause a national uprising -> trained by the CIA (Florida + Guatemala)
  • Budget = $45 mil
  • exiles - La Brigada 2506 = ~1500 people
• Timeline:

  • 1961:
  • 15 Apr: US planes bombed part of Cuban airforce
  • 16 Apr: Planned 2nd wave of bombings called off - remnants of the Cuban airforce = able to regroup + fight the next day
  • 17 Apr: La Brigada 2506 landed at Bahia de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) + encountered forces of ~20,000 men from Castro's Army
  • 19 Apr: fighting ended - 100 men from Brigada = killed + 1100 imprisoned
  • 1962:
  • Dec: La Brigada prisoners released after $53 mil worth of food + medicines given to Cuba by organisations + ordinary people in USA
• Reasons the invasion failed:

  • CIA - convinced that when exiles landed = cuban people would rise up + remove Castro
  • failed to understand - Castro was popular + aware invasion = imminent bc some exiles had been overheard discussing plans in Miami
  • air support = crucial in early stage + US decision not to attack Cuban airforce (16 apr) = critical to failed outcome
  • La Brigada's supply of ships = sunk by Cuban planes + cuban ground forces (20,000 people) were superior in all respects (leadership, arms + organisation)
  • La Brigada = no match for them
• Significance of invasion: (1)

  • Castro - losing support before the invasion bc of increasingly severe economic situation + many Cubans fled the country, seeking more prosperous countries (inc USA)
  • his position in Cuba becamedur to failure of the invasion + threat from the USA united the Cuban people
  • USA also lost support in the rest of Latin America bc of events in Bay of Pigs -> seen as an imperialist nation
• Significance of invasion: (2)

  • failure also great embarrassment to Kennedy + made him more determined to remove Castro
  • set up Operation Mongoose, organised by CIA, to remove Castro
  • US involvement in Bay of Pigs pushed Castro much closer to the SU
  • end of 1961 -> Castro felt confident enough to declare his conversion to communism + drew closer to the SU (concerned Kennedy + advisors)
• Significance of invasion: (3)

  • end of 1961 -> Soviet military advisers + combat units stationed on Cuba
  • Khrushchev saw beginning of spread of communism in Latin America + concerned by US missile bases in Italy + Turkey (thought missile bases in Cuba would restore balance of power)
  • following Bay of Pigs -> he could claim to be defending Cuba from future attacks from the USA + disgruntled Cuban exiles
• Military build-up in Cuba:

  • Khrushchev cont. to send military supplies -> Cuba throughout 1962 + in September - Soviet technicians began to install ballistic missiles
  • able to say any weapons being sent over -> defend Cuba + not offensive (unlike USA missiles in Turkey)
  • 14 Oct - situation suddenly changed when a U-2 spy plane took photographs of Cuba -> showed the Soviet intermediate range missile bases being built
  • missiles = operational ~november
  • Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBM) could almost hit all US cities - posed a serious threat to country security
• Kennedy's reaction: (1)

  • after he learned of the missiles -> set up a committee of 12 advisors (inc his brother, Robert)
  • options discussed:
  • bomb Cuba + the SU using nuclear missiles
  • invade cuba
  • use an air-strike to destroy missile bases
  • blockade Cuba
  • do nothing
• Kennedy's reaction: (2)

  • decided to place naval blockade (quarantine) around Cuba to prevent any Soviet ship delivering military materials
  • blockade was to stretch 3,300 km around Cuba
  • a fleet of Polaris submarines was made ready for action + 156 ICBMs were made ready for combat
  • airforce bombers were in the air on patrol + 100,000s were placed on combat alert
  • Oct 22 Kennedy addressed the people of USA about the blockade in a tv broadcast
• The October crisis: (1)

  • as Kennedy spoke on tv - US armed forced prepared themselves for action
  • he informed Khrushchev - the Soviet convoy approaching Cuba would be stopped + any ship was found carrying offensive military equipment wouldn't be permitted to pass the blockade + would have to return to SU
• The October crisis: (2)

  • Timeline: October (1)
  • 22 - Kennedy's tv address
  • 24 - 18 Soviet ships approaching Cuba turned around to avoid confrontation w/ US blockade (quarantine) + Kennedy demanded removal of all missiles, failure to do so = invasion of Cuba
  • 26 - Khrushchev sent Kennedy a letter (offered to remove missiles if blockade = removed + promise not to invade Cuba)
• The October crisis: (3)

  • Timeline: October (2)
  • 27 - Khrushchev sent a tougher letter (promised to remove the missiles if USA removed missiles from Turkey) + a U-2 spy-plane shot down over Cuba by soviet missile -> crisis deepened
  • 28 - Kennedy (w/ suggestion of his brother) decided to ignore 2nd letter + accept 1st
  • added if there was no positive soviet response by oct 29, US forces would invade Cuba
  • Khrushchev accepted offer + USA agreed to remove missiles from Turkey (happened much later after Cuban missiles removed)
• The consequences of the Crisis:

  • 1st - intensified rivalry + tension but in other respects -> reduced tension
  • Increased Rivalry: (1)
  • Kennedy won the war of words + perception that Khrushchev backed down
  • many saw Kennedy as a great statesman -> stood up to communists
  • deal over missiles in Turkey = not public
  • leading politicians in the SU thought Khrushchev had been humiliated + looked to remove him
• Consequences of the Crisis: (2)

  • Increased Rivalry: (2)
  • Mao Zedong (China) criticised Khrushchev for placing missiles in Cuba + backing down
  • Khrushchev saw this as a victory -> saved Cuba from invasion + knew missiles in Turkey would be removed
  • in the USSR -> Khrushchev was seen to have failed over Cuba + this contributed to his removal as leader (1964)
• Consequences of the Crisis: (3)

  • The 'hotline'
  • relief crisis was over + great reduction in tension
  • a hotline telephone link was established between the White House in Washington DC + the Kremlin in Moscow
  • to ensure the leaders didn't have to communicate by letter in case of a crisis
• Consequences of the Crisis: (4)

  • Treaties: (1)
  • further improvements - Limited Test Ban Treaty (signed in August 1963) -> USA + SU agreed to stop testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere
  • 1968 - 2 superpowers, Britain + several other countries signed the Outer Space Treaty -> promised to use outer space for peaceful purposes + not place nuclear weapons in orbit
  • followed by the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (1968) -> designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons (countries that signed agreed not to develop nuclear weapons)
• Consequences of the Crisis: (5)

  • Treaties: (2)
  • idea that the arms race had almost brought nuclear war helped the superpower to consider limitations to their arsenals + talks began (1969) -> became known as Strategic Arms Limitation Talks - became part of the policy of détente (reduction in tension USA <-> SU)
  • observers saw that relations had improved -> 1963 - USA sold grain to SU following poor harvests there
  • some in Europe had taken exception to Kennedy acting on his own during the crisis -> little consultation w/ other countries + in 1966, France withdrew from the military side of NATO