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2/13/2017 1 Cuban Missile Crisis 13 Days that Changed the almost changed World Location Setting the Stage 1. The Truman Doctrine 2. The Marshall Plan 3. Containment 4. The Domino Theory 5. The Berlin Blockade 6. The Berlin Wall Why are these events so important when trying to understand the Cold War?

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Page 1: The Cuban Missile Crisis - atwebpages.commotten.atwebpages.com/warfare/notes/The Cuban Missile... · 2017-02-14 · 2/13/2017 1 Cuban Missile Crisis 13 Days that Changed the almost

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Cuban Missile Crisis

13 Days that Changed the almost changed World

Location

Setting the Stage

1. The Truman Doctrine2. The Marshall Plan3. Containment4. The Domino Theory5. The Berlin Blockade6. The Berlin Wall

Why are these events so important when trying to understand the Cold War?

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What was the background to the events in Cuba?

Cuba, small island, 90 miles from coast of FloridaUS ally, US businesses & US military base (Guantanamo)1959, Fidel Castro overthrows Battista (US-backed dictator), establishing Communistgovernment. Castro enters Havana 1959

How successful were early attempts at ‘containment’?

Castro nationalizes (takes over) US businessesJanuary 1961, US breaks off diplomatic relationsApril, 1961, Bay of Pigs –1,400 anti-Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow CastroAutumn 1962, Cuba has received 1000s of USSR missiles, jets, boats & personnel

The US committed $100 million to overthrowing Castro, the CIA tried to sabotage the economy, they even planned to send him

an exploding cigar!

The Bay of Pigs InvasionThe 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful attempt at invasion following the Cuban Revolution that saw Fidel Castro come to powerIt was planned and funded by the United States –Operation Mongoose The invasion was carried out by armed Cuban exiles in southwest Cuba. This action accelerated a rapid deterioration in Cuban-American relations worsened by the Cuban Missile Crisis the following year.

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Question

Why was the U.S. concerned about Castro and Cuba?What was the Bay of Pigs invasion? Why did it fail?

The Cuban Missile Crisis – The Players

Players: Soviet Side

Nikita Khrushchev Soviet Premier

Anatoly Dobrynin Ambassador to the U.S.

Fidel Castro Premier of CubaAndrei Gromyko,

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Raul Castro Head of Military Deputy Foreign Minister

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John Kennedy U.S. President

Robert McNamara Secretary of Defense

Robert Kennedy Attorney General

Dean Rusk Secretary of State

Players: American Side

Why was the USSR interested in helping Cuba?

Cuba was a new Communist stateCuba provided a launch base for USSR inter-continental missiles (ICMs)Khrushchev wanted to test strength of new US president, JFKReciprocity: The U.S. has missiles pointing at the Soviets (ie. Turkey)An opportunity to close the missile gap—Currently far behind U.S. in terms of number of missiles Khrushchev embraces Castro

Castro’s RoleNo real role in decision makingApparently out of touch with the situation• Oct. 26: “Aggression

imminent/imperialists disregarding world opinion”—Clearly not the case

• Khrushchev plays along to some extent but it is clear he disagrees with him (“your suggestion would have started a thermonuclear world war”)

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The Cuban Missile Crisis – A Chronology – October 14-28, 1962October 14: U2 recon. flight over Cuba spots sites installing nuclear missiles October 15: Presence of missiles is confirmedOctober 16-22: President Kennedy is notified, EXCOMM is created and secret deliberations on what should be done beginOctober 22: Kennedy tells the nation of his plan for blockade and quarantine

“Missiles & Machines of War”USN F-8 Crusader

USAF RF-101

USAF U2

SS-4 "Sandal" 1000 km

SS-5 "Skean" 2000 km

The Missiles: Locations

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Range of Weapons

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The American ResponseKennedy and Congress had already passed a resolution stating the placement of nuclear weapons in Cuba would no be toleratedThey realized they had to act quickly before the missiles were activeThey had a number of choices at their disposal – This has become known as the “Escalation Ladder”

The Escalation Ladder

1. Do Nothing2. Go to the United

Nations3. Naval Blockade4. Strategic Air

strike5. Full Invasion of

Cuba

Question

Which option about Cuba was the best one? Describe why you chose your answer.

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Why was “Do Nothing” not an option?

1. The Truman Doctrine prevented it

2. The weapons were too dangerous to American safety

3. Kennedy would be perceived as weak by the Soviets – This could empower them to make another move on Berlin or another contentious European location

4. Kennedy would be committing political suicide at home

Go to the UN?PROS

Using the United Nations for diplomacy which is goodValidates the United Nation’s role in global politics

CONS

Takes too longCould appear indecisiveToo many interest groupsRussia and the United States both have veto powers on the Security Council –hard to reach a consensus

Good option in conjunction with another choiceDECISION:

Naval Blockade

PROS

Its not war and it is a show of strength without missilesA Naval quarantine is an effective way of turning away missiles

CONS

Puts the United States in direct confrontation with the USSRSinking a soviet ship is an act of war

Safer than an air strike or full invasionDECISION:

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Strategic AirstrikePROS

Will effectively knock out Soviet missilesGood show of American strength

CONS

When Soviet missiles are destroyed it is likely that Soviet soldiers will die as well – this is an act of war

DECISION: Option number two but would prefer not to use it

InvasionPROS

The United States secures Cuba and ensures nuclear safety from the countryThe United States sends a clear message to the Soviets to stay out of the west

CONSA full invasion would surely kill Soviet soldiers which would be considered an act of warThe nuclear consequences could be disastrous

DECISION: Too risky, can only be used as a last resort

The Missiles: Aerial Photo 1

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The Missiles: Aerial Photo 2

The Missiles: Aerial Photo 3

Chronology ContinuedOctober 24: Naval quarantine begins and successfully changes course of many Soviet shipsOctober 25: One Soviet ship challenges naval quarantine; Kennedy lets it passOctober 25: At the UN, Adlai Stevenson directly challenges the Soviet ambassador to admit to the existence of missilesWhen the ambassador refuses, Stevenson wheels out pictures of the missile sites

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Chronology ContinuedOctober 26: Soviets raise possibility for a deal: if we withdraw missiles will America promise not to invade Cuba?October 27: Soviets demand that Americans also withdraw missiles from TurkeyMajor Anderson’s plane is missing over Cuba, presumably shot down; U.S. recon plane strays over Soviet airspace Kennedy tells Khrushchev that he will accept the proposal of the 26th, Kennedy tells his brother to tell the Soviet Ambassador that though the Turkey missiles would not be part of the bargain, they would be removed in timeOctober 28: USSR agrees to withdraw missiles

What Happened?On October 26 the Soviet Union offered to withdraw the missiles in return for a U.S. guarantee not to invade Cuba or support any invasion. On October 27 the USSR called for the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey in addition to the demands of the 26th. The crisis peaked on the 27th, when a U-2 (piloted by Major Rudolph Anderson) was shot down over Cuba and another U-2 flight over Russia was almost intercepted when it strayed over Siberia all the while Soviet merchant ships were nearing the quarantine zone. Kennedy responded by publicly accepting the first deal and then sent Robert F. Kennedy to the Soviet embassy to privately accept the second deal. The fifteen Jupiter missiles in Turkey would be removed six months later.

• The Soviet ships turned back, and on October 28 Khrushchev announced that he had ordered the removal of the Soviet missiles in Cuba. The decision prompted then Secretary of State Dean Rusk to comment, "We were eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just blinked."• Satisfied that the Soviets had removed the missiles, President Kennedy ordered an end to the quarantine of Cuba on November 20.• Khrushchev removed from power in 1964 – Seen as weak by fellow Communists

What Happened? Continued

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OutcomeCuba remained Communist & heavily armed, but without nuclear missilesWorld saw the futility of the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)Supported theory of containment & co-existence because alternatives unimaginablePermanent hotline between White House & Kremlin set upU.S. & U.S.S.R Negotiate a nuclear test ban treaty

Question

1. Was it really possible that the USA and the USSR would use nukes?

2. How much of the threat was real and how much of it was fueled by the press and governments?

3. Was this a defining moment in the Cold War? Was there a balance of power shift?