Cuban Missile Crisis A Factor In Nikita Khrushchev As Leader Of The Soviet Union

To what extent was the Cuban missile crisis a factor in Nikita Khrushchev being deposed as leader of the Soviet Union?

1018-133
HL Contemporary History Word Count: 1978

Table of Contents

Criterion A: Plan of Investigation pg. 3

Criterion B: Summary of Evidence pg.4-5

Criterion C: Evaluation of Sources pg.6-7

Criterion D: Analysis pg.7-8

Criterion: E Conclusion pg.8

Works Cited pg. 9-10

A. Plan of investigation The Cuban missile crisis was one of the
most significant events of the Cold War because of the actions by Nikita Khrushchev and the John Kennedy. This investigation will analyze to what extent the Cuban missile crisis was a factor in Nikita Khrushchev being deposed as leader of the Soviet Union. This question is important to understand the reason why Khrushchev was forced to resign as leader of Soviet Union in 1964, two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. In order to come to a conclusion, the following plan of investigation will be followed:
1. Several sources will be examined and evaluated to:
a. Understand the reasons Nikita Khrushchev was deposed as Soviet Union leader.
b. Learn how the cuban missile crisis played a role in the falling of Khrushchev 's leadership in 1964.
c. Describe russian sentiments after the cuban missile crisis.
2. An evaluation of sources will be presented and will be followed by an analysis of two sources for origin, purpose, value, and limitations.
3. Conclude whether the Cuban missile crisis was a factor in Nikita Khruschev being deposed as leader of the Soviet Union in the following ways:
a. Khrushchev 's political standing after 1962.
b. Cuban-Soviet relations after Cuban Missile Crisis.
c. Give evidence of Communist Party leaders being displeased towards Khrushchev. I. They saw Khrushchev 's failure as a loss for the Soviet Union.
d. Study other factors that led to Khrushchev being deposed like his failure with agriculture and industry.

B. Summary of Evidence
I. The Cuban Missile Crisis and Khrushchev 's role Nikita Khrushchev was caught by surprise by the way the Cuban Missile crisis played out, “Khrushchev had never intended that his Cuban adventure would involve any risk of war” (McCauley). This event took place as a response to The Bay of Pigs and the missiles that the U.S placed in Turkey and Italy. Khrushchev was aware that putting missiles on Cuba could end badly, writing: “It would have been preposterous for us to unleash a war against the United States from Cuba. Cuba was 11,000 kilometers from the Soviet Union” (Khrushchev, 511). The United States was also more advanced military wise over the Soviet Union during the time (Suri 38, Lawrence). Khrushchev 's actions actually helped avoid a nuclear war and he claimed that he obtained what he wanted, however most Soviet Union leaders and the chinese communists didn 't see it that way (Whitman).
II Cuba-Soviet Relationship Cuba became very dependent of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union had to keep the Cuban economy from falling after the U.S boycotted their goods. (Weldes 28). “By the early 1980s, Cuba had become a $4.5 billion liability per year for the Soviet Union” (Moynihan 221). Khrushchev managed to keep Cuba safe from America but that led to a severe damage upon his reputation. “The withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba...discredited Moscow 's commitment to its allies,” (Suri 41, Fursenko and Naftali 211). Communist China and Soviet Russia 's relationship dropped after this event in Cuba, “Chinese press began to publish aggressively anti-Soviet articles.” (Medvedev 197).
III. How his colleagues felt towards him Khrushchev 's critics were not only foreign but also domestic. “Khrushchev 's yield to the United States was 'humiliating ' for the Soviet Union, and it surely contributed to his downfall” (Kenez 210). Some in the Soviet Union would not tolerate a leader who backed away or was afraid when they were facing the United States. On the day that Khrushchev was removed from office there was a meeting held by his fellow colleges. His conduct, such as the shoe incident at the United Nations, embarrassed some of his associates. They felt that the leader of the Soviet Union required better conduct and should have more dignity and integrity. Some of them were also upset because they had been bullied by their leader and were sick of his temper, therefore they were happy to vote him out in 1964 (Roeschley, Whitman). The Cuban Missile Crisis also cost Khrushchev with Chinese communist leader, Mao Tse-tung. He believed that it made Khrushchev look weak and was unable to control American imperialism. (Whitman).
IV.
Other Failures by Khrushchev Khrushchev promised his people more than he could deliver. “He pledged in 1959 that in seven years the per capita real income of Soviet citizens would rise by 40%” and he also pledged that the minimum wage would be doubled (Whitman). Despite caring and working hard with agricultural and industry he was unable to meet his expectations and appeared like a failure to his people. He had to import large quantities of food after the disastrous harvest of 1963 in order to supply the Soviet Union with food (Kim). The American U-2 spy plane incident in 1960 caused an embarrassment to the U.S and the Soviet Union. After Khrushchev 's visit to the United States he shared that President Eisenhower was a fair man and for them to promote international amity (Whitman). However, when the U-2 was shot down over the Soviet Union, President Eisenhower took the responsibility, and it made Khrushchev look bad. This event ultimately cause relations to deteriorate. Furthermore, Chinese relations with Russia worsened from 1957
onward.

C. Evaluation of Sources The origin of “Khrushchev 's Human Dimensions Brought Him to Power and to His Downfall” was printed by The New York Time and written by Alden Whitman on September 12, 1971. The purpose of the article was to be an Obituary for Nikita Khrushchev. Alden Whitman was an American journalist. He worked for The New York Times writing personalized obituaries. Alden Rogers Whitman grew up in Bridgeport and Fairfield, Connecticut, graduated from Harvard and worked successively for The Bridgeport Post-Telegram, The Bridgeport Herald, The Buffalo Evening News, and The New York Herald Tribune. He felt that his interviews had to be notable and the interviewee had to illuminate and express himself or herself with introspection and perspective. On the other hand, this article is still biased and has limitations because it was printed in the United States, which promotes the values of the democratic system and demotes the Communist system, however, the author was caught with the Communist Party from 1935-1948. From 1964 to 1976 Mr. Whitman wrote hundreds of obituaries. He traveled all around the world to get valid information and attempt to speak to the people he wrote about in person. Beginning in 1966, Khrushchev began his memoirs and they were later published. He dictated them into a tape recorder. The security agency ordered Khrushchev to turn over his tapes but he denied the request. While Khrushchev was hospitalized his son, Sergei, was approached by the KGB and told that there was a plot afoot by foreign agents to steal the memoirs. Sergie made copies of the tapes and turned in the originals to the KGB while the copies were published in 1970 and that is how the book “Khrushchev Remembers” originated. This book was dictated by Nikita Khrushchev after he was deposed as Soviet Union leader until he died. This memoir 's value offers an opportunity to see a Soviet perspective during the Cold War. It was translated from Russian to English by Strobe Talbott (who has been Deputy Secretary of State since 1994) and includes commentaries and notes by Edward Crankshaw. This book has it 's limitations because shortly after publication, Khrushchev said that he did not write it. He said this in order to stay loyal to the Communist Party but it is actually believed to be a true and authentic memoir by all. This book looks back on Khrushchev 's childhood and his role after Stalin lost power, he also traces back on his reign with the Soviet Union and after he stepped down from power. Khrushchev 's purpose for the memoir was to provide us with a primary source as to why he was deposed as Soviet Union leader and gives an opportunity to examine an eastern opinion on the time period which makes it have a significant value to history.
D. Analysis

Although Nikita Khrushchev arguably made a serious mistake by secretly sending missiles to Cuba, his and Kennedy 's actions during the crisis prevented a war. It is possible to wonder and analyze as to whether the results of the Crisis would have favored more towards the Soviet Union side had Khrushchev not backed out. However, Khrushchev risked his career and pride to withdraw the missiles from Cuba and ultimately prevented a worse outcome. The leaders of all the countries involved during this event took a better look at nuclear war and the reality and policy makers felt that it would be best to avoid it. The Cuban Missile Crisis results were definitely a factor that led to Khrushchev 's ultimate disposition. He had several flaws that caused him to be forced to retire as Soviet leader. His failure with agriculture, industry, and his bad temper were other factors that led to Nikita Khrushchev being deposed. Analyzing New York Times and Khrushchev Memoir gives different perspectives of information gathered. After the Cuban Missile Crisis Soviet leaders were very upset that Khrushchev took the “easy” way out. In reality he made a smart decision by backing out or else he would have ultimately let to World War III. However, the question is not wether his decision was a good idea or a bad idea but if it was a factor that lead to his disposition and to answer this we must look into how his peers and foreign alliances reacted to his decision. Khrushchev 's yield to the United States was 'humiliating ' for the Soviet Union. To his colleagues, Khrushchev lost during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Chinese were disappointed, and the U.S felt like they could never trust the Soviet Union. Mao Tse-tung saw the Cuban Missile Crisis outcome as an example of Khrushchev 's inability to deal with American imperialism. Communist China and Soviet Russia 's relationship deteriorated after this event. China became very anti-soviet. Cuba became dependent of Russia and the Soviet Union had to give them money to keep the Cuban economy from collapsing. Khrushchev managed to keep Cuba safe from America but that led to a severe damage upon his reputation. Khrushchev made promises that minimum wage would rise, however, he could not achieve his high expectations. He also failed with agricultural and industrial productions. The American U-2 spy plane incident in 1960 and the breakup of a Paris summit meeting with President Eisenhower also affected his reputation. He said Eisenhower was an acceptable and fair man but when the U-2 plane was shot down over the Soviet Union they knew the U.S was to blame. He also bullied his colleagues and at times had horrible conduct at meetings. All these things are part of why he was deposed as Soviet Union leader and the results of the Cuban Missile Crisis is part of the list of reasons why.
E. Conclusion

In conclusion one would say that the cuban missile crisis was a factor in the deposition of Nikita Khrushchev as Soviet Union leader. It was one of the many factors that ultimately led to his fate. The use of primary and secondary sources assisted in proving the answer. Khrushchev himself wrote in his memoir how their were negative outcomes on his career due to his decisions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although he avoided a war between the US his Soviet Union colleagues saw him as weak. One may question how large of a factor was the Cuban Missile Crisis on Khrushchev 's ultimate disposition. This event took place two years before he was forced to resign. He did have several other reasons to be disliked not only domestically but internationally as well. His fierce personality and failed policies also led to his doom. After the Cuban Missile Crisis Khrushchev had lost face; he was weakened still further at home, and in 1964 he was ousted from power.
Works Cited

Fursenko, Aleksandr A., and Timothy James. Naftali. "One Hell of a Gamble": Khrushchev, Castro, and Kennedy, 1958- 1964 : [the Secret History of the Cuban Missile Crisis]. New York [etc.: W.W. Norton, 1998. Print.
Horelick, Arnold Lawrence. The Cuban Missile Crisis; an Analysis of Soviet Calculations and Behavior. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 1963. Print.
Kenez, Peter. A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999), 210.
Kim, Byung-Woo. "Economic Performance under Khrushchev in Power." Economic Performance under Khrushchev in Power. Oldrich Kyn, n.d. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2013.
Khrushchev, N. (1970). Khrushchev remembers. (S. Talbott, Ed. and Trans.). Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
Khrushchev, N. (1974). Khrushchev remembers: The last testament. (S. Talbott, Ed. and Trans.). Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
McCauley, Martin. Khrushchev and Khrushchevism. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1987. Print.
Medvedev, Roy Aleksandrovich, and Zhores A. Medvedev. Khrushchev: The Years in Power. New York: Columbia UP, 1976. Print.
Moynahan, Brian. The Russian Century: A Photographic History of Russia 's 100 Years. New York: Random House, 1994. Print.
Roeschley, Jason K. (2011) "Nikita Khrushchev, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Aftermath,"Constructing the Past: Vol. 12: Iss. 1, Article 12.
Suri, Jeremi. Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Detente. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2003. Print.
Taubman, William. Khrushchev: The Man and His Era. New York: Norton, 2003. Print.
Weldes, Jutta. Constructing National Interests. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1999. Print.
Whitman, Alden. "Obituary: Khrushchev 's Human Dimensions Brought Him to Power and to His Downfall." New York Times [New York] 12 Sept. 1971: n. pag. The New York Times. New York Times. Web.

Word Count: 1978