The causes of the Cuban missile crisis 1962

The causes of the Cuban missile crisis 1962

1. The Cuban Revolution 1959

   • Since 1898 - Cuba had been under political and economic influence of USA
     • By mid 1900s - USA owned much of Cuban economy
       • From 1933 - Cuba ruled by Batista - ruthless military dictator
         • Encouraged economic involvement with USA in return for US support of his brutal, corrupt and unpopular regime
           • Jan 1959 - Batista overthrown by revolutionaries - led by Castro - Batista fled into exile

2. Growing US-Cuban tension 1959-1961

   • Initially - Castro seemed to be a liberal nationalist - and had no programme to nationalise US interests in Cuba
     • However - relations soon deteriorated and Castro became increasingly dependent on the USSR
       • Tensions between Cuba and US increased due to:
         • Castro's meeting with US Vice-President Nixon in New York -April 59 - didn't go well - Nixon concluded that Castro was a communist
         • Castro's imprisonment and execution of some of Batista's supporters was condemned by US
         • Many Batista supporters fled to USA where they campaigned for a US backed invasion of Cuba - this hardened Castro's attitude
         • Castro wanted to make Cuba independent of US influence - so he distributed land to poor peasants who had previously been exploited by Batista and US businesses
         • US-owned oil companies in Cuba refused to refine the cheaper Soviet oil - Castro responded by nationalising the refineries
         • Feb 1960 - Castro signed trade deal with USSR to nationalise US interests in Cuba that were worth over $1 billion
         • July 60 - US imposed economic blockade on Cuba - thereby refusing to buy its sugar - USSR bought the crop and sent Castro petrol after the USA refused to ship supplies
         • Early 1961 - Castro formally embraced communism

3. Bay of Pigs Invasion April 1961

   • 61 - Kennedy authorised CIA-backed invasion of Cuba
     • Aim - spark popular revolt to overthrow Castro
       • Some 1400 lightly-armed anti-Castro exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs
         • They were quickly overwhelmed by the Cuban army and air force
           • Failure was deep humiliation for Kennedy who could not conceal the USA's involvement
             • Castro reacted by entering into a defensive agreement with the USSR - which brought Soviet weapons and military advisers to Cuba
               • By early 62 - K had supplied Cuba with MiG jets and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs)

4. Operation Mongoose October 1961

   • 6 months after Bay of Pigs - CIA with Kennedy's support launched Operation Mongoose
     • A secret programme designed to destablise the Cuban regime and topple Castro
       • Jan-July 1962 - 60000 acts of sabotage - ranging from murder to arson - were carried out
         • USA also held large scale military exercises in the Caribbean to increase pressure on Cuba and demonstrate US's armed might
           • Both Castro and USSR expected USA to invade

5. Soviet nuclear weapons on Cuba 1962

   • Early september 1962 - USSR secretly started to install 24 medium range ballistic missile launchers and 16 longer range ones in Cuba
     • Each launcher would hold 2 missiles - both containing a one megaton warheard
       • Soviets also sent:
         • 42 jet bombers
         • 42 jet fighters
         • 24 advanced SAMs
         • 4 elite army regiments
         • 2 tank battalions
         • over 40,000 troops and other personnel
         • Khrushchev described this build up as 'throwing a hedgehog down Uncle Sam's underpants'
   • Khrushchev's Precise motives for this aren't clear but probably include the following
     • to defend Cuba from an expected US invasion
     • to bargain for removal of US missiles in Turkey and Italy
     • to further humiliate Kennedy after Bay of Pigs failure
     • to put pressure on West to leave Berlin
     • to achieve nuclear parity with USA by making US cities more vulnerable to attack