Cuban Missile Crisis Research Paper
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile crisis of October 1962 was a major international crisis and political standoff between the Soviet Union and The United States of America over missile placement in Cuba, 150 km from US shores. This was a major nuclear threat to world peace.
On the 1st January 1959, President Batista of Cuba was overthrown. This allowed Castro backed revolutionary forces to seize power. Fidel Castro then became Prime Minister of Cuba.
In May 1960, a US plane flying over Soviet airspace was shot down and the pilot was taken hostage. The incident forced the US to admit to the international world that it was conducting spy operations over the Soviet Union. Soon after this incident, the Soviet Union established relations …show more content…
with Cuba by providing diplomatic recognition of Castro’s government. As a result of this newly formed alliance the US, withdrew its recognition of the Castro government and closed it’s US embassy in Cuba.
Tensions between the Soviet Union, Cuba and the US were high.
On the 20th January 1961, John F Kennedy was sworn in as President of the USA.
On the 1st June 1961, Jupiter Nuclear missiles were officially placed in Turkey by the US government and on the 30th November 1961, President Kennedy authorised “Operation Mongoose” which was a covert operation carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Cuba to kill Fidel Castro and remove his communist Government from power.
In May 1962, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev devised a plan to place nuclear missiles in Cuba as a way to “protect” Cuba from another US invasion, such as the failed “Bay of Pigs” invasion in 1961. The “Bay of Pigs “ invasion was where the US government had trained and equipped 1500, anti-Castro Cuban exiles in guerrilla warfare in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban leader Fidel Castro. This failed attempt was a disaster for the US government and created further major tensions between Cuba and the …show more content…
US.
On the 16th of October 1962, President Kennedy and US Defence officials were informed by the US Central Intelligence Agency that photographs taken by the US military showed Soviet Nuclear-Tipped missiles at various locations in Cuba. The main courses of action considered to address the problem included an air strike and invasion or a naval quarantine. President Kennedy arranged to meet with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. Gromyko advised that the Soviet missiles in Cuba did not pose any threat to the US. However Kennedy knew this was untrue and issued a stern public warning telling Gromyko that the “gravest consequences would occur if significant Soviet offensive weapons were introduced into Cuba”. Kennedy and his advisors considered two final options; “a blockade” or a “quarantine”. Given a blockade is considered an “act of war”, Kennedy decided upon a “quarantine”
On the 23rd October 1962, the US quarantine fleet surrounded Cuba. Soviet freighters carrying military supplies were stopped and turned back towards Europe but the Soviet tanker the Bucharest, carrying petroleum, continued towards Cuba and was let through the quarantine line. Aware that some missiles in Cuba were now operational, President Kennedy wrote a firm letter to Soviet Premier Khrushchev urging him to back down. A day later Premier Khrushchev responded to President Kennedy’s letter stating (in part) “ you are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force”. A further response was written by Kennedy asking Premier Khrushchev to “change the course of events”.
Given the heightened tensions and threat of possible nuclear war, the UN Secretary General, U Thant called for a “cooling off period” which was rejected by Kennedy because the Cuban Missiles were still in place and further photographic evidence showed the accelerated construction of the missile sites and Soviet bombers at Cuban airfields. Further, US intelligence reported that in a private letter to Premier Khrushchev, Fidel Castro urged him to initiate the first nuclear strike against the US, in the event of a US invasion of Cuba.
On the 26th October, an ABC journalist John Scali was approached by a Soviet embassy staff member with a proposal for a solution to the crisis. This is later supported by a letter from Khrushchev to Kennedy. The proposed resolution includes; removal of the Cuban missiles in exchange for lifting the quarantine and a pledge that the US would not invade Cuba.
On the 27th of October, a second letter was received by Kennedy from Khrushchev demanding the removal of Jupiter Missiles from Turkey.
Meanwhile, over Cuba, an American U-2 plane was shot down by a Soviet surface to air missile and the pilot killed. Kennedy resisted extreme pressure from military advisors and the public to retaliate with extreme military force. Later that night, Attorney General Robert Kennedy and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin met in secret where an agreement was reached that the Soviet Union would withdraw the missiles from Cuba under UN supervision in exchange for a US pledge to not invade Cuba. The eventual removal of Jupiter missiles in Turkey was secretly agreed to by Kennedy but was not made public so that Kennedy could save face.
On the 28th October 1962 one of the most dangerous military exchanges in modern history “the Cuban Missile Crisis” ended, but distrust between the superpowers continued.
The Cold War brought about a level of propaganda and fear associated with the spread of Communism and as a result, Australia, New Zealand and the United States formed a pact to strengthen its security in the region and make themselves safer against communism. This pact meant that if one of the countries were attacked or invaded, other countries within the alliance would assist and defend them. This pact is known as the ANZUS treaty. The ANZUS treaty was signed in September 1951 and came into effect the following year.
By 1954 conflicts in South-East Asia were posing a larger threat to neighbouring countries and Australia. The “domino theory” swept across Australia instilling a great fear of communism. The theory proposed that if one country in South-East Asia fell to communism, the rest would fall like dominoes. During the cold war, communists were seen as a “disease”, they were the “red scum” that spread. International propaganda and fear were at an all time high. The fear of communism permeated Australian politics. In 1949, the defeat of the Australian Labor party was heavily linked to the fear of communism. Prime Minister Robert Menzies actively took action against the Communist Party Association introducing the Communist Dissolution Bill which was passed and became a law on the 20th of October 1950.
The Communist Party Association of Australia appealed and the Act was deemed unconstitutional.
As a result of the growing fear and threat of communism, Australia, The United States, New Zealand, Britain, France, The Philipines, Thailand and Pakistan joined together to form the SEATO agreement. An agreement which was created to specifically resist communism. The SEATO agreement and the ANZUS treaty were created to provide Australians with reassurance and security against the spread of communism.
Bibliography
The Cuban Missile crisis of October 1962 was a major international crisis and political standoff between the Soviet Union and The United States of America over missile placement in Cuba, 150 km from US shores. This was a major nuclear threat to world peace.
On the 1st January 1959, President Batista of Cuba was overthrown. This allowed Castro backed revolutionary forces to seize power. Fidel Castro then became Prime Minister of Cuba.
In May 1960, a US plane flying over Soviet airspace was shot down and the pilot was taken hostage. The incident forced the US to admit to the international world that it was conducting spy operations over the Soviet Union. Soon after this incident, the Soviet Union established relations …show more content…
with Cuba by providing diplomatic recognition of Castro’s government. As a result of this newly formed alliance the US, withdrew its recognition of the Castro government and closed it’s US embassy in Cuba.
Tensions between the Soviet Union, Cuba and the US were high.
On the 20th January 1961, John F Kennedy was sworn in as President of the USA.
On the 1st June 1961, Jupiter Nuclear missiles were officially placed in Turkey by the US government and on the 30th November 1961, President Kennedy authorised “Operation Mongoose” which was a covert operation carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Cuba to kill Fidel Castro and remove his communist Government from power.
In May 1962, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev devised a plan to place nuclear missiles in Cuba as a way to “protect” Cuba from another US invasion, such as the failed “Bay of Pigs” invasion in 1961. The “Bay of Pigs “ invasion was where the US government had trained and equipped 1500, anti-Castro Cuban exiles in guerrilla warfare in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban leader Fidel Castro. This failed attempt was a disaster for the US government and created further major tensions between Cuba and the …show more content…
US.
On the 16th of October 1962, President Kennedy and US Defence officials were informed by the US Central Intelligence Agency that photographs taken by the US military showed Soviet Nuclear-Tipped missiles at various locations in Cuba. The main courses of action considered to address the problem included an air strike and invasion or a naval quarantine. President Kennedy arranged to meet with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. Gromyko advised that the Soviet missiles in Cuba did not pose any threat to the US. However Kennedy knew this was untrue and issued a stern public warning telling Gromyko that the “gravest consequences would occur if significant Soviet offensive weapons were introduced into Cuba”. Kennedy and his advisors considered two final options; “a blockade” or a “quarantine”. Given a blockade is considered an “act of war”, Kennedy decided upon a “quarantine”
On the 23rd October 1962, the US quarantine fleet surrounded Cuba. Soviet freighters carrying military supplies were stopped and turned back towards Europe but the Soviet tanker the Bucharest, carrying petroleum, continued towards Cuba and was let through the quarantine line. Aware that some missiles in Cuba were now operational, President Kennedy wrote a firm letter to Soviet Premier Khrushchev urging him to back down. A day later Premier Khrushchev responded to President Kennedy’s letter stating (in part) “ you are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force”. A further response was written by Kennedy asking Premier Khrushchev to “change the course of events”.
Given the heightened tensions and threat of possible nuclear war, the UN Secretary General, U Thant called for a “cooling off period” which was rejected by Kennedy because the Cuban Missiles were still in place and further photographic evidence showed the accelerated construction of the missile sites and Soviet bombers at Cuban airfields. Further, US intelligence reported that in a private letter to Premier Khrushchev, Fidel Castro urged him to initiate the first nuclear strike against the US, in the event of a US invasion of Cuba.
On the 26th October, an ABC journalist John Scali was approached by a Soviet embassy staff member with a proposal for a solution to the crisis. This is later supported by a letter from Khrushchev to Kennedy. The proposed resolution includes; removal of the Cuban missiles in exchange for lifting the quarantine and a pledge that the US would not invade Cuba.
On the 27th of October, a second letter was received by Kennedy from Khrushchev demanding the removal of Jupiter Missiles from Turkey.
Meanwhile, over Cuba, an American U-2 plane was shot down by a Soviet surface to air missile and the pilot killed. Kennedy resisted extreme pressure from military advisors and the public to retaliate with extreme military force. Later that night, Attorney General Robert Kennedy and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin met in secret where an agreement was reached that the Soviet Union would withdraw the missiles from Cuba under UN supervision in exchange for a US pledge to not invade Cuba. The eventual removal of Jupiter missiles in Turkey was secretly agreed to by Kennedy but was not made public so that Kennedy could save face.
On the 28th October 1962 one of the most dangerous military exchanges in modern history “the Cuban Missile Crisis” ended, but distrust between the superpowers continued.
The Cold War brought about a level of propaganda and fear associated with the spread of Communism and as a result, Australia, New Zealand and the United States formed a pact to strengthen its security in the region and make themselves safer against communism. This pact meant that if one of the countries were attacked or invaded, other countries within the alliance would assist and defend them. This pact is known as the ANZUS treaty. The ANZUS treaty was signed in September 1951 and came into effect the following year.
By 1954 conflicts in South-East Asia were posing a larger threat to neighbouring countries and Australia. The “domino theory” swept across Australia instilling a great fear of communism. The theory proposed that if one country in South-East Asia fell to communism, the rest would fall like dominoes. During the cold war, communists were seen as a “disease”, they were the “red scum” that spread. International propaganda and fear were at an all time high. The fear of communism permeated Australian politics. In 1949, the defeat of the Australian Labor party was heavily linked to the fear of communism. Prime Minister Robert Menzies actively took action against the Communist Party Association introducing the Communist Dissolution Bill which was passed and became a law on the 20th of October 1950.
The Communist Party Association of Australia appealed and the Act was deemed unconstitutional.
As a result of the growing fear and threat of communism, Australia, The United States, New Zealand, Britain, France, The Philipines, Thailand and Pakistan joined together to form the SEATO agreement. An agreement which was created to specifically resist communism. The SEATO agreement and the ANZUS treaty were created to provide Australians with reassurance and security against the spread of communism.
Bibliography