The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban missile crisis lasted for roughly 14 days. This time was one of the most dangerous times in modern days, almost driving the worlds two biggest superpowers into nuclear war with each other. There were many reasons for Khrushchev placing nuclear installments in Cuba and then for him dismantling them. These reasons include; providing a quick fix to the USSR's strategic inferiority, to expel the chance of the united states launching a first strike against them and increasing their own first strike capabilities, to act as a physical deterrent of the U.S Jupiter missiles placed in Europe and around the globe, and then to stop a nuclear war between the US and Russia. To understand these reasons, we must first understand what happened during the crisis and eventually why Khrushchev took the options he did.

The USSR had been in an inferior strategic position against the U.S for a long time, only having less than one fifth of the firepower America had. Because of this the Soviet Union started making up false reports concerning their numbers of nuclear warheads, in an attempt to scare the U.S. This became to be known as the missile gap, which Kennedy in his campaign promised to close. The U.S continued with their missile build up and by the time the crisis began the U.S controlled over 18,000 warheads. This was a ratio of seventeen to one against the Soviet Union, and showed just how much more power the U.S had against them.

Ever since Fidel Castro was made president of Cuba after the revolution in 1959, Cuba had tried to isolate itself from America. Before Castro Cuba encourages American involvement in domestic and industrial affairs. A good example was the American industries inside Cuba using Cuban workers. This use of Cuban citizens caused the revolution and is why Castro wanted to disassociate from America. Because Castro installed a communist government in Cuba, the U.S broke all trade agreements with them and Cuba had to find another country to form trade agreements with. They turned to the USSR and the Soviets accepted, giving Cuba long term loans with low interest and military aid. Something that made the Soviet link with Cube more string was the failed U.S backed counter-revolution by CIA trained Cuban exiles. It was the famous bay of pigs invasion; the exiles didn't even make it past the beach. Though this failed attempt showed Cuban authorities what the U.S intentions really were. This was seen as a major blunder by Kennedy. After that Castro was certain that the US would attempt a full invasion of Cuba and he requested military assistance off Khrushchev. Khrushchev obliged and sent 60 missiles and their warheads, 22 jet light bombers, 39 MIG fighters, 3 cruise missiles, 62 other fighters and 12 Komar-class cruise missile patrol sites. All this was constructed and maintained by 42, 000 Soviet troops deployed in Cuba. It was Castro's fear of the US that stimulated the installments of offensive missiles in Cuba. Even though Khrushchev may have had other reasons for placing these missiles in Cuba, if Castro had not invited him to, this crisis may never have happened.

The USSR was placed in a position which gave the US and its allies had a superior first strike capability. The US could not be reached from Russia using conventional weapons, where the missiles in Turkey, Italy and England were all pointed in their direction. The missiles in Cuba were only 90 miles from the coast of America, and the missiles the US had in Turkey were 135 miles away from Russia. The US was very worried about the position of the missiles in Cuba, though the USSR thought that their complaints were hypocritical saying; Why shouldn't the Soviet Union have the right to do the same as America? By placing Soviet missiles within 100 miles of the US coastline the USSR was evening the score and it allowed them to feel a little more secure and give the US a reason not to attack.

Both the USSR and the US were concerned with each others first strike capabilities (the initial use of nuclear weapons to attack a country that also had nuclear weapons). This first strike policy is considered feasible only when the attacker can destroy the other countries ability to retaliate. The Soviets before placing missiles in Cuba were at a huge disadvantage to the US, and by placing the missiles in Cuba they increased their first strike capability by 70%. Because both sides were afraid of the other initiating a first strike the US brought in the idea of a second strike capability, which is the ability to survive a first strike and launch a second. This was one of the main justifications of the nuclear arms build up of both the US and USSR. The US launched their Polaris fleet of nuclear submarines in preparation for a second strike. The USSR feared the US, mainly because of their lead in nuclear weapons build-up and power and because the US was acting more aggressively towards the USSR and the Soviets did not want America to exploit their weaker position. By placing missiles in Cuba they ended their strategic inferiority and forced the US to respect their position. They used this position to try and negotiate to relax the tensions between the two countries. By placing nuclear missiles so close to America they thought that would make them listen.

It has been revealed that the USSR wanted to redirect government spending from military to industrial and agricultural sectors. And through placing missiles in Cuba would create a stalemate with the US where this was made possible. All the Soviets were after was recognition and respect. The US denied both of these things point blank and gave Khrushchev an option he would have to make which could destroy the world or save it. The US also created fear in Cuba with several assassination attempts made on Castro, and it was these attempts that created greater distrust between the two countries. This is the distrust that caused Cuba to turn to the USSR and in turn start the crisis. The US cant be blamed entirely for the crisis, though its involvement in it was great. It could be seen to have started because of each countries views and fears of the others political views and government systems and each of their own ideas about the others motives. All these things fueled the cold war and made the Cuban Missile Crisis a flashpoint in it.

The Cuban missile crisis was a fight between communism and capitalism, with neither side actually wanting to fight, it was fitting that the solution to the crisis was a trade off. Where each nation could pull out and claim a small success where neither system of government was tainted in the process. It was a result that was required to prevent the obvious outcome of nuclear war which was coming closer and closer.

The US had missiles placed in England, Italy and Turkey and they were all aimed at the USSR. Khrushchev used these missiles as justification to placing missiles in Cuba. He thought that they would be just as frightening to the US as the missiles the US had placed in Turkey were to them. Khrushchev saw a way where Cuba could get a pledge from the US not to invade them and they could get the missiles in Turkey dismantled. This reasoning of his can be seen in a letter he wrote to Kennedy on the 27th of October. Your rockets are situated in Britain, situated in Italy, and are aimed against us. Your rockets are situated in Turkey. You are worried about Cuba. You say that it worries you because it is a distance of ninety miles by sea from the coast of America, but Turkey is next to us he then proposes. I therefore make this proposal: we agree to remove the missiles from Cuba those means which you regard as offensive means; we agree to carry this out and make a pledge in the United Nations. Your representatives will make a declaration to the effect that the US, on its part. Considering the uneasiness and anxiety of the soviet state, will remove its similar means from Turkey

What Khrushchev didn't know was that the US had already marked the missiles in Turkey for dismantling. They were being replaced by the Polaris submarine fleet. And Kennedy saw that if he accepted this trade publicly. It would be seen as him trading the United States security for Turkeys, and if Khrushchev did force this trade, they might still force more trades. He decided that he would deny everything if these were their minimum requirements.

Placing the missiles in Cuba showed the US what it was like to have nuclear warheads aimed at them and what it was like to have no where safe to go. This scared the public greatly and mass panic was seen all over the country. The country wanted Kennedy to solve the crisis as soon and by whatever means he had possible. So Kennedy agreed to withdraw the quarantine he had over Cuba publicly and he agreed in person to dismantle the missiles in Cuba, Khrushchev however publicly agreed to dismantle the missiles in Cuba and it was seen that the soviets were backing down. This gave Kennedy back a fierce public reputation and made the soviets look slightly weaker.

There were many reasons behind the Cuban missile crisis and many reasons as to why Khrushchev planted missiles in Cuba. Khrushchev wanted to feel more secure in his country and he wanted his country to feel more secure. He wanted Kennedy to know what it was like for him and to release some of tension of the cold war by withdrawing missiles from places so close to home. The Cuban missile crisis was one of closest times in history where mutually assured destruction was just around the corner. This crisis changed the way the world saw the Soviet Union and Khrushchev in a way got what he wanted was that the USSR was a powerful state that shouldn't be underestimated. Personally I think the crisis was due the US being stubborn and power hungry, it is allowed for them to have all the power, but when they are threatened it is a different story. Russia did learn their lesson though the US still hasn't.

Matthew Spear