This Week in American History: From October 16, 1962 – October 28, 1962, America waited for a peaceful resolution of what came to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. For those thirteen days, not only America, but the world, worried humanity was on the brink of nuclear war.
The Cold War
America had been engaged in a “Cold War” with Communist Soviet Union (USSR) since the end of World War II in 1945. During the Second World War, the USSR had joined forces with the Allied Powers against the Axis Powers. However, once the war ended America’s foreign policy towards the Soviet Union turned decidedly unfriendly.
America and The Soviet Union’s Arms Race
Due to the building tension between America and the USSR, both powers engaged in an unprecedented arms race. American officials encouraged the development of atomic weapons like those used to end World War II. Meanwhile, the USSR, under the leadership of the Premier of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin, tested an atom bomb. In response, then President Truman declared the United States would build an even more destructive atomic weapon: the hydrogen bomb. Stalin immediately followed suit.
Nikita Khrushchev Becomes Premier of The Soviet Union
When Stalin passed away in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev took his place as Premier of the Soviet Union. Prior to Stalin’s death, Khrushchev had been a member of Stalin’s inner circle. Some make the claim Khrushchev made Soviet society less repressive than the previous Premier. However, Khrushchev stamped out a Soviet revolt in Hungary. Furthermore, Khrushchev approved the construction of the Berlin Wall which didn’t come down until 1989 – nearly twenty years after his death.
Cuba Falls To A Communist Regime
In 1959, radical leftist revolutionary Fidel Castro seized power of the Caribbean island nation of Cuba. Until Castro took power, Cuba had been a Republic since 1902. Under Castro, Cuba became Communist. It became governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. Under Castro’s rule, Cuba became dependent on the Soviet Union for military and economic aid. Prior to Castro coming to power, Cuban sugar exports to the United States comprised 80 percent of the country’s total sugar exports. After Castro’s rise, the United States prohibited the importation of Cuban sugar to the States. Without aid from the Soviet Union, Cuba was in danger of their economy collapsing.
Castro Allows The Soviet Union To Install Missiles On Cuba
Due to the USSR and Cuba’s friendly relationship, Castro agreed to allow Khrushchev to send nuclear missiles to Cuba and install them on the island. Up until then, America dominated the arms race between the Soviets and the United States. However, Cuba is located a mere ninety miles off the coast of Florida. By installing nuclear missiles at such a close striking range to the United States, Khrushchev gave the Soviets a distinct advantage.
Major Richard Heyser Photographs Soviet Missiles On Cuba
On October 14, 1962 Major Richard Heyser flew an American U-2 spy plane over Cuba. While making the high-altitude pass over Cuba, Heyser photographed a Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missile being assembled for installation. Two days later, on October 16, then President Kennedy’s administration briefed him on the situation.
The Cuban Missile Crisis Begins
President Kennedy immediately called a group of advisors and state officials together. For nearly two weeks, Kennedy and his team struggled with a crisis of unparalleled measure. The Cuban Missile Crisis had begun.
Right away Kennedy and his team – known as the executive committee, or ExComm – decided as unacceptable the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Not as easy of a decision: how to have the missiles removed from Cuba. The fear? Plunging the United States and the Soviet Union into an escalating conflict, or, worse yet, nuclear war.
Kennedy and his team discussed different options. They ranged from bombing attacks on the missile sites to a full-scale invasion of Cuba. Ultimately, Kennedy settled on a more steadied tactic. Under his direction, the U.S. Navy established a blockade of Cuba to prevent the Soviets from delivering anymore additional missiles and military equipment. Secondly, Kennedy delivered an ultimatum to the Soviet Union. The Soviets must remove the existing missiles in Cuba.
President Kennedy Briefs The American Public On The Crisis
On October 22, 1962 President Kennedy apprised the American public of The Cuban Missile Crisis during a television broadcast. He explained his decision to place the blockade around the island. Furthermore, he promised America to use military force if necessary, to neutralize the threat to national security.
Avoided: American and Soviet Military Confrontation
On October 24, 1962 Soviet ships bound for Cuba approached the U.S. Naval ships enforcing the blockade. Understandably, there was worry the Soviet ships would attempt to breach the blockade and spark a military confrontation. Eventually, they ended up stopping short of it. However, there was one casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis. On October 27, 1962 enemy personnel shot down an American reconnaissance plane piloted by Major Rudolf Anderson over Cuba. In response to Major Anderson’s death, a United States’ invasion force was readied in Florida, although ultimately never deployed.
The day prior the Major Anderson’s death, Khrushchev sent correspondence to Kennedy. He offered to remove the Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for America promising not to invade Cuba. The next day, Kennedy again received communication from Khrushchev. This time the Soviet Premier proposed the USSR dismantle its missiles in Cuba. However, the USSR would only do so if the United States removed their missile installations located in Turkey.
The Cuban Missile Crisis Ends
Publicly, Kennedy’s administration accepted the terms of Khrushchev’s October 26, 1962 message. Privately, the administration also agreed to the terms laid out in Khrushchev’s October 27, 1962 message. Finally, on October 28, 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis came to an end.
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Info Source: JFKLibrary.org and History.com
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
