Cuban Missile Crisis

The events of October 1962 are commonly regarded as the most dangerous moment in human history when, had all-out nuclear war occurred, hundreds of millions of people would have been killed. Indeed, the environmental and climatic consequences could have led to the extinction of human life in the northern hemisphere. Yet the crisis is also commonly seen as a turning point in the cold war that helped bring detente between the superpowers, cooperation in arms control, and reduction in the risk of nuclear war. Over many decades, a vast amount of historical research has been undertaken into the crisis. Yet debate remains about the interpretation of events and the implications for understanding the role and power of nuclear weapons in international politics.

The crisis began on October 16, 1962, after U.S. spy planes discovered the construction of Soviet nuclear missile bases in Cuba. The Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, had promised U.S. President John F. Kennedy that the Soviets would not place offensive weapons on the island. After a week's deliberation, on October 22, Kennedy announced the imposition of a partial naval blockade and threatened a “full retaliatory response” against the Soviet Union (USSR) if missiles were fired from Cuba. On the morning of October 24, U.S. warships stood ready to intercept Soviet ships. When these stopped or turned around, Secretary of State Dean Rusk quipped, “We're eyeball to eyeball and I guess the other fella just blinked.” The crisis reached its climax on the weekend of October 26, when both leaders maneuvered to reach a diplomatic settlement. A framework was agreed in which the United States would not invade Cuba if the Soviets removed their missiles. Kennedy also provided a secret assurance that he would withdraw U.S. nuclear missiles from Turkey and Italy. By then, however, Khrushchev had already decided to take the missiles out of Cuba, and on the morning of October 28, Moscow Radio broadcast the news. Final agreement was not reached until November 20 as the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, was not consulted by Khrushchev and objected that Cuban interests were ignored.

The reasons why Khrushchev deployed missiles in Cuba and why he withdrew them have attracted [Page 161]much debate over many decades. In 1962, the United States enjoyed massive nuclear superiority over the Soviet Union. Missiles in Cuba would have reduced but not fundamentally altered U.S. nuclear superiority. Putting missiles into Cuba was also intended to deter a U.S. attack, though instead it provoked the United States into preparations for an invasion.

During the last few decades, various incidents and circumstances have become known that suggest the risk of nuclear war was greater than recognized. These include near-accidents and failures of U.S. command and control, the revelation that the Soviets had deployed tactical nuclear weapons in Cuba unbeknownst to Washington, evidence that U.S. fighters sent to support a U.S. aircraft straying into Soviet airspace were armed with nuclear ordnance, and details of encounters between nuclear-armed Soviet submarines and the U.S. Navy. As the crisis reached its climax, political leaders were increasingly determined to avoid conflict. Yet the risk of inadvertent nuclear war may well have been very real.

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