The Cuban Missile Crisis

The United States and Latin America

1823 Monroe Doctrine

Monroe Doctrine – The US wishing to prevent any foreign power becoming involved in Latin America – after the collapse of the Spanish Empire

Soviet Global Policy

Soviet foreign policy changes with the death of Stalin & the Soviet Union becomes interested in the Third World – backing national liberation movements

Cuba perfect example - “We did not know what type of revolution had taken place”

Cuban Missile Crisis

January 1959 victory of the Cuba Revolution

As Cuban-US relations deteriorate Havana’s relationship with Moscow improves

Cuba perfect example of what Moscow hoped to achieve in the Third World

Cuban Missile Crisis

Propaganda gold dust – Cold War at its height & due to shared history/geography with US

Cuban Missile Crisis

April 1961 - Bay of Pigs Dec 1961 – Castro proclaims himself Marxist-

Leninist

Deployment

Summer 1962 missiles begin to be sent to Cuba

Politburo divided

Wanted to announce to world as fait accompli when at UN

13 Days in October

14th – photographs of missiles on Cuba 22nd – Kennedy decides to blockade Cuba 24th – Soviet ships turn back 24th – message from Khrushchev saying must find

peaceful solution 25th – U2 spy plane shot down 26th – 2nd message from Khrushchev 28th – agreement reached

ExComm Reasons

Bargaining chip for Jupiters in Turkey Diverting trap – real goal was Berlin Rebalance Cold War Close Nuclear imbalance – cost Cuban defence

Excomm Options

3 possible options:

(1) Attack Cuba

(2) Trade missiles for those in Turkey

(3) Quarantine

Much pressure on JFK from hawks after Bay of Pigs

11 voted for quarantine/6 for invasion

Soviet Aims

Idea came to Khrushchev while going for a walk in Bulgaria!

(1) Nuclear parity – been proven by 1961

(2) Weapons in Turkey – 10 mins to hit Soviet Union but 20 mins to hit US

(3) Virgin Land campaign – poor results

Soviet Aims

(4) Reduce military spending – more “bang

for your buck” on “rumble for your

rouble”

(5) Tension with China

(6) Problems with the West – U2 & Vienna/Berlin

Soviet Aims

(7) Believe JFK weak

(8) Khrushchev’s character

(9) Cuban defence - another Bay of Pigs but 40,000 Soviet troops already on Cuba

Solutions

What other options open to JFK & Khrushchev? – pressures from within own governments

Both fought in World War 2

Analysis

Nye – 3 ideas

1) Domestic level

2) International level – distribution of power

3) Military technology – relative standing in international system

Analysis

Graham Allison – Essence of Decision. Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis

Model I – security and stability Model II – Organisations within governments have own reasons Model III – Individuals with own reasons but careful consideration of political situation in own country

Outcomes

Perceived as great humiliation for Soviet Union

Outcomes

“Eyeball to eyeball, they blinked first” – Dean Rusk, US Secretary of State

Hotline between Washington and Moscow created

1963 - Limited test Ban Treaty

1968 – Non Proliferation Treaty

Outcomes

US promise not to invade Cuba – Monroe Doctrine dead

1963 Jupiter missiles in Turkey

1964 cost Khrushchev his job – overseas adventures

Conclusions

Moscow takes decision to station nuclear weapons for a variety of different internal and foreign policy reasons – not just Cuban defence

“special” relationship between Washington & Havana increases tension

Nye - analysis

Allison – Essence of Decision

Conclusions

Perceived as humiliation for Moscow – cost Khrushchev his job

Legacy for rest of Cold War

“Eyeball to eyeball, they blinked first.”