Essay Cuban Missile Crisis

Paula Rejon Group F

Cuban Missile Crisis:

For thirteen days, the most critical and dangerous crisis of the Cold War took place in
October 1962, when the world stood on the brink of a nuclear war. The Soviet Union had
secretly stationed Missile Sites on the island of Cuba, and when the government of the
United States discovered them and got realised of their risk, the most dangerous
confrontation of the Cold War was just going to begin. Both countries which were involved
in the Missile Crisis were the most powerful countries at that time so they were rivals. But
thanks to the actions that both leaders took, the crisis was settled peacefully.
One of the most important reasons to the peaceful end of the Crisis was the decision of
the EXCOMM committee to do not attack, and instead, installing a naval blockade around
the island of Cuba. It was not their only option, but definitely it was the best. They
considered the following possibilities: do not doing anything, which, in my opinion is a bad
option because they would look vulnerable; using pressure to make the Soviet Union
remove their Missiles from Cuba, option which could annoy the Soviet leader, this option
could mean the start of a nuclear war; offering Castro the choice of braking the relationship
with the Soviets or being invaded; the invasion of Cuba and overthrow of Castro; using
their Air Force to attack all the Missile Sites in the island; using their Navy to block any
Missiles from arriving in Cuba; attacking Cuba with nuclear weapons; or attacking Cuba
with conventional weapons.Their final choice consisted in installing the naval blockade
because it was considered not to be a direct act of war. So it would be the best option to
avoid a bigger problem. Anyway, the enquiry was not solved with that decision, as the
Missile Sites would stay in Cuba. Therefore, this fact is considered to be very important for
the peaceful solution since any other possibility that the Executive Committee would have
taken, would have finished in a nuclear war, as they are direct acts of war.
However the enquiry could not have been settled peacefully if Khrushchev would not have
collaborated; which was not his intention at the first moment when he was told that a naval
blockade had been installed around Cuba. He wrote a letter to Kennedy where he said that
the blockade was considered an aggression to the USSR and he would not cooperate
sorting out the ships to return to Soviet territory. However, surprisingly the next morning, all
of the Soviet ships reduced their speed and did not arrive Cuba to avoid a further conflict
as a nuclear war. Instead of that, they turned back to the Soviet Union, and just one ship
which contained oil was able to reach Cuba. In my view it is a relevant fact to the crisis
ended peacefully because Khrushchev yielded slightly for a nuclear war would not take
place. Both leaders wanted to overcome the Missile conflict as it was an unstable situation
to them and their countries. Consequently they tried to find the most convenient settlement
to their own country. In such a way, on the 26 October, the first letter written by
Khrushchev was received by Kennedy. It consisted in a proposition to finish the crisis, in
which was specified that the Cuban Missiles could be withdrawn in exchange for formal
and public assurance that they would lift the quarantine and a pledge that they would not
invade the island of Cuba. But this first letter had not response from Kennedy. In my
opinion, it is the beginning of the end of the Crisis but it is not really important as it did not
solve anything which to my view is Kennedys fault since he did not reply to the letter, so
the Crisis could not be settled.

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Essay Cuban Missile Crisis

Paula Rejon Group F

On the face of the situation, the Soviet leader decided to write another letter to Kennedy
on 27 October in order to overcome the enquiry which they were worried about. But the
conditions to remove the Missile Sites from Cuba had changed, the new terms were
harder to fulfil. Kennedy was also asked to set the order to dismantle the Missile Sites
situated in Turkey as well as the withdrawal of another Missiles called PGM - 19 Jupiter
which were situated in the south of Italy. All of this requests were added to their previous
demand to do not carry out or supporting an invasion to the Cuban island. This second
letter from the Soviet leader gave them plenty to think about as Soviet and American
diplomats held urgent and continuous secret negotiations in Washington and Moscow,
transmitting the proposals of both sides to resolve the crisis throughout the 27 October.
This is one of the key events to the peaceful settlement of the Missile crisis as it is another
proposal to finish with it. It is also relevant because it is similar to the final deal both
leaders agreed and gives them a lightly idea of how the enquiry would finish.
The negotiations during 27 October became harder as during that day, an U2 spy plane
which was flying in the Cuban space air was overthrown, that fact really annoyed Kennedy,
who was ready to use his nuclear wars to shoot agains the USSR, so this issue increased
the tension between both leaders, and made the dealing harder. Which did not help to the
peaceful settlement to the crisis, moreover it made it more difficult.
Eventually, after so many hours of dealing and assembly, Kennedy and his committee
accepted the resolution proposed by the Soviets on 28 October. This proposal consisted
on the removal of the Soviet Missile Sites in exchange to the pledge that the US would not
invade Cuba and would not support any country which want to attack the island.
Consequently both leaders considered that one as a fair deal so they reached an
agreement. At that point, the peaceful end of the crisis could be seen.
It is a likely possibility that Khrushchev only placed the Missiles in Cuba to get Kennedy to
remove the Missiles from Turkey and that the Soviets had no intention of resorting to
nuclear war when they were out-gunned by the Americans. However because the
withdrawals from Turkey were not made public at the time, Khrushchev appeared to have
lost the conflict and become weakened. The perception was that Kennedy had won the
contest between the superpowers and Khrushchev had been humiliated. Although this is
not entirely the case as both Kennedy and Khrushchev took every step to avoid full out
conflict despite the pressures of people in their governments.
On 28 October Khrushchev sent a message where he affirmed that instructions to
dismantle the arms which the United States government described as an offensive, and to
crate and return them to the Soviet Union had been given. Kennedy was quick in the
elaboration of his reply, as he sent Khrushchev a formal letter beginning with the following
sentence: "an important and constructive contribution to peace referring to the Soviet
leaders choice to remove his Missile Sites which disturbed the United States.
Furthermore, the end of the crisis could be sighted. Which terminated these distressing,
unstable and awful thirteen days.
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Essay Cuban Missile Crisis

Paula Rejon Group F

Finally, the crisis ended on 28 October when at 9 a.m. a message from the Soviet leader
was heard in which he confirmed that both leaders, Kennedy and Khrushchev, agreed to
fulfil their final treatment to finish once and for all the crisis. This deal could be resumed by
saying that the Soviet Missile Sites in Cuba would be withdrawn if the USA promised not to
invade the Caribbean Island and neither support any country which has that intention. The
dismantlement of the Missile Sites in Turkey on the part of the United States was
performed six months later, but it was not made public as it was arranged by both leaders.
Thanks to both countries diplomats, leaders and their decisions in the most difficult and
stressful situation of the Cold War, this crisis was ended peacefully without an
unnecessarily nuclear war. Some of the most important facts for the peaceful solution to
the crisis are worth stressing as they were crucial to the settlement. To my mind they are
the decision of the EXCOMM committee to do not attack Cuba, and instead installing a
naval blockade around the Island to evite new missiles arrive, as this was really helpful to
the peaceful solution. The other relevant issue that I would like to highlight is the
communication between the leaders. To my way of thinking, that constant dialogue was
the most important fact, since before attacking each other, they sent a letter offering a new
solution. For sure if this communication would not have taken place, the Crisis would have
had disastrous consequences.

Information:
http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/cmc/oct27/
http://www.october1962.com/28oct.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis
http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/background/
http://www.historytoday.com/john-swift/cuban-missile-crisis
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis

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