The events of the Caribbean crisis are associated with. Brief chronology of the crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was an extremely tense clash between the Soviet Union and the United States from October 16-28, 1962, resulting from the USSR's deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba in October 1962. The Cubans call it the “October Crisis,” and in the United States the “Cuban Missile Crisis.”
In 1961, the United States deployed PGM-19 Jupiter medium-range missiles to Turkey, which threatened western cities. Soviet Union, including Moscow and the main industrial centers. They could reach objects on the territory of the USSR in 5-10 minutes, while Soviet intercontinental missiles reached the United States in only 25 minutes. Therefore, the USSR decided to take advantage of the opportunity when the Cuban leadership of Fidel Castro, which the Americans were trying to overthrow with the help of “ Bay of Pigs operations"(1961). Khrushchev decided to install in Cuba - close to the United States (90 miles from Florida) - Soviet medium-range missiles R-12 and R-14, capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Caribbean crisis. Video
The operation to transfer military personnel, equipment and missiles to Cuba was called “Anadyr”. In order to keep it as secret as possible, it was announced that military exercises had begun in the USSR. During the day skis were loaded into military units, winter clothes- supposedly for delivery to Chukotka. Some of the rocket scientists sailed to Cuba under the guise of “specialists in agriculture", on civilian ships that carried tractors and combines. No one on any ship knew where they were going. Even captains were ordered to open secret packages only in a prescribed square of the sea.
The missiles were delivered to Cuba and their installation there began. The Cuban Missile Crisis began on October 14, 1962, when an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, during one of its regular flights over Cuba, discovered Soviet R-12 missiles near the village of San Cristobal. President of the U.S.A John Kennedy immediately created a special “Executive Committee”, where ways to solve the problem were discussed. At first, the committee acted secretly, but on October 22, Kennedy addressed the people, announcing the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, which nearly caused panic in the United States. October 24 American government introduced a “quarantine” (blockade) of Cuba. On the same day, five Soviet ships came close to the blockade zone and stopped.
Khrushchev began to deny the presence of Soviet nuclear weapons on the island, but on October 25, photographs of the missiles were shown at a meeting of the UN Security Council. The Kremlin said at the time that the missiles in Cuba were installed to “contain” the United States. The “Executive Committee” discussed the use of force to solve the problem. His supporters urged Kennedy to begin bombing Cuba. However, another U-2 flyby showed that several Soviet missiles were already ready for launch and an attack on the island would inevitably cause war.
Kennedy proposed that the Soviet Union dismantle installed missiles and turn around ships heading to Cuba in exchange for US guarantees not to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro. Khrushchev put up additional condition: Remove American missiles from Turkey. These points were agreed upon literally a few hours before the possible outbreak of war, with the caveat that the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba would be carried out openly, and the withdrawal of American missiles from Turkey – secretly.
On October 28, the dismantling of Soviet missiles began, ending a few weeks later. On November 20, the blockade of Cuba was lifted, and the Cuban missile crisis, which had brought humanity to the brink of nuclear destruction, ended. After him, a permanent hotline began to operate between the White House and the Kremlin in case of unforeseen aggravation in the future.
In 1952-1958. Cuba was ruled by the pro-American dictatorship of Batista. At the beginning of January 1959, the Batista regime was overthrown, left-wing radicals came to power led by F. Castro, who began democratizing political life, nationalizing telephone companies, introducing a system of social guarantees, agrarian reform, which eliminated large foreign landholdings. These measures caused dissatisfaction among the population associated with the Batista regime and the service of Americans.
In 1960, the United States, supporting Cuban emigrants, took economic and military measures against the Castro regime. Castro began to strengthen ties with the USSR, signing a trade agreement under which the USSR bought 5 million tons of Cuban sugar over 5 years. Soviet deliveries of weapons and industrial goods began. Cuba announced the country's entry into the “socialist camp.” The United States, counting on an action against Castro, on April 17, 1961, bombed Cuba and landed armed troops in the Playa Giron area (the coast of the Gulf of Cachinos). However, the performance did not take place, and the troops were defeated, which damaged the prestige of the United States and added to Castro’s popularity.
The Kennedy administration paid a lot of attention to improving its reputation in Latin America. On March 13, 1961, she put forward a program of economic assistance to Latin American countries in the amount of $500 million under the loud name “Union for Progress.” The activities of the Union for Progress were aimed at preventing the spread of the radical ideas of the Cuban revolution to other Latin American countries.
In January 1962, Cuba was expelled from the Organization of American States and 15 Latin American countries broke off relations with it. An embargo was imposed on trade with Cuba. By the summer of 1962 the situation had worsened. The United States was preparing a military operation against it. The USSR declared support for Cuba in the event of an attack. But the balance of forces was not in favor of the USSR. The USA had 300 continental missiles, the USSR - 75. The USA placed its bases along the perimeter of the socialist camp (Germany, Italy, Japan, etc.). In April 1962, medium-range missiles were deployed in Turkey. The USSR decided to place Soviet nuclear missile weapons in Cuba, which increased the vulnerability of American territory and meant the USSR was moving toward parity with the United States.
In May 1962, a decision was made in Moscow to create a Group Soviet troops with a strength of 60 thousand people (43rd missile division with 3 regiments of R-12 missiles (range 1700-1800 km) and 2 regiments of R-14 missiles (3500-3600 km)) in Cuba (Operation Anadyr) ) and the consent of Cuba was obtained. It was supposed to secretly deploy 40 Soviet missiles. It was planned to base a squadron of surface ships and a squadron of submarines. The creation of this grouping changed the overall balance of forces not in favor of the United States.
In July 1962, a Cuban military delegation led by Raul Castro arrived in Moscow. She negotiated with the military leaders of the USSR to provide Cuba with military assistance. The negotiations took a long time, and on July 3 and 8 N.S. also took part in them. Khrushchev. It is safe to assume that it was during these days that the decision was made to deploy medium-range missiles with nuclear warheads and bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs, and the details of their dispatch were agreed upon. When on soviet ships As these formidable weapons were loaded and the ships, one after another, set off on a long journey with their deadly cargo, Khrushchev undertook the longest trip around the country during his entire stay in power.
However, Khrushchev, his advisers and allies underestimated the determination and capabilities of the United States to resist the emergence of Soviet missile bases in the Western Hemisphere. For in addition to the norms of international law, there was the so-called Monroe Doctrine, main principle which was defined by the words: “America for Americans.” This doctrine was unilaterally proclaimed back in 1823 by US President D. Monroe in order to prevent the restoration of Spanish rule in Latin America.
Operation Anadyr began in July 1962. At the end of September and beginning of October in the Cuba area, heavy clouds did not allow photographic reconnaissance. This facilitated the secretive and urgent work on creating launchers. Khrushchev and Castro hoped that all work would be completed before US intelligence discovered what kind of defensive weapons Cuba now had. On October 4, the first Soviet R-12 missile was brought into combat readiness. American intelligence discovered intensive movements of Soviet transport to Cuba. On October 1, the US joint command in the Atlantic Ocean received a directive by October 20 to prepare forces and means to strike Cuba and carry out a landing on the island. The armed forces of the USA and the USSR have approached a dangerous line.
On October 14, an American reconnaissance aircraft took aerial photographs indicating the deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba. On October 18, in a conversation with Gromyko, Kennedy asked directly about the deployment of missiles, but the Soviet minister knew nothing.
On October 22, the US armed forces were put on full alert. On October 24, the US Navy established a maritime "quarantine" of Cuba to prevent the transfer of offensive weapons. The USSR could not enter into direct military confrontation with the United States. On October 22, Castro put the armed forces on alert and announced general mobilization. On October 24-25, the UN Secretary-General proposed his plan for resolving the crisis: the United States refused “quarantine” and the USSR refused to supply offensive weapons to Cuba. On October 25, the Soviet tanker Bucharest crossed the quarantine line without being inspected by American ships, while at the same time 12 of 25 Soviet ships heading to Cuba were ordered to turn back.
The USSR demanded guarantees from the United States for the security of Cuba and promised to abandon the deployment of Soviet weapons, and raised the issue of missiles in Turkey. The United States demanded that the USSR remove all types of offensive weapons from Cuba under UN supervision and undertake an obligation not to supply such weapons to Cuba; The United States, for its part, should have lifted the quarantine and not supported the invasion of Cuba. On October 27, R. Kennedy informed Dobrynin (USSR Ambassador to the USA) about the US readiness to secretly agree on the elimination of American missile launchers in Turkey. On October 28, the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee decided to accept this proposal. The most acute phase of the crisis has passed.
However, Castro put forward a number of impossible demands, including the lifting of the US embargo on trade with Cuba, the elimination of the US Guantanamo Bay base from the island, etc.
As a result of negotiations, the United States abandoned the maritime quarantine it had imposed on November 20, 1962; pledged not to attack Cuba; The USSR pledged to remove offensive weapons from the island (medium-range missiles, as well as IL-28 bombers). The United States was secretly deciding the issue of withdrawing American missiles from Turkish territory. The United States could only visually monitor the withdrawal of missiles from Cuba. Formally, the crisis ended on January 7, 1963, with the removal of the crisis from the agenda of the UN Security Council.
THAT. The leaders of the two superpowers realized the danger of brinkmanship on the brink of nuclear war. A major crisis was averted. The advance of Soviet military power into the Western Hemisphere increased the vulnerability of the United States. Support for Cuba meant a challenge to the monopoly influence of the United States on the American continent. An intensified arms race was combined with a desire for mutually acceptable agreements. The crisis has introduced an element of discord between the United States and Europe (possible involvement in crises that do not affect them). In 1963, a direct communication line was established between Moscow and Washington. Understanding about establishing general rules behavior.
The outbreak of the Cuban Missile Crisis forced politicians around the world to look at nuclear weapons with new side. For the first time, it clearly played the role of a deterrent. The sudden appearance of Soviet medium-range missiles in Cuba for the United States and their lack of overwhelming superiority in the number of ICBMs and SLBMs over the Soviet Union made a military solution to the conflict impossible. The American military leadership immediately announced the need for additional armament, effectively setting a course for unleashing a strategic offensive arms race (START). The wishes of the military found due support in the US Senate. Huge amounts of money were allocated for the development of strategic offensive arms, which made it possible to qualitatively and quantitatively improve strategic nuclear forces (SNF).
The Cuban missile crisis confirmed the need for J. Kennedy to centralize control over the use of American nuclear weapons in Europe and limit the ability of European allies to risk using nuclear weapons at their own discretion. Following this logic, in October 1962, at a session of the NATO Council, US Secretary of State D. Rusk put forward a proposal to create a “multilateral nuclear force.” This plan provided for the formation of a unified nuclear defense potential of Western European countries and the United States, which would be under the command of NATO military structures.
France has drawn its own conclusions from the Caribbean crisis. Although President Charles de Gaulle supported the actions of the United States during the crisis, he became more acutely aware of the impossibility of France being a hostage to the Soviet-American confrontation. The French leadership became even more inclined to distance itself from the United States in the military-strategic field. Following this logic, de Gaulle decided to create independent French nuclear forces. If until July 1961 France actively opposed the FRG's access to nuclear weapons, then in 1962 French leaders stopped excluding the possibility of West Germany becoming a nuclear power in the future in 5-10 years.
In December 1962, in the Bahamas in Nassau, British Prime Minister Henry Macmillan and US President Kennedy signed an agreement on Britain's participation in the Nuclear Forces program.
By the fall of 1962, tensions in the postwar international system had reached their peak. The world actually found itself on the brink of a general nuclear war, provoked by a confrontation between two superpowers. The bipolar system of the world, with the USA and the USSR balancing on the brink of war, turned out to be unstable and dangerous type organizations of international order. Only the fear of the use of atomic weapons kept the world from a “third world war.” The risk from its use was unlimited. Immediate efforts were required to agree on and establish some new strict rules of behavior in the nuclear-space world.
The Cuban missile crisis has become highest point military-strategic instability in the Defense Ministry throughout the second half of the 20th century. At the same time, he marked the end of the policy of brinkmanship, which determined the atmosphere of international relations during the period of crises in the international system between 1948-1962.
October 1962 has gone down in history as one of the most terrifying crises in the world, in Cuba it was called the October Crisis, and in the United States the Caribbean Missile Crisis.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was caused by the secret movement and deployment of Soviet missile forces on Cuban territory, which was considered by the United States to be anything but a peaceful action.
Nuclear weapons are not a matter of debate or measurement of power. Innocent people in all three countries were terrified throughout October 1962. And only skillful political cooperation between the USA and the USSR was able to solve this problem.
Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Of course, any crisis has its reasons. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between two big countries USA and USSR. Both sides had their own prerequisites and reasons for taking one or another political step. But to understand better, we can determine the main reasons for the outbreak of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It all started with the fact that the United States deployed its missiles on Turkish territory, the range of which captured several Russian cities, including Moscow.
After the revolution in Cuba and the victory of Fidel Castro's party, Moscow supported him. This was beneficial to both sides: Cuba received support from a big power, and the USSR found its first ally in the Western Hemisphere. America did not like this course of events, they decided to land their detachment on the island to suppress the Castro regime. The sortie failed, the operation failed.
So, after the Americans deployed missiles in Turkey, the USSR decided to place its missiles in Cuba, albeit secretly. The States had a great advantage in armament; the Soviets were inferior to them in this regard. Therefore, in order to protect themselves from a surprise attack (let us remember the German non-aggression pact), the Soviet leadership took such a step. US intelligence learned about the deployment of Russian missiles and reported to the president. America regarded the actions of the Russians as a threat.
The forces and the United States were put on alert. The Russians were demanded to remove the missiles from the island, Khrushchev also demanded that the missiles be removed from Turkey. Of course, no one liked such an aggressive situation on the part of both countries. An aggravation of the situation could lead to World War 3. It was a dangerous conflict. Because controversial issue decided to settle peacefully through negotiations and cooperation. The leaders of the two countries, Kennedy and Khrushchev, showed restraint and common sense.
Results of the Caribbean crisis
During the negotiations the following decisions were made:
- USSR withdraws missiles from Cuba
- America withdraws missiles from Turkey
- America is not invading Cuba
- In 1962, a treaty was signed to stop nuclear testing in space, the atmosphere and under water.
- One of the results was the establishment of a direct telephone line between Washington and Moscow, so that, if necessary, the presidents of the two countries could immediately discuss a particular issue.
Soviet-American relations developed extremely unevenly in the mid-to-second half of the 50s. In 1959, Khrushchev, who showed genuine interest in the United States, visited this country for a fairly long visit. One of the components of his schedule was a speech at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. Here he put forward a broad program of general and complete disarmament. This program, of course, looked utopian, but at the same time it provided for a number of initial steps that could reduce the intensity of international tension: the elimination of military bases on foreign territory, the conclusion of a non-aggression pact between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, etc. The propaganda resonance from Khrushchev's speech was significant and forced the United States to sign a joint resolution with the USSR on the need to make efforts for general disarmament, adopted by the UN General Assembly. Khrushchev spoke at the UN General Assembly session in the fall of 1960 - now not as part of a visit to the United States, but as the head of the Soviet delegation to the UN. The problems of disarmament and support for the national liberation movement came first for him. The dangerous lag of the USSR in the production of nuclear weapons forced the Soviet leader to make loud and even extravagant statements (which concerned primarily Western representatives) about the USSR's superiority in missiles. In the heat of controversy, despite the fact that he was in the UN building, Khrushchev even knocked his shoe on the table.
A return visit of US President D. Eisenhower to the USSR was being prepared, but was disrupted due to an incident with an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft shot down over Soviet territory. American planes had repeatedly violated Soviet airspace before, and, having an advantage in speed and altitude, evaded pursuit of Soviet interceptors and anti-aircraft missiles. But on May 1, 1960, American pilot F. Powers was unlucky. In the area of Sverdlovsk, where he managed to fly, there were already new modernized missiles. Having been shot down, Powers, contrary to instructions, did not commit suicide, but surrendered. The testimony of the American pilot was made public and he was trial. President Eisenhower refused to apologize to the USSR for this flight, which spoiled his relationship with the Soviet leader. Two years later, Powers, serving his sentence, was exchanged for a convict in the United States. Soviet intelligence officer R. Abel.
FROM N.S.'S SPEECH KHRUSHCHEV AT THE UN GA MEETING. 10/11/1960
“I declare, gentlemen, a time will come when you will understand the need for disarmament. The people will throw out those who put obstacles on the path to peace and mutual understanding... You, the people of the socialist world, will not be intimidated! Our economy is flourishing, our technology is on the rise, our people are united. Do you want to force us into an arms race? We don't want it, but we're not afraid. We will beat you! Our rocket production has been put on an assembly line. Recently I was at a factory and saw missiles coming out there like sausages coming out of a machine gun. Missile after missile comes out of our factory lines. Some people want to try how we stand on earth? You tried us and we defeated you. I mean, they defeated those who went to war against us in the first years after October revolution... Some gentlemen will now begin to chatter that Khrushchev is threatening someone. No, Khrushchev does not threaten, but actually predicts the future for you. If you do not understand the real situation... if there is no disarmament, then there will be an arms race, and every arms race will ultimately lead to a military outcome. If war starts, we will miss many of those sitting here...
What else should I add?
So far, not all the peoples of Asia and the peoples of Africa, who have recently freed themselves from colonial oppression, have realized their strength, and are still following their colonial hangers of yesterday. But today it is so, but tomorrow it will not be; this will not happen, the peoples will rise up, straighten their backs and want to be the real masters of the situation..."
BERLIN WALL
The prologue to the worsening crisis in the Caribbean was the construction of the famous Berlin Wall. In the geopolitical confrontation between the USSR and the West, the German question continued to occupy one of the main places. Special attention was tied to the status of West Berlin. East Berlin became the capital of the GDR. The western part of the city, where the troops of the United States, Great Britain and France were located, formally had a special status, but clearly gravitated towards the Federal Republic of Germany. Khrushchev proposed convening a conference of great powers with the goal of declaring West Berlin a demilitarized zone. But after the incident with the U-2 plane, consultations on this issue stopped.
Meanwhile, the competent market policy of the West Berlin authorities, their support from Germany, as well as solid cash injections from the United States and other countries, allowed the living standards of West Berliners to sharply increase compared to residents of the eastern sector. This contrast, along with open borders between parts of the city, stimulated emigration from East Berlin, which hit the GDR economy hard. NATO also used this situation for an active ideological attack on the socialist system.
In August 1961, the leadership of the Department of Internal Affairs, in accordance with the decision made in Moscow, called on the GDR to take measures against the policies of West Berlin. The subsequent actions of the German communists came as a complete surprise to the West. Ordinary party members created a living ring of borders between sectors. At the same time, rapid construction began on a 45-kilometer concrete wall with checkpoints. After 10 days, the wall was ready and immediately became a symbol of the Cold War.
Simultaneously with the construction of the wall, transport communications between parts of the city were interrupted, and the GDR border guards were ordered to open fire on defectors. Over the years of the wall's existence, dozens of people have died and been injured while trying to overcome it. The wall stood until November 9, 1989, when, in light of the perestroika that began in the USSR and political changes in countries of Eastern Europe, the new government of the GDR announced an unhindered transition from East Berlin to West Berlin and back. Official dismantling took place in January 1990.
CARIBBEAN CRISIS
The confrontation between the Soviet and Western blocs reached its most dangerous point during the so-called period. Caribbean (Missile) crisis in the fall of 1962. A significant part of humanity was then on the verge of death, and before the start of the war, to use a figurative expression, there was the same distance as from the palm of an officer to the button on a rocket launcher.
In 1959, the pro-American regime was overthrown in Cuba, and pro-communist forces led by Fidel Castro came to power in the country. A communist state in the traditional zone of interests of the United States (in fact, right next door) was not just a blow, but simply a shock for political elite in Washington. Horrible dream was becoming a reality: the Soviets were at the gates of Florida. To overthrow Castro Central intelligence agency The United States immediately began preparing the sabotage action. In April 1961, a landing party consisting of Cuban emigrants landed in the Bay of Cochinos, but was quickly defeated. Castro sought a closer rapprochement with Moscow. This was required by the tasks of defending the “Island of Freedom” from a new attack. In turn, Moscow was interested in creating military base in Cuba as opposed to NATO bases around the borders of the USSR. The fact is that American nuclear missiles were already stationed in Turkey, which could reach the vital centers of the Soviet Union in just a few minutes, while Soviet missiles took almost half an hour to hit US territory. Such a gap in time could be fatal. The creation of the Soviet base began in the spring of 1962, and soon the secret transfer of medium-range missiles began there. Despite secret character operation (codenamed “Anadyr”), the Americans learned about what was on board Soviet ships heading to Cuba.
On September 4, 1962, President John Kennedy stated that the United States would under no circumstances tolerate Soviet nuclear missiles 150 km from its coast. Khrushchev stated that only research equipment was being installed in Cuba. But on October 14, an American reconnaissance plane photographed the missile launch pads from the air. The American military proposed immediately bombing Soviet missiles from the air and launching an invasion of the island with forces Marine Corps. Such actions led to an inevitable war with the Soviet Union, the victorious outcome of which Kennedy was not sure. So he decided to take a hard line without resorting to military attack. In an address to the nation, he announced that the United States was beginning a naval blockade of Cuba, demanding that the USSR immediately remove its missiles from there. Khrushchev soon realized that Kennedy would stand his ground until the end and on October 26 sent a message to the president in which he acknowledged the presence of powerful Soviet weapons in Cuba. But at the same time, Khrushchev tried to convince Kennedy that the USSR was not going to attack America. The position of the White House remained the same - immediate withdrawal of the missiles.
October 27 was the most critical day of the entire crisis. Then a Soviet anti-aircraft missile over the island shot down one of the many US reconnaissance aircraft. Its pilot was killed. The situation escalated to the limit, and the US President decided two days later to begin bombing Soviet missile bases and begin landing on Cuba. In those days, many Americans, frightened by the prospect of nuclear war, left big cities, dug bomb shelters on their own. However, all this time, unofficial contacts were carried out between Moscow and Washington, the parties considered various proposals in order to move away from the dangerous line. On October 28, the Soviet leadership decided to accept the American condition, which was that the USSR would withdraw its missiles from Cuba, after which the United States would lift the blockade of the island. Kennedy pledged not to attack “Liberty Island.” In addition, agreement was reached on the withdrawal of American missiles from Turkey. In clear text the Soviet message was conveyed to the US President.
After October 28, the Soviet Union removed its missiles and bombers from Cuba, and the United States lifted its naval blockade of the island. International tensions subsided, but the Cuban leaders did not like this “concession” to the United States. While officially remaining in the Soviet position, Castro criticized the actions of Moscow, and especially Khrushchev. In general, the Cuban crisis showed the great powers that the continuation of the arms race and drastic actions in the international arena could turn the world into the abyss of a global and all-destructive war. And paradoxically, with the overcoming of the Cuban crisis, an impetus was given to détente: each of the opponents realized that the opposing side was trying to avoid a nuclear war. The USA and the USSR began to better understand the limits of acceptable confrontation in the Cold War and the need to seek a compromise on issues of bilateral relations. For N.S. himself Khrushchev The Cuban missile crisis also did not pass without a trace. His concessions were perceived by many as a sign of weakness, which further undermined the authority of the Soviet leader among the Kremlin leadership.
ADDRESS N.S. KHRUSHCHEV K. D.F. KENNEDY October 27, 1962
“Dear Mr. President.
I have read with great satisfaction your response to Mr. Rahn about taking measures to prevent our ships from touching each other and thereby avoiding irreparable fatal consequences. This reasonable step on your part confirms to me that you are concerned about preserving peace, which I note with satisfaction.
You want to keep your country safe, and that's understandable. All countries want to protect themselves. But how can we, the Soviet Union, our government, evaluate your actions, which are expressed in the fact that you surrounded the Soviet Union with military bases, located military bases literally around our country. They placed their missile weapons there. This is no secret. American decision-makers are defiantly stating this. Your missiles are located in England, located in Italy and aimed at us. Your missiles are located in Turkey.
Cuba worries you. You say that it is disturbing because it is located 90 miles by sea from the coast of the United States of America. But Türkiye is next to us, our sentries are walking around and looking at one another. Do you think that you have the right to demand security for your country and the removal of those weapons that you call offensive, but you do not recognize this right for us?
After all, you have placed destructive missile weapons, which you call offensive, in Turkey, literally right next to us. How, then, does the recognition of our militarily equal capabilities reconcile with such unequal relations between our great states? This is impossible to reconcile.
Therefore, I make a proposal: we agree to remove those weapons from Cuba that you consider offensive weapons. We agree to implement this and declare this commitment to the UN. Your representatives will make a statement that the United States, for its part, taking into account the anxiety and concern of the Soviet state, will remove its similar means from Turkey. Let's agree on how long it takes for you and us to implement this. And after that proxies The UN Security Council could monitor on the spot the implementation of the undertaken obligations.”
REPLY D. KENNEDY N.S. KHRUSHCHEV. October 28, 1962
“I welcome Chairman Khrushchev’s statesmanlike decision to stop the construction of bases in Cuba, dismantle offensive weapons and return them to the Soviet Union under UN supervision. This is an important and constructive contribution to peace.
We will keep in touch with general secretary United Nations on the issue of reciprocal measures to ensure peace in the Caribbean Sea.
I sincerely hope that governments around the world, in resolving the Cuban crisis, can turn their attention to the urgent need to end the arms race and reduce international tensions. This applies both to the fact that the Warsaw Pact and NATO countries oppose each other militarily, as well as other situations in other parts globe, where tension leads to the fruitless diversion of resources into the creation of weapons of war.”
“The events of the October days of 1962 are the first and, fortunately, the only thermonuclear crisis, which was a “moment of fear and insight” when N.S. Khrushchev, John Kennedy, F. Castro and all of humanity felt like they were in the “same boat”, caught in the epicenter of a nuclear abyss.”
At the same time, this war was far from homogeneous: it was a series of crises, local military conflicts, revolutions and coups, as well as normalization of relations and even their “warming”. One of the hottest stages Cold War there was the Cuban Missile Crisis, a crisis when the whole world froze, preparing for the worst.
Background and causes of the Caribbean crisis
In 1952, as a result of a military coup in Cuba, military leader F. Batista came to power. This coup caused widespread outrage among Cuban youth and the progressive-minded part of the population. The leader of the opposition to Batista was Fidel Castro, who already on July 26, 1953 took up arms against the dictatorship. However, this uprising (on this day the rebels stormed the Moncada barracks) was unsuccessful, and Castro, along with his surviving supporters, went to jail. Only thanks to the powerful socio-political movement in the country, the rebels were amnestied already in 1955.
After this, F. Castro and his supporters launched a full-scale guerrilla warfare against government troops. Their tactics soon began to bear fruit, and in 1957 F. Batista’s troops suffered a number of serious defeats in rural areas. At the same time, general indignation at the policies of the Cuban dictator grew. All these processes resulted in a revolution, which expectedly ended with the victory of the rebels in January 1959. Fidel Castro became the de facto ruler of Cuba.
At first, the new Cuban government sought to find mutual language with a formidable northern neighbor, but the then US President D. Eisenhower did not even deign to host F. Castro. It also became clear that the ideological differences between the United States and Cuba could not allow them to fully come together. The USSR seemed to be the most attractive ally of F. Castro.
Having established diplomatic relations with Cuba, the Soviet leadership established trade with the country and provided it with enormous assistance. Dozens of Soviet specialists, hundreds of parts and other critical cargo were sent to the island. Relations between the countries quickly became friendly.
Operation Anadyr
Another of the main reasons for the Cuban missile crisis was not the revolution in Cuba or the situation associated with these events. In 1952, Türkiye joined NATO. Since 1943, this state has had a pro-American orientation, connected, among other things, with the neighborhood of the USSR, with which the country did not have the best relations.
In 1961, the deployment of American medium-range ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads began on Turkish territory. This decision of the American leadership was dictated by a number of circumstances, such as more high speed the approach of such missiles to targets, as well as the possibility of pressure on the Soviet leadership in view of the even more clearly identified American nuclear superiority. The deployment of nuclear missiles on Turkish territory seriously upset the balance of power in the region, putting the Soviet leadership in an almost hopeless situation. It was then that it was decided to use a new bridgehead almost close to the United States.
The Soviet leadership approached F. Castro with a proposal to place 40 Soviet ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads in Cuba and soon received a positive response. The General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces began developing Operation Anadyr. The purpose of this operation was to deploy Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, as well as a military contingent of about 10 thousand people and an aviation group (helicopter, attack and fighter aircraft).
In the summer of 1962, Operation Anadyr began. It was preceded by a powerful set of camouflage measures. Thus, often the captains of transport ships did not know what kind of cargo they were transporting, not to mention the personnel, who did not even know where the transfer was taking place. For camouflage purposes, non-essential cargo was stored in many ports of the Soviet Union. In August, the first Soviet transports arrived in Cuba, and in the fall the installation of ballistic missiles began.
Beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis
In the early autumn of 1962, when the American leadership became aware of the presence of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, the White House had three options for action. These options are: destroying bases through targeted strikes, invading Cuba, or imposing a naval blockade of the island. The first option had to be abandoned.
In order to prepare for the invasion of the island, American troops began to be transferred to Florida, where they concentrated. However, bringing Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba to full combat readiness made the option of a full-scale invasion very risky. The naval blockade remained.
Based on all the data, having weighed all the pros and cons, the United States announced the introduction of a quarantine against Cuba in mid-October. This formulation was introduced because declaring a blockade would become an act of war, and the United States was its instigator and aggressor, since the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba was not a violation of any international treaties. But, following its long-standing logic, where “might is always right,” the United States continued to provoke a military conflict.
The introduction of quarantine, which began on October 24 at 10:00, only provided for a complete cessation of arms supplies to Cuba. As part of this operation, the US Navy surrounded Cuba and began patrolling coastal waters, while receiving instructions not to open fire on Soviet ships under any circumstances. At this time, about 30 Soviet ships were heading towards Cuba, including nuclear warheads. It was decided to send some of these forces back to avoid conflict with the United States.
Development of the crisis
By October 24, the situation around Cuba began to heat up. On this day, Khrushchev received a telegram from the President of the United States. In it, Kennedy demanded that Cuba be quarantined and “maintain prudence.” Khrushchev responded to the telegram rather sharply and negatively. The next day, at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, a scandal broke out, caused by a squabble between Soviet and American representatives.
However, both the Soviet and American leadership clearly understood that escalating the conflict was completely pointless for both sides. So, the Soviet government decided to take a course towards normalizing relations with the United States and diplomatic negotiations. On October 26, Khrushchev personally drafted a letter addressed to the American leadership, in which he proposed the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for the lifting of quarantine, the US refusal to invade the island and the withdrawal of American missiles from Turkey.
On October 27, the Cuban leadership became aware of the new conditions of the Soviet leadership for resolving the crisis. The island was preparing for a possible American invasion, which, according to available data, was supposed to begin in the next three days. Additional alarm was caused by the flight of an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft over the island. Thanks to Soviet S-75 anti-aircraft missile systems, the plane was shot down and the pilot (Rudolph Anderson) was killed. On the same day, another American plane flew over the USSR (over Chukotka). However, in this case, everything happened without casualties: the aircraft was intercepted and escorted by Soviet fighters.
The nervous atmosphere that reigned in the American leadership was growing. The military categorically advised President Kennedy to start military operation against Cuba in order to neutralize Soviet missiles on the island as quickly as possible. However, such a decision would unconditionally lead to a large-scale conflict and a response from the USSR, if not in Cuba, then in another region. Nobody needed a full-scale war.
Conflict resolution and consequences of the Cuban missile crisis
During negotiations between the brother of US President Robert Kennedy and the Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin, general principles, on the basis of which it was planned to resolve the crisis. These principles were the basis of the message from John Kennedy sent to the Kremlin on October 28, 1962. This message proposed that the Soviet leadership withdraw Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for guarantees of non-aggression by the United States and the lifting of the island's quarantine. Regarding American missiles in Turkey, it was indicated that this issue also has the prospect of being resolved. The Soviet leadership, after some deliberation, responded positively to J. Kennedy's message, and on the same day the dismantling of Soviet nuclear missiles began in Cuba.
The last Soviet missiles from Cuba were removed 3 weeks later, and already on November 20, J. Kennedy announced the end of the quarantine of Cuba. Also, American ballistic missiles were soon withdrawn from Turkey.
The Cuban missile crisis was resolved quite successfully for the whole world, but not everyone was happy with the current state of affairs. Thus, both in the USSR and in the USA, there were high-ranking and influential persons in the governments who were interested in the escalation of the conflict and, as a result, were very disappointed in its détente. There are a number of versions that it was thanks to their assistance that J. Kennedy was assassinated (November 23, 1963) and N.S. Khrushchev was removed (in 1964).
The result of the Caribbean crisis of 1962 was international détente, expressed in the improvement of relations between the USA and the USSR, as well as the creation of a number of anti-war movements Worldwide. This process took place in both countries and became a kind of symbol of the 70s of the 20th century. Its logical conclusion was the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan and a new round of growing tensions in relations between the USA and the USSR.
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