Who Was Involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Knowing who was involved in the Cuban missile crisis is very important in understanding the historical background of the Cold War and the relationship between the United States and Cuba.
From the end of WWII until the early 1990s the United States and the Soviet Union were constantly at odds with one another over particularly over how the world should function. The Soviet Union and its supporters established and promoted communism while the United States and its allies continued to support democracy and made efforts to control the spread of communism throughout the world.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 is an example of the clash between the United States and the Soviet Union which occurred in Cuba, one of the communist powers. This crisis also linked to other happenings between the three countries and, in many ways, still colors the relationship that the United States maintains with Cuba.
There were three entities involved in the Cuban missile crisis:
- The United States
- The Soviet Union
- Cuba
In many ways, the United States and the Soviet Union were at odds with each other and Cuba became a very convenient and strategically placed ally for the Soviet Union due to its proximity to U.S. soil.
The Soviet Union and Cuba formed a very close relationship with one another and worked together throughout the cold war, especially during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba instituted by the United States government under then President John F. Kennedy.
To prepare for the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Soviet Union sent special forces to Cuba to assist with training the local fighters. This was done all in an effort to assist in the containment of the United States' goal to limit the spread of communism throughout the world, and particularly the western world.
Understanding the relationship between the Soviet Union and Cuba and the tensions between the United States, Cuba and the Soviet Union allows people to comprehend why the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred.
Potential for Nuclear War
The Cuban Missile Crisis begin in the fall of 1962 when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro of Cuba begin to build bases within Cuba in order to potentially launch medium range and intermediate range ballistic missiles at the United States.
The United States found out about the missiles after flying a special plane with aerial intelligence capabilities in Cuban airspace. The U.S. plan was to take pictures of the construction of the missiles in Cuba.
The United States had different options for retaliation against Cuba such as attacking the country by sea or air. Instead, the United States quarantined Cuba with its military and they demanded that the Soviet Union:
- Stop sending nuclear goods to Cuba
- Stop the production of missile bases in Cuba
- Remove all existing missiles from Cuba
This action by the United States pushed the U.S. that much closer to nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
Cuba’s Fidel Castro would add fuel to the fire by urging the Soviet Union to attack the United States with the missiles. It soon became very obvious who was involved in the Cuban missile crisis.
Private Negotiations and Compromise
In an effort to maintain an obstinate stance, the Soviet Union publicly denounced the military quarantine established by the United States. With this public display of resistance, the United States begin to prepare itself for war and to attack the Soviet Union. However, the Soviet Union would later secretly contact the United States, despite this public display of derision, in order to sort out an agreement.
This occurred while those in Cuba were speaking with the Soviet Union, promoting an attack on the United States. The Soviet Union and the United States would eventually agree to a compromise that involved the United States removing all missiles from Italy and Turkey, which bordered the Soviet Union, and promising not to invade Cuba in exchange for the Soviet Union removing all missiles from Cuba. This agreement would ultimately end the Cuban Missile crisis.