Cuban Missile Crisis: US, USSR and Cuba's motivations

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The Cuban Missile Crisis

1. Cuba's Motivations

Nationalistic: -Wanted to remove heavy US economic dominance from Cuba

-Return to its ppl what Castro felt rightfully belonged to the Cuban ppl

Security: -Politically, it ensured US wouldn't post threat to Castro's authority

- Economically, it prevents US Dominance and exploitation in Cuba

2. USA's Motivations

Cuba's Geopolitical Importance: -Maintain US political dominance in Latin Am. e.g Monroe Doctrine and Inter-Am Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (1947)

Economic Importance: Maintain US Economic dominance in Latin America

Significance: Prevented another competing ideology from spreading to neighbour countries to keep US friendly markets in Latin Am. safe

3. USSR's motivations

Security: -Counter US strategic nuclear adv or USSR Econ.: Needed allies to boost economy after failed Virgin Lands Campaign (1954) and inefficiency caused by

-Redress Soviet nuclear inferiority to close missile gap decentralisation

Ideological: Counter against US's burgeoning global presence so deployment of missiles were a quick fix

Actions

1. Aug 1960, Castro nationalized US businesses

US : Eisenhower froze Cuban assets in USA and trade embargo imposed

USSR : Provided economic aid to Cuba to expand sphere of influence

Purchased Cuban sugar and supplied crude oil to Cuba while to consolidate Lat Am trade links

2. USSR's econ aid to Cuba alarmed the USA confirmed and confirmed suspicions

US Reaction: Bay of Pigs- CIA organized operation which failed -blatant violation of sovereignty

3. Bay of Pigs (April 1961)

Cuba: 1961, Castro declares himself Marxist Leninist and allianced with USSR

USSR: Expand USSR sphere of infl. to counter China

1962, suggested placement of Cuban missiles which Castro agreed

4. 14 Oct 1962, US discovered missiles and imposed naval blockade to stop shipments of missiles to Cuba

5. 28 Oct 1962. agreed to remove missiles publicly for USSR and privately for USA

Impact on USA

International: -US perceived victorious, strengthen reputation to stand up against USSR expansion

Significance: Increased prestige for USA influence to the world

Development in US Policy:

1. Foreign policy discarded brinkmanship, adopted relaxed approach instead

-Intensified support for Third World anti communists

Significance: Changed rules of US-USSR engagement

2. Arms policy renewed effort to conclude nuclear test ban treaty and refocused on conventional weapons for more flexible response

Significance: Arms control treaties concluded for first time

Impact on USSR

Internal: 1. Changes in arms policy to plug gap

2. Continuation of foreign policy

-Cuba showed that world was slowly turning communist

Significance: Ironic growing nuclear dev. concurrent w arms control treaties concluded for first time

International: West blamed as aggressor

Significance: Grew anti communist sentiments in West

Communist Sphere: 1. Worsened relations w Cuba, Castro viewed CMC as moral defeat

Significance: Damaged communist rep. and Soviet leadership of Communist Sphere

2. Worsened relations w China

Significance: Lack of coherence in Comm. bloc allowed Mao to bid for leadership of Comm. Sphere

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Impact on Cold war

Superpower Rivalry: End of Brinkmanship

Arms Race: Both parties built up nuclear arsenals

Move towards arms control

Indirect Conflict: Conflict transferred to Third world: Vietnam, Afghanistan