The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
H1 History - syllabus 8838, 2027
How the Cuban Revolution changed Cuba's relations with the superpowers, why Khrushchev sent missiles, the thirteen days, Castro's role, and the crisis's impact on the Cold War.
- The Cuban Revolution and the turn to Moscow
Castro's revolution, his seizure of US property and American hostility pushed Cuba into the Soviet camp by 1961.
- The Bay of Pigs and the threat of invasion
The failed Bay of Pigs invasion and continued US covert attacks made Castro and Khrushchev expect a new invasion.
- Why Khrushchev sent missiles to Cuba
Khrushchev wanted to defend Cuba, narrow the missile gap, match US missiles in Turkey and gain leverage, especially over Berlin.
- The thirteen days, 16-28 October 1962
Kennedy chose a naval quarantine over an air strike, and a public no-invasion pledge plus a secret deal on Turkey ended the crisis.
- Cuba's role: an ally with its own aims
Castro welcomed the missiles, pushed for a hard line, and was angry when the superpowers settled without him.
- The impact of the crisis on the Cold War
The crisis made both sides more careful about direct confrontation, but it also drove a Soviet arms build-up and strained alliances.
- Put it together: Why did the crisis end peacefully?
Choose a factor and weigh it against the others.
What you will be able to do
I can judge how the Cold War played out in Korea and Cuba, as the superpowers competed and looked for allies.
Syllabus 8838, Theme I, Learning Outcomes. evaluate the manifestation of the Cold War conflict across different contexts over time
Taught in The Cuban Revolution and the turn to Moscow, The Bay of Pigs and the threat of invasion, Why Khrushchev sent missiles to Cuba, The thirteen days, 16-28 October 1962, Cuba's role: an ally with its own aims, The impact of the crisis on the Cold War
Sources and context
Background reading for this chapter.
- Kennedy writes to Khrushchev
Paraphrase of President Kennedy's letter to Chairman Khrushchev, 22 October 1962, sent with a copy of his televised statement on Cuba.
- Khrushchev's first proposal
Paraphrase of Chairman Khrushchev's letter to President Kennedy, 26 October 1962, as translated by the US embassy in Moscow.
- Khrushchev raises Turkey
Paraphrase of Chairman Khrushchev's letter to President Kennedy, 27 October 1962, broadcast publicly by Moscow radio.
- Kennedy replies
Paraphrase of President Kennedy's message to Chairman Khrushchev, 27 October 1962, released to the press.
- Khrushchev announces withdrawal
Paraphrase of Chairman Khrushchev's letter to President Kennedy, 28 October 1962.
- Kennedy addresses the nation, 22 October 1962
Extract from President John F. Kennedy's radio and television report to the American people on the Soviet arms build-up in Cuba, broadcast on 22 October 1962. A US government document in the public domain; text from the American Presidency Project.
- Khrushchev replies, 24 October 1962
Extract from Chairman Nikita Khrushchev's letter to President Kennedy, Moscow, 24 October 1962, in the official translation prepared by the US Department of State, printed in Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961-1963, volume VI, document 63. A US government publication in the public domain.
- the President's advisers debate Turkey, 27 October 1962
Extract from the summary record of the eighth meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (ExComm), Washington, 27 October 1962, 4 p.m., written by Bromley Smith, Top Secret. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961-1963, volume XI, document 94. A US government document in the public domain.
- Robert Kennedy reports his meeting with the Soviet ambassador
Extract from a memorandum by Attorney General Robert Kennedy to Secretary of State Dean Rusk, 30 October 1962, describing his meeting with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin on the evening of 27 October. Top Secret. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961-1963, volume XI, document 96. The editors note that a typed sentence was crossed out of the final paragraph: "If some time elapsed--and per your instructions, I mentioned four or five months--I said I was sure that these matters could be resolved satisfactory." A US government document in the public domain.
- a cartoon about the settlement, November 1962
An original cartoon drawn for these notes in the style of a European newspaper cartoon published in November 1962, after the Soviet missiles were withdrawn. It is not a copy of a real cartoon. The American missiles in Turkey were removed in April 1963; the understanding was kept secret until the late 1980s.