The world has repeatedly found itself on the brink nuclear war. The closest he came to it was in November 1962, but then the common sense of the leaders of the great powers helped to avoid disaster. In Soviet and Russian historiography the crisis is called the Caribbean, in American it is called the Cuban crisis.
The answer to this everyday question is clear: the United States initiated the crisis. There they reacted with hostility to the coming to power in Cuba of Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries, although this was an internal affair of Cuba. The American elite was categorically not satisfied with the loss of Cuba from the zone of influence, and even more so with the fact that among senior managers The Cubans were communists (the legendary Che Guevara and the then very young Raul Castro, the current Cuban leader). When Fidel declared himself a communist in 1960, the United States moved to open confrontation.
Castro’s worst enemies were received and supported there, an embargo was introduced on leading Cuban goods, attempts began on the life of the Cuban leader (Fidel Castro is among politicians the absolute record holder for the number of attempted assassinations, and almost all of them were related to the United States). In 1961, the United States financed and provided equipment for an attempted invasion of Playa Giron by a military detachment of Cuban emigrants.
So Fidel Castro and the USSR, with whom the Cuban leader quickly established friendly relations, had every reason to fear US forceful intervention in Cuban affairs.
This northern name was used to refer to the secret military operation for the delivery of Soviet ballistic missiles to Cuba. It was held in the summer of 1962 and became the USSR’s response not only to the situation in Cuba, but also to the deployment of American nuclear weapons in Turkey.
The operation was coordinated with the Cuban leadership, so it was carried out in full compliance with international law and the international obligations of the USSR. It was ensured of strict secrecy, but US intelligence was still able to obtain photographs of Soviet missiles on Liberty Island.
Now the Americans have reason to fear - Cuba is separated from fashionable Miami in a straight line by less than 100 km... The Cuban missile crisis has become inevitable.
Soviet diplomacy categorically denied the presence of nuclear weapons in Cuba (what was it supposed to do?), but the legislative structures and the US military were determined. Already in September 1962, there were calls to resolve the Cuban issue by force of arms.
President J.F. Kennedy wisely rejected the idea of an immediate targeted strike on the missile bases, but on November 22 he announced a naval “quarantine” of Cuba to prevent new shipments of nuclear weapons. The action was not very reasonable - firstly, according to the Americans themselves, it was already there, and secondly, the quarantine was precisely illegal. At that time, a caravan of more than 30 Soviet ships was heading to Cuba. personally forbade their captains to comply with quarantine requirements and publicly declared that even one shot towards Soviet ships would immediately cause decisive opposition. He said approximately the same thing in response to the letter from the American leader. On November 25, the conflict was transferred to the UN podium. But this did not help resolve it.
November 25th turned out to be the busiest day of the Cuban Missile Crisis. With Khrushchev's letter to Kennedy on November 26, tensions began to subside. And the American president never decided to give his ships the order to open fire on the Soviet caravan (he made such actions dependent on his personal orders). Overt and covert diplomacy began to work, and the parties finally agreed on mutual concessions. The USSR undertook to remove missiles from Cuba. For this, the United States guaranteed the lifting of the blockade of the island, pledged not to invade it and remove its nuclear weapons from Turkey.
The great thing about these decisions is that they were almost completely implemented.
Thanks to the reasonable actions of the leadership of the two countries, the world has once again moved back from the brink of nuclear war. The Cuban missile crisis proved that even complex controversial issues can be resolved peacefully, but only if all interested parties want it.
The peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis was a win for all the people of the planet. And this is even despite the fact that the United States still continued to illegally infringe on Cuban trade, and the world, no, no, is wondering: didn’t Khrushchev leave a couple of missiles in Cuba, just in case?
With the last salvos of the Second World War, peace was imaginary. Yes, from that moment on, guns did not roar, clouds of airplanes did not roar in the sky, and tank columns did not roll along the city streets. It seemed that after such a destructive and devastating war as World War II became, in all countries and on all continents they would finally understand how dangerous they could become political games. However, this did not happen. The world plunged into a new confrontation, even more dangerous and large-scale, which was later given a very subtle and capacious name - the Cold War.
The confrontation between the main political centers of influence in the world has moved from the battlefield to a confrontation between ideologies and economics. An unprecedented arms race began, which gave rise to a nuclear confrontation between the warring parties. The foreign policy situation has again heated up to the limit, each time threatening to escalate into an armed conflict on a planetary scale. The first sign was the Korean War, which broke out five years after the end of World War II. Even then, the USA and the USSR secretly and unofficially began to measure their strength, in to varying degrees participating in the conflict. The next peak in the confrontation between the two superpowers was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 - an aggravation of the international political situation that threatened to plunge the planet into a nuclear apocalypse.
The events that took place during this period clearly showed humanity how shaky and fragile the world could be. The United States' nuclear monopoly ended in 1949, when the USSR tested its own atomic bomb. The military-political confrontation between the two countries has reached a qualitatively new level. Nuclear bombs, strategic aircraft and missiles leveled the chances of both sides, making them equally vulnerable to a nuclear retaliatory strike. Understanding the danger and consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, the warring parties turned to outright nuclear blackmail.
Now both the USA and the USSR tried to use their own nuclear arsenals as an instrument of pressure, trying to achieve greater dividends for themselves in the political arena. The indirect cause of the Caribbean crisis can be considered attempts at nuclear blackmail, which the leadership of both the United States and the Soviet Union resorted to. The Americans, by installing their medium-range nuclear missiles in Italy and Turkey, sought to put pressure on the USSR. The Soviet leadership, in response to these aggressive steps, tried to move the game to its opponent’s field, placing its own nuclear missiles next to the Americans. Cuba was chosen as the place for such a dangerous experiment, which in those days became the center of attention of the whole world, becoming the key to Pandora's box.
Looking superficially at the history of the most acute and vibrant period in the confrontation between two world powers, we can make various conclusions. On the one hand, the events of 1962 showed how vulnerable human civilization is in the face of the threat of nuclear war. On the other hand, the whole world was shown how peaceful coexistence depends on the ambitions of a certain group of people, one or two people making fatal decisions. Time will decide who did the right thing and who did not in this situation. Real confirmation of this is that we are now writing materials on this topic, analyzing the chronology of events, studying the true causes of the Caribbean crisis.
The presence or coincidence of various factors brought the world to the brink of disaster in 1962. Here it would be appropriate to focus on the following aspects:
Each of the proposed points reveals not only the presence of certain physical and psychological factors, but also sheds light on the very essence of the conflict. A thorough analysis of the current situation in the world in October 1962 is necessary, since for the first time humanity really felt the threat of complete destruction. Neither before nor after has any armed conflict or military-political confrontation had such high stakes.
The objective reasons that explain the main essence of the crisis that arose lie in the attempts of the leadership of the Soviet Union, headed by N.S. Khrushchev to find ways out of the dense ring of encirclement in which the entire Soviet bloc found itself in the early 60s. By this time, the United States and its NATO allies had managed to concentrate powerful strike forces along the entire perimeter of the USSR. In addition to the strategic missiles located at missile bases in North America, the Americans had a fairly large fleet of strategic bombers.
In addition to everything, the United States placed in Western Europe and on southern borders Soviet Union, a whole armada of medium- and shorter-range missiles. And this despite the fact that the USA, Great Britain and France together, in terms of the number of warheads and delivery vehicles, were many times greater than the USSR. It was the deployment of medium-range Jupiter missiles in Italy and Turkey that became the last straw for the Soviet leadership, which decided to make a similar attack towards the enemy.
The nuclear missile power of the USSR at that time could not be called a real counterweight to American nuclear power. The flight range of Soviet missiles was limited, and the submarines, capable of carrying only three R-13 ballistic missiles, did not have high tactical and technical data. There was only one way to make the Americans feel that they, too, were in the nuclear crosshairs, by placing Soviet ground-based nuclear missiles at their side. Even given that Soviet missiles did not have high flight characteristics and a relatively small number of warheads, such a threat could have a sobering effect on the Americans.
In other words, the essence of the Caribbean crisis lies in the natural desire of the USSR to equalize the chances of a mutual nuclear threat with its potential opponents. By what methods this was done is another question. We can say that the result exceeded expectations for both one and the other side.
The subjective factor that played the main role in this conflict is post-revolutionary Cuba. After the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Fidel Castro's regime followed in the wake of Soviet foreign policy, which greatly irritated its powerful northern neighbor. After failing to overthrow the revolutionary government in Cuba by armed means, the Americans switched to a policy of economic and military pressure on the young regime. The US trade blockade against Cuba only accelerated the development of events that played into the hands of the Soviet leadership. Khrushchev, echoed by the military, happily accepts Fidel Castro's proposal to send a Soviet military contingent to Liberty Island. In the strictest confidence at the highest level, on May 21, 1962, a decision was made to send Soviet troops to Cuba, including missiles with nuclear warheads.
From this moment on, events begin to unfold at rapid speed. Time limits apply. After the return of the Soviet military-diplomatic mission led by Rashidov from Liberty Island, the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee meets in the Kremlin on June 10. At this meeting, the USSR Minister of Defense first announced and submitted for consideration a draft plan for the transfer of Soviet troops and nuclear ICBMs to Cuba. The operation was codenamed “Anadyr”.
Returning from a trip to Liberty Island, Rashidov, the head of the Soviet delegation and Rashidov decided that the faster and more inconspicuously the entire operation to transfer Soviet missile units to Cuba was carried out, the more unexpected this step would be for the United States. On the other hand, the current situation will force both sides to look for a way out of the current situation. Beginning in June 1962, the military-political situation took a threatening turn, pushing both sides towards an inevitable military-political clash.
The final aspect to consider when considering the origins of the 1962 Cuban Crisis is a realistic assessment of the goals and objectives pursued by each side. The United States, led by President Kennedy, was at the peak of its economic and military power. The emergence of a socialist-oriented state at the side of the world hegemon caused significant damage to America’s reputation as a world leader, therefore, in this context, the desire of the Americans to destroy the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere by force of military, economic and political pressure is quite understandable. The American President and most of the American establishment were extremely determined in achieving their goals. And this despite the fact that the risk of a direct military clash with the USSR was assessed very highly in the White House.
The Soviet Union, led by the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, tried not to miss its chance by supporting the Castro regime in Cuba. The situation in which the young state found itself required the adoption decisive measures and steps. The mosaic of world politics was shaping up in favor of the USSR. Using socialist Cuba, the USSR could create a threat to the territory of the United States, which, being overseas, considered itself completely safe from Soviet missiles.
The Soviet leadership tried to make the most of the current situation. Moreover, the Cuban government played in unison with the plans of the Soviets. Personal factors cannot be ignored either. In the context of intensified confrontation between the USSR and the USA over Cuba, the personal ambitions and charisma of the Soviet leader clearly emerged. Khrushchev could enter world history as a leader who dared to directly challenge a nuclear power. We should give credit to Khrushchev, he succeeded. Despite the fact that the world literally hung by a thread for two weeks, the parties managed to achieve what they wanted to some extent.
The transfer of Soviet troops to Cuba, called Operation Anadyr, began at the end of June. Such an uncharacteristic name of the operation, which is associated with the delivery of secret cargo by sea to southern latitudes, is explained by military-strategic plans. Loaded with troops, equipment and personnel, Soviet ships were to be sent to the North. The purpose of such a large-scale operation is for the general public and foreign intelligence was banal and prosaic, providing household goods and personnel settlements along the route of the Northern Sea Route.
Soviet ships left the Baltic ports, Severomorsk and the Black Sea, following their usual course to the north. Further, lost in the high latitudes, they abruptly changed course in the direction of the south, following the coast of Cuba. Such maneuvers were intended to confuse not only the American fleet, which patrolled the entire North Atlantic, but also American intelligence channels. It is important to note that the secrecy with which the operation was carried out had a stunning effect. Careful camouflage of preparatory operations, transportation of missiles on ships and deployment were carried out in complete secrecy from the Americans. The equipment of launch positions and the deployment of missile divisions on the island took place from the same perspective.
Neither in the Soviet Union, nor in the United States, nor in any other country in the world could anyone even imagine that in such a short time an entire missile army would be deployed under the noses of the Americans. The flights of American spy planes did not provide accurate information about what was really happening in Cuba. In total, until October 14, when Soviet ballistic missiles were photographed during the flight of an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the Soviet Union transferred and deployed 40 medium- and intermediate-range R-12 and R-14 missiles on the island. In addition, Soviet cruise missiles with nuclear warheads were deployed near the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
The photographs, which clearly showed Soviet missile positions in Cuba, had the effect of a bomb exploding. The news that the entire territory of the United States is now within the reach of Soviet nuclear missiles, the total equivalent of which was 70 megatons, shocked not only the highest echelons of power in the United States, but also the bulk of the country's civilian population.
In total, 85 Soviet cargo ships took part in Operation Anadyr, which managed to secretly deliver not only missiles and launchers, but also a lot of other military and service equipment, service personnel and combat army units. By October 1962, 40 thousand military contingents of the USSR Armed Forces were stationed in Cuba.
The American reaction to the situation was immediate. An Executive Committee was urgently created in the White House, headed by President John Kennedy. A variety of response options were considered, ranging from a targeted strike on missile positions to an armed invasion American troops to the island. The most acceptable option was chosen - a complete naval blockade of Cuba and an ultimatum presented to the Soviet leadership. It should be noted that back on September 27, 1962, Kennedy received carte blanche from Congress to use the military to correct the situation in Cuba. The US President followed a different strategy, leaning towards solving the problem through military and diplomatic means.
An open intervention could result in serious casualties among personnel, and no one denied possible application The Soviet Union carried out more extensive countermeasures. An interesting fact is that in none of the official conversations at the highest level, the USSR never admitted that there were Soviet offensive missile weapons in Cuba. In this light, the United States had no choice but to act at its own discretion, thinking less about global prestige and caring more about its own national security.
We can talk for a long time and discuss all the vicissitudes of negotiations, meetings and meetings of the UN Security Council, but today it becomes clear that the political games of the leadership of the USA and the USSR in October 1962 led humanity to a dead end. No one could guarantee that each subsequent day of global confrontation would not be the last day of peace. The results of the Caribbean crisis were acceptable to both sides. In the course of the agreements reached, the Soviet Union removed missiles from Liberty Island. Just three weeks later, the last Soviet missile left Cuba. The very next day, November 20, the United States lifted the naval blockade of the island. The following year, the Jupiter missile systems were phased out in Turkey.
In this context special attention the personalities of Khrushchev and Kennedy deserve. Both leaders were under constant pressure their own advisers and military men, who were ready to start the Third World War. However, both were smart enough not to follow the lead of the hawks of world politics. Here, the speed of reaction of both leaders in making important decisions, as well as the presence of common sense, played an important role. Within two weeks, the whole world clearly saw how the world's established order can quickly turn into chaos.
Fidel Castro and N.S. Khrushchev
January 1, 1959 in Cuba after a long civil war Communist guerrillas led by Fidel Castro overthrew the government of President Batista. The United States was very alarmed at the prospect of having a communist state on its doorstep. In early 1960, the administration directed the CIA to create, arm, and secretly train Central America a brigade of 1,400 Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow the Castro regime. The administration, having inherited this plan, continued preparations for the invasion. The brigade landed in the Bay of Cochinos ("Pigs"), on the southwestern coast of Cuba, on April 17, 1961, but was defeated on the same day: Cuban intelligence agents managed to penetrate the ranks of the brigade, so the operation plan was known in advance to the Cuban government, which made it possible to gather a significant number of troops into the landing area; the Cuban people, contrary to CIA forecasts, did not support the rebels; the “path of salvation” in the event of failure of the operation turned out to be 80 miles through impassable swamps, where the remnants of the landing militants were finished off; "Washington's hand" was immediately identified, causing a wave of indignation throughout the world. This event prompted Castro to move closer to Moscow, and in the summer and fall of 1962, 42 nuclear-tipped missiles and bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs were stationed in Cuba. This decision, made at a meeting of the USSR Defense Council in May 1962, met the interests of both sides - Cuba received reliable cover (“nuclear umbrella”) from any aggression from the United States, and the Soviet military leadership reduced the flight time of its missiles to American territory. As contemporaries testify, it was extremely annoying and frightening that American missiles Jupiter missiles stationed in Turkey can reach the vital centers of the Soviet Union in just 10 minutes, while Soviet missiles take 25 minutes to reach the United States. coin accessories
The transfer of missiles was carried out in the strictest secrecy, but already in September the US leadership suspected something was wrong. On September 4, President John Kennedy said that the United States would under no circumstances tolerate Soviet nuclear missiles 150 km from its coast.
In response, Khrushchev assured Kennedy that there were and would not be any Soviet missiles or nuclear weapons in Cuba. He called the installations discovered by the Americans in Cuba Soviet research equipment. However, on October 14, an American reconnaissance aircraft photographed the missile launch pads from the air. In an atmosphere of strict secrecy, the US leadership began to discuss retaliatory measures. The generals proposed immediately bombing Soviet missiles from the air and launching an invasion of the island with the Marines. But this would lead to war with the Soviet Union. The Americans were not happy with this prospect, since no one was exactly sure of the outcome of the war.
Therefore, John Kennedy decided to start with softer means. On October 22, in an address to the nation, he announced that Soviet missiles had been discovered in Cuba, and demanded that the USSR immediately remove them. Kennedy announced that the United States was beginning a naval blockade of Cuba. On October 24, at the request of the USSR, the UN Security Council urgently met.
The Soviet Union continued to stubbornly deny the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba. Within days, it became clear that the United States was determined to remove the missiles at any cost. On October 26, Khrushchev sent a more conciliatory message to Kennedy. He recognized that Cuba had powerful Soviet weapons. At the same time, Nikita Sergeevich convinced the president that the USSR was not going to attack America. As he put it, “Only crazy people can do this or suicides who want to die themselves and destroy the whole world before that.” This saying was very uncharacteristic of Khrushchev, who always knew how to “show America its place,” but circumstances forced him to a softer policy.
Nikita Khrushchev suggested that John Kennedy pledge not to attack Cuba. Then the Soviet Union will be able to remove its weapons from the island. The President of the United States responded that the United States was willing to make a gentleman's commitment not to invade Cuba if the USSR withdrew its offensive weapons. Thus, the first steps towards peace were taken.
But on October 27, the “Black Saturday” of the Cuban crisis came, when only a miracle did not break out a new World War. In those days, squadrons of American aircraft flew over Cuba twice a day for the purpose of intimidation. And on October 27, Soviet troops in Cuba shot down one of the US reconnaissance aircraft with an anti-aircraft missile. Its pilot, Anderson, was killed.
Soviet missiles on Liberty Island. US Air Force aerial photograph
The situation escalated to the limit, the US President decided two days later to begin bombing Soviet missile bases and a military attack on the island. The plan called for 1,080 sorties on the first day of combat operations. The invasion force, stationed in ports in the southeastern United States, numbered 180 thousand people. Many Americans left big cities, fearing an imminent Soviet strike. The world was on the brink of nuclear war. He had never been so close to this brink before. However, on Sunday, October 28, the Soviet leadership decided to accept the American conditions. A message was sent in clear text to the President of the United States.
The Kremlin already knew about the planned bombing of Cuba. “We agree to remove those weapons from Cuba that you consider offensive weapons,” the message said, “we agree to implement this and declare this commitment to the UN.”
The decision to remove the missiles from Cuba was made without the consent of the Cuban leadership. Perhaps this was done deliberately, since Fidel Castro categorically objected to the removal of the missiles. International tensions began to subside quickly after October 28. The Soviet Union removed its missiles and bombers from Cuba. On November 20, the United States lifted the naval blockade of the island.
The Cuban (also called the Caribbean) crisis ended peacefully, but it gave rise to further reflection on the fate of the world. During numerous conferences with Soviet, Cuban and American participants in those events, it became clear that the decisions made by the three countries before and during the crisis were influenced by incorrect information, incorrect assessments and inaccurate calculations that distorted the meaning of events. Former minister US Defense Robert McNamara cites the following facts in his memoirs:
1. The confidence of the Soviet and Cuban leadership in the inevitable imminent invasion of Cuba by the US Army, while after the failure of the Bay of Pigs operation the John F. Kennedy administration had no such intentions;
2. In October 1962 Soviet nuclear warheads were already in Cuba, moreover, at the moment of the highest intensity of the crisis, they were delivered from storage sites to deployment sites, while the CIA reported that there were no nuclear weapons on the island yet;
3. The Soviet Union was confident that nuclear weapons could be delivered to Cuba secretly and no one would know about it, and the United States would not react to this in any way even when their deployment became known;
4. The CIA reported the presence of 10 thousand Soviet troops on the island, while there were about 40 thousand of them there, and this was in addition to the well-armed 270 thousand Cuban army. Therefore, Soviet-Cuban troops, in addition armed with tactical nuclear weapons, would simply arrange a “bloodbath” for the landing American expeditionary force, which would inevitably result in an uncontrollable escalation of military confrontation.
In general, the Cuban crisis had only a beneficial effect on the world, forcing the USSR and the USA to make mutual concessions in foreign policy.
|
date |
Event |
| 1959 | Revolution in Cuba |
| 1960 | Nationalization of US spheres in Cuba |
| 1961 | Fidel appealed to the US government and was refused assistance. US missile deployment in Turkey. |
| May 20, 1962 | Council of Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs with Khrushchev regarding Cuba |
| May 21, 1962 | On May 21, at a meeting of the USSR Defense Council, this issue was raised for discussion of the deployment of missiles in Cuba |
| May 28, 1962 | A delegation led by an ambassador was sent to Cuba. |
| June 10, 1962 | Project for placing missile launchers in Cuba presented |
| Late June 1962 | Plan developed for secret transfer of forces to Cuba |
| Early August 1962 | The first ships with equipment and people were sent to Cuba |
| Late August 1962 | The first photographs of American intelligence officers about missile launchers under construction |
| September 4, 1962 | Kennedy's Statement to Congress on the Absence of Missile Forces in Cuba |
| September 5 - October 14, 1962 | Termination of reconnaissance of Cuban territories by US aircraft |
| September 14, 1962 | Pictures from a US reconnaissance plane of the missile launchers being built end up on Kennedy's desk. |
| October 18, 1962 | The US President was visited by the USSR Foreign Minister |
| October 19, 1962 | Reconnaissance aircraft confirms four launch sites in Cuba |
| October 20, 1962 | Announcement of US Blockade of Cuba |
| October 23, 1962 | Robert Kennedy goes to the USSR Embassy |
| October 24, 1962 - 10:00 | Entry of the blockade of Cuba into force |
| October 24, 1962 - 12:00 | Report to Khrushchev on the safe arrival of USSR warships in Cuba |
| October 25, 1962 | Kennedy's demand for the dismantling of missile sites in Cuba |
| October 26, 1962 | Khrushchev's refusal to Kennedy's demands |
| October 27, 1962 - 17:00 | US spy plane spotted over Cuba |
| October 27, 1962 - 5:30 p.m. | A reconnaissance plane invades Soviet territory |
| October 27, 1962 - 18:00 | USSR fighters raised on combat alert |
| October 27, 1962 - 8:00 p.m. | US fighters and bombers are put on alert |
| October 27, 1962 - 9:00 p.m. | Fidel informs Khrushchev of US readiness to attack |
| From 27 to 28 October 1962 | Meeting of Robert Kennedy with the USSR Ambassador |
| October 28, 1962 - 12:00 | Meeting of the CPSU Central Committee and secret meeting. |
| October 28, 1962 - 14:00 | Prohibition of the use of USSR anti-aircraft installations on Cuban territory |
| October 28, 1962 - 15:00 | The Khrushchev-Kennedy connection |
| October 28, 1962 - 16:00 | Khrushchev's order to dismantle missile launchers |
| In 3 weeks | Completion of dismantling and lifting of the embargo on Cuba |
| 2 months later | Complete dismantling of US missile launchers in Turkey |
The Cuban Missile Crisis is a common name for a very complex and tense relationship between Soviet Union and the United States of America. So intense that nuclear war was not a surprise to anyone.
It all started when America, in 1961, placed its missiles with nuclear warheads on Turkish territory. And it continued with the fact that the USSR responded by locating military bases in Cuba. Also with nuclear charges and a full complement of military units.
The world at that time froze in anticipation of a planetary catastrophe.
The tension of that time reached the point that a nuclear war could start from a single harsh statement from one side or another.
But diplomats of that time were able to find mutual language and resolve the conflict peacefully. Not without tense moments, not without echoes, even in our time, but they did it. How it all happened is described below.
The cause of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, contrary to popular belief, was not hidden in the deployment of military units in Cuba.
The beginning of this conflict was laid by the US government when it placed its nuclear and atomic missiles on the territory of modern Turkey.
The missile equipment of American bases was medium-range.
What allowed in the most as soon as possible hit key Soviet targets. Including cities and the capital - Moscow.
Naturally, this state of affairs did not suit the USSR. And when a note of protest was issued, having received a refusal to withdraw troops from Turkey, the Union took retaliatory measures. Hidden, unnoticed and secret.
Regular troops of the USSR were stationed on the Cuban Islands, in the strictest secrecy. Infantry, technical support, equipment and missiles.
Missiles of various calibers and purposes:
Each of them could carry a nuclear warhead. The secrecy of such actions was not due to an act of aggression, as it is presented now, but solely without provocative meaning, so as not to start a nuclear war.
The very deployment of troops in Cuba was strategically justified and was more of a defensive nature.
With the help of this presence near the coast of the United States, the Union deterred possible acts of aggression from Turkish-American deployments.
The Cuban missile crisis was caused by the following actions of the parties:
Speaking about the chronology of events, we should look at a little more early time from the beginning of the nuclear race between the USA and the USSR. This story begins in 1959, during the cold war between the superpowers and the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro.
Since the confrontation between the two countries was not local and clearly expressed, each of them tried to cover large quantity zones of influence.
The United States placed its main emphasis on third world countries with pro-American sentiments, and the Soviet Union on countries of the same world, but with socialist sentiments.
At first, the Cuban Revolution did not attract the attention of the Union, although the country's leadership turned to the USSR for help. But Cuba's appeal to the Americans was even more disastrous.
The US President pointedly refused to meet with Castro.
This caused serious indignation in Cuba and, as a result, the complete nationalization of all internal US resources in the country.
Moreover, this outcome of events aroused interest on the part of the USSR and the next appeal for help was heard. Cuban oil and sugar resources were redirected from the United States to the USSR, and an agreement was reached on the stationing of regular Union troops in the country.
The United States, of course, was not satisfied with such a preponderance of forces and, under the pretext of expanding NATO bases, military bases were placed on Turkish territory, where medium-range missiles with nuclear warheads were located ready for combat.
And the next stage in the development of the Caribbean crisis was the secret deployment of USSR troops on Cuban territory. Also with a full load of nuclear weapons.
Naturally, these events did not happen in one day. They lasted for several years, which will be discussed below.
On this day, after a long absence over Cuban territory, an American reconnaissance aircraft took photographs. Upon closer examination by US military experts, they were identified as launch pads for nuclear missiles.
And after a more thorough study, it became clear that the sites are similar to those located on the territory of the USSR.
This event shocked the American government so much that President Kennedy (the first during his entire presidency in the United States) introduced the FCON-2 danger level. This in fact meant the start of a war with the use of weapons of mass destruction (including nuclear ones).
The US decision could be the beginning of a nuclear war.
He himself and everyone else in the World understood this. It was necessary to find a solution to this issue as soon as possible.
Relations between the two powers became so tense that other countries did not even begin to participate in the discussion of this issue. The conflict should have been resolved between the USSR and the USA, which participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
After the introduction of level two martial law in the States, the world came to a standstill. In essence, this meant that the war had begun. But understanding of the consequences on both sides did not allow them to press the main button.
In the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis, ten days after it began (October 24), a blockade of Cuba was declared. Which also effectively meant a declaration of war on this country.
Cuba also imposed retaliatory sanctions.
Several US reconnaissance aircraft were even shot down over Cuban territory. What could have greatly influenced the decision to start a nuclear war. But common sense triumphed.
Understanding that prolonging the situation would lead to its intractability, both powers sat down at the negotiating table.
It all started when a U-2 reconnaissance plane was spotted over Cuba in the morning during a storm.
It was decided to make a request to higher headquarters to receive instructions. But due to communication problems (the storm may have played a role), the orders were not received. And the plane was shot down on the orders of local commanders.
Almost at the same time, the USSR air defense spotted the same reconnaissance aircraft over Chukotka. MiG military fighters were raised on combat alert. Naturally, the American side learned about the incident and, fearing a massive nuclear strike, raised fighter jets over its side.
The U-2 was out of fighter range, so it was not shot down.
As it turned out during the investigation of the USSR and the USA, the pilot of the plane simply went off course while performing air intakes over the North Pole.
Almost at the same moment, reconnaissance aircraft were fired at from anti-aircraft guns over Cuba.
From the outside, it seemed like the beginning of a war and one of the sides preparing for an attack. Castro, convinced of this, wrote to Khrushchev about the attack first, so as not to lose time and advantage.
And Kennedy’s advisers, seeing fighters and long-range aviation aircraft scrambled in the USSR due to the U-2 plane going astray, insisted on an immediate bombing of Cuba. Namely, USSR bases.
But neither Kennedy nor Nikita Khrushchev listened to anyone.
Meeting between Khrushchev and Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis The understanding on both sides that something irreparable could happen held both countries back. The fate of the Cuban missile crisis was decided by top level on both sides of the ocean. They began to solve the problem at the level of diplomacy, in order to find a peaceful way out of the situation.
The turning point occurred after mutual proposals to resolve the Cuban missile crisis. President Kennedy took the initiative to send a demand to the USSR government to remove missiles from Cuba.
But the initiative was only announced. Nikita Khrushchev was the first to propose to America - to lift the blockade from Cuba and sign a non-aggression pact against it. To which the USSR dismantles missiles on its territory. A little later, a condition was added about the dismantling of missile launchers in Turkey.
A series of meetings in both countries led to the resolution of this situation. The implementation of the agreements began on the morning of October 28.
“Black Saturday” was the closest thing to a global catastrophe that day. It was she who influenced the decision to end the conflict peacefully for both world powers. Despite the sharp confrontation, the US and USSR governments made a mutual decision to end the conflict.
The reason for the outbreak of war could be any minor conflict or emergency situation. Like, for example, a U-2 that went off course. And the results of such a situation would be catastrophic for the whole world. Starting with the arms race.
The situation could have ended in the death of millions of people.
And realizing this helped me accept correct solution to both sides.
The accepted agreements were fulfilled by both parties in the shortest possible time. For example, the dismantling of USSR missile launchers in Cuba began on October 28. Any shelling of enemy aircraft was also prohibited.
Three weeks later, when there was not a single installation left in Cuba, the blockade was lifted. And two months later the installations in Turkey were dismantled.
At a time when the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was intensifying, events took place in Cuba that seemed to have nothing to do with global confrontation two world powers. But in the end, they played a significant role in the course and completion of the world conflict.
After the revolution in Cuba, Castro came to power and, first of all, as his closest neighbors, turned to the States for help. But due to an incorrect assessment of the situation, the US government refused to help Fidel. Considering that there is no time to deal with Cuban issues.
Just at this moment, US missile launchers were deployed in Turkey.
Fidel, realizing that there would be no help from the United States, turned to the Union.
Although at his first appeal he was also refused, but due to the deployment of missile units near the borders of the USSR, the communists reconsidered their opinion and decided to support the Cuban revolutionaries. By inclining them from nationalist ambitions to communist ones.
And also by placing nuclear missile launchers on Cuban territory (under the pretext of protecting against a US attack on Cuba).
Events developed along two vectors. Help Cuba defend its sovereignty and lift the blockade from the outside. And also a guarantee of the security of the USSR in a possible nuclear conflict. Since the missiles deployed on the Cuban Islands were within the reach of America and in particular Washington.
The United States of America, by placing its missile launchers in Turkey, near the city of Izmir, inherently provoked a conflict between itself and the Soviet Union.
Although the US President was confident that such a step would have no significance, since ballistic missiles with submarines The US can reach the same territory.
But the Kremlin reacted completely differently. America's fleet ballistics, although it could achieve the same goals, would have taken much longer. Thus, in the event of a surprise attack, the USSR would have time to repel the attack.
US submarines were not always on combat duty.
And at the time of release they were always under the close supervision of the Soviet Union.
The missile launchers in Turkey, although obsolete, could reach Moscow in a matter of minutes. Which endangered the entire European part of the country. This was precisely the reason for the USSR’s turn towards relations with Cuba. Just having lost friendly relations with the States.
The crisis ended on October 28. On the night of the 27th, President Kennedy sent his brother Robert to the Soviet Ambassador at the USSR Embassy. A conversation took place where Robert expressed the president’s fear that the situation could get out of control and create a chain of events that could not be reversed.
As strange as it may sound, not everyone was happy with the peaceful resolution of the situation. For example, the Central Committee of the CPSU removed Khrushchev from his post two years after the crisis. Motivating this by the fact that he made concessions to America.
In Cuba, the dismantling of our missiles was regarded as a betrayal. Because they expected an attack on the United States and were ready to take the first blow. Also, many of America's military leadership were unhappy.
The Cuban Missile Crisis marked the beginning of global disarmament.
Showing the whole world that an arms race can lead to disaster.
In history, the Caribbean conflict left a noticeable mark and many countries took the situation as an example of how not to behave on the world stage. But today, there is an almost similar situation with the very beginning of the Cold War. And again there are two main players in the arena - America and Russia, who decided the fate of the Caribbean crisis and the World half a century ago.
In conclusion, let us summarize how the Cuban Missile Crisis ended.
