Cold War Crises - Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) Notes

Key Questions

1. What were the economic causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
2. What were the ideological causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
3. How did the Cuban Missile Crisis lead to an increase in Cold War tensions?
4. In what ways was this increase in tensions limited?

1. Economic Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis

1. Cuba’s economy had become heavily dependent on the USSR after the USA imposed a strict trade embargo following Castro’s communist revolution in 1959.
2. The USA had previously dominated the Cuban economy through investment, trade, and ownership of key industries, which were nationalised by Castro.
3. Soviet economic aid, including oil, food, and financial support, was vital to keeping the Cuban economy afloat and securing Castro’s regime.
4. The USSR had a strong economic incentive to protect Cuba as a socialist ally in the Western Hemisphere and to prevent the collapse of a communist state so close to the USA.
5. Placing nuclear missiles in Cuba was partly intended to defend Soviet economic investment and prevent another US-backed attempt to overthrow Castro, like the Bay of Pigs invasion.

2. Ideological Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis

1. The crisis was rooted in the ideological conflict between capitalism and communism, with both superpowers determined to prevent the spread of the opposing system.
2. The USA feared that Castro’s Cuba would act as a base for the spread of communism across Latin America.
3. The USSR, under Khrushchev, saw the protection of Cuba as a moral and ideological duty to defend a fellow communist state against capitalist aggression.
4. Khrushchev also wanted to challenge US dominance and demonstrate that communism could successfully resist American pressure.
5. The deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba was intended to alter the balance of power and show that the USSR was an equal ideological and military rival to the USA.

3. Ways the Cuban Missile Crisis Increased Cold War Tensions

1. The discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba in October 1962 brought the USA and USSR closer to nuclear war than ever before.
2. President Kennedy responded with a naval blockade (quarantine), which was viewed by the USSR as an aggressive act.
3. Both sides placed their armed forces on high alert, and the possibility of miscalculation or accidental conflict was extremely high.
4. The crisis intensified public fear of nuclear annihilation, reinforcing hostility and suspicion between the superpowers.
5. The confrontation highlighted the dangers of direct superpower rivalry and deepened ideological mistrust.

4. Ways the Increase in Tensions Was Limited

1. Despite the seriousness of the crisis, both Kennedy and Khrushchev acted cautiously to avoid direct military conflict.
2. Secret negotiations led to a compromise, in which the USSR agreed to remove its missiles from Cuba.
3. In return, the USA publicly promised not to invade Cuba and secretly agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey.
4. The peaceful resolution demonstrated that diplomacy could prevent nuclear war, even during extreme tension.
5. The crisis led directly to improved communication, including the creation of the Hotline between Washington and Moscow.
6. It also encouraged future arms control agreements, such as the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963), which reduced long-term Cold War tensions.

5. Overall Significance

1. The Cuban Missile Crisis represented the most dangerous point of the Cold War but also marked a turning point in superpower relations.
2. While it dramatically increased short-term tensions, it ultimately encouraged greater restraint, communication, and cooperation.
3. The crisis showed that both economic interests and ideological rivalry could push the superpowers to the brink, but also that mutual fear of nuclear war could limit escalation.