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CRISIS

Karan Katyal & Spencer Gillis

The closest the world came to annihilating itself.

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Background to the

Events in Cuba

Cuba, small island, 160 km from coastof Florida.

US ally, US businesses & US militarybase. (Guantanamo)

1959, Fidel Castro overthrows Battista(US-backed dictator), establishingCommunist government.

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Early attempts at

Containment

Castro takes over US businesses. January 1961, US breaks off diplomatic

relations. April, 1961, Bay of Pigs 1,400 anti-

Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow

Castro. Autumn 1962, Cuba has received

1000s of USSR missiles, jets, boats &personnel.

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Causes Tension Between Superpowers

There had been growing tensions between Russia and America.

Especially because of the - space race, the arms race and nuclear testing, and Americanfunding of anti-communists in Vietnam and Laos.

Fidel Castros Cuba

Castro took power in 1959, which was threatening to the USA since of its geographicalproximity.

1n 1960 Castro made a trade agreement with Russia for sugar in return of money, oil andmachines.

The Americans were frightened by this and stopped trading with Cuba in 1960.

In retaliation Cuba nationalized all America-owned companies

The Bay of Pigs

In April 1961 the CIA encouraged and funded an attempt by anti-Castro-Cuban exiles toinvade Cuba.

They failed miserably which embarrassed Kennedy.

As a result Castro requested and Russia publicly promised weapons .to defend Cubaa ainst America

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Events October 14 : A U-2 flying over western Cuba obtains photographs of missile sites

October 14 - 17: The Joint Chiefs of Staff strongly advise Kennedy to make an air strike ( the discussionsare referred to as the EX-COMM's )

October 18: Gromyko assures Kennedy that Soviet Cuban aid has been only for the "defensivecapabilities of Cuba."

October 22: Congressional leaders are shown the photographic evidence of the Soviet missile Cubaninstallations and the President addresses the nation regarding the Cuban crisis

October 23: Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev in which Khrushchev states that there is a,"serious threat to peace and security of peoples." Robert Kennedy speaks with Ambassador Dobrynin

October 24: Soviet ships, en route to Cuba, reverse their course except for one. US Military forces go toDEFCON 2

October 25: JFK sends a letter to Khrushchev placing the responsibility for the crisis on the Soviet Union

October 26: Khrushchev sends a letter to President Kennedy proposing to remove his missiles if Kennedypublicly announces never to invade Cuba

October 27: Kennedy sends Khrushchev a letter stating that he will make a statement that the U.S. will notinvade Cuba if Khrushchev removes the missiles from Cuba

October 28: Khrushchev announces over Radio Moscow that he has agreed to remove the missiles fromCuba In return the US agrees to the withdrawal of US nuclear missiles from Turkey ending the CubanMissile Crisis

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Major Players Was in office for two years (1961-1963) before he was assassinated.

He felt betrayed when he heard about the Soviet missiles in Cuba on October16.

For several months before Kennedy had been informed by the Soviets throughsecret channels that they would not place offensive weapons in Cuba.

Appointed his most trusted advisors to serve on the EX-COMM (ExecutiveCommittee of the National Security Council).

This group of 19 men extensively helped Kennedy throughout the crisis byproviding intelligence, editing his letters, and debating over the best course ofaction.

President Kennedy met with this group in secret for many days before anypublic declaration was made to discover a solution.

He did not want the Soviet Union to know he had discovered the missiles inCuba.

Kennedy wished to find a peaceful resolution and hoped to avoid armedconflict and was seen as a hero who had fought Communism and won inAmerica at the end of the crisis .

President John F. Kennedy

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Premier of the Soviet Union (1958-1964)

Had the idea in the spring of 1962 to place nuclear weapons in Cuba inorder to balance of power in the Cold War.

The Soviet Military assured him that the missiles could be put in Cubasecretly and the US would not be able to discover the missiles long afterthey were installed at least until November.

He was stunned on October 22 when he found out that the Americanshad discovered the missiles.

Handled most of the decisions during the crisis unlike PresidentKennedy.

Was in direct conversation with President Kennedy through many letterson behalf of the Soviet Union.

He also wanted to avoid armed conflict and aimed for a peacefulresolution to the crisis.

His peaceful compromise with the US was seen a Soviet loss by theCommunist Party officials and Khrushchev was removed from power two

Major PlayersNikita Khrushchev

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Consequences The Soviet Unions nuclear missiles were withdrawn from Cuba.

American nuclear missiles were withdrawn from Turkey and Italy - done secretly

A major embarrassment for Khrushchev and the Soviet Union for two reasons.

The withdrawal of American missiles was not made public then.

Seemed like the Soviets were retreating from a situation they had started withoutmuch negotiation.

Cubas Castro took the compromise as a partial betrayal by the Soviets.

In particular because the issues like the status of Guantanamo were not addressed.

Caused Soviet-Cuban relations to get much worse in the future.

This strengthened Fidel Castros position as the Cuban leader.

Agreement between the Soviet Union and America never to invade Cuba

Spurred the Hotline Agreement

Moscow-Washington nuclear hotline (direct communication link)

A way that the two leaders of these nations could easily communicate to solve sucha crisis.

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Consequences

Jupiter - intermediate rangeballistic missile

America agreed to secretlywithdraw these missiles fromTurkey and Italy.

Originally deployed to Turkeyand Italy in the early 1960s.

Part of NATOs Cold Warbarrier against the SovietUnion.

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Videos

President Kennedyaddresses the nation onthe Cuban Missile

Crisis :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W50RNAbmy3M

Clip from the movie - 13Days In October

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGx7dimJ6ns&feature=related

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A Letter From Khrushchev Everyone needs peace; both capitalists, if they have

not lost their reason, and still more, communists.War is our enemy and a calamity for all people.Ifindeed war should break out, then it would not be inour power to stop it, for such is the logic of war. Ihave participated in two wars and I know that warends only when it has rolled through cities andvillages, everywhere sowing death and destruction. Ishould like you to agree that one cannot give way to

pressures; it is necessary to control them. If peopledo not show wisdom, then in the final analysis theywill come to a clash, like blind moles, and thenreciprocal extermination will begin. If you have notlost your self-control, then Mr. President we and youought not now to pull on the end of a rope in whichyou have tied the knot of war, because the more thetwo of us pull, the tighter the knot will be tied. And a

moment may come when that knot will be tied sotight that even he who tied it will not have thestrength to untie it. And then it will be necessary tocut that knot. And what that will mean is not for meto explain to you, because you yourself understandperfectly what terrible forces our countries possess.Let us not only relax the forces pulling on the end ofthe rope; let us take means to untie the knot. We areready for this.

An excerpt from a letterKhrushchev sent toPresident Kennedy onOctober 26.

Khrushchev agreed to removethe missiles sites in Cuba ifKennedy promised not toinvade Cuba.

The invasion of Cuba wouldmake Khrushchev look badand could also lead to anuclear war.

This was the reaction thatKennedy wanted.

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Outcome and

Significance Cuba remained Communist & heavilyarmed (without nuclear missiles)

Both leaders didnt lose face and cameaway with concessions

Permanent hotline between WhiteHouse & Kremlin set up

Supported theory of containment & co-existence because alternatives

unimaginable

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Massive Retaliation

The Cuban Missile Crisisled Kennedy to rethinkthe doctrine of massive

retaliation adopted

during the Eisenhoweryears.

Instead, Kennedy talkedabout the need for aflexible response to localCold War conflicts.

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Vietnam

When communists seemed onthe verge of taking overVietnam, the president testedthis new approach.

He sent money and militaryadvisors to Vietnam to buildnoncommunist forces in thatcountry.

By the end of 1962, more than9,000 American militaryadvisors were helping todefend Vietnam fromcommunism.

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Nuclear War

The missile crisis leftKennedy andKhrushchev frightened

by how close they hadcome to nuclear war.

As a result, both menbegan looking forways to ease tensionsbetween thesuperpowers.

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Hotline As a first step, the two

leaders established ahotline.

This line ofcommunication would bekept open at all times sothey could contact eachother instantly during acrisis.

The hotline still existstoday and has beentested once an hour since1963.

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U.S. Navy low-level photograph of San Cristobal MRBM site

No. 1USS Gearing, a U.S. Destroyer, participating in the Naval Blockade

The U-2 Plane