Quick questions on The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962: QCE Modern History Unit 4

Cuban Revolution (1959). Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed Batista regime in January 1959. Initially nationalist rather than communist, Castro nationalised US businesses and aligned with the USSR by 1960. The USA was alarmed at a communist regime 90 miles from Florida.

Day 1 (October 16). U-2 reconnaissance photographs from October 14 are presented to Kennedy. They show missile sites under construction. Kennedy convenes the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (ExComm).

Public terms. - USSR withdraws missiles from Cuba. - USA pledges not to invade Cuba.

The crisis itself produced one casualty (Major Anderson, the U-2 pilot shot down over Cuba). The strategic stakes had been catastrophically higher: a US invasion of Cuba would have likely faced tactical nuclear weapons authorised in advance by Khrushchev's standing orders to local Soviet commanders. Nuclear war between the superpowers was hours away on Black Saturday.

Nuclear restraint. Both Kennedy and Khrushchev were chastened. Within a year: - The Moscow-Washington "hotline" (June 1963) established direct communications. - The Partial Test Ban Treaty (August 1963) prohibited atmospheric nuclear testing. - Kennedy's American University speech (June 1963) signalled willingness to negotiate.

Three main interpretive frames:

Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed Batista regime in January 1959. Initially nationalist rather than communist, Castro nationalised US businesses and aligned with the USSR by 1960. The USA was alarmed at a communist regime 90 miles from Florida.

A CIA-organised invasion by Cuban exiles failed catastrophically within three days. The attempt damaged US credibility and drove Castro to seek Soviet protection. Within 6 months, Cuba was a Soviet client.

The USSR had fewer ICBMs than the USA in 1962 (the missile gap actually favoured the USA, not the USSR as Kennedy had claimed in 1960). The USA had deployed Jupiter intermediate-range missiles in Turkey (1961) within striking range of the USSR. Khrushchev sought to redress the balance by placing medium- and intermediate-range missiles in Cuba.

From summer 1962, the USSR began secret shipment of nuclear missiles (R-12 medium-range, R-14 intermediate-range), missile launchers, IL-28 bombers, and approximately 40,000 Soviet personnel to Cuba. Khrushchev gambled that the deployment would be complete and irreversible before discovery.

U-2 reconnaissance photographs from October 14 are presented to Kennedy. They show missile sites under construction. Kennedy convenes the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (ExComm).

ExComm deliberates options: - Diplomatic protest (likely useless). - Surgical air strike (no guarantee all missiles destroyed; could trigger Soviet response). - Invasion (risked direct combat with Soviet personnel).

Kennedy addressed the American public on television, revealing the missiles in Cuba and announcing the quarantine. He demanded immediate withdrawal.

OAS endorsed the quarantine. US naval forces in place around Cuba.

Quarantine began. Soviet ships approached. Some turned back; one tanker proceeded and was allowed through after inspection.