Cuban Missile Cuban Missile CrisisCrisis

By Philip BrennerBy Philip Brenner

CIA Briefing CIA Briefing MapMap

Meeting of Meeting of the ExCommthe ExComm

October 16, 1962October 16, 1962

U-2 Photo of Missile Site, October 14, 1962

Missile WarheadMissile Warhead

ExComm ExComm Deliberation Deliberation During the During the CrisisCrisis

Letter from Nikita Khrushchev to John F. Kennedy,Letter from Nikita Khrushchev to John F. Kennedy,October 26, 1962October 26, 1962

Black Saturday – Second Letter

Black SaturdayBlack Saturday

Low-level Low-level reconnaissance reconnaissance of Cuban anti-of Cuban anti-aircraft sitesaircraft sites

U.S. LessonsU.S. Lessons• Crises can be managed

─ Secrecy

─ Small group with open discussion

─ Exclude and misinform Congress and public

• Steel Will (“Eyeball to Eyeball”) ─ Toughness ─ Resolve

• Superior Strength ─ Build up Military─ Exercise Coercive Diplomacy

Problems with US Lessons - Problems with US Lessons - First CutFirst Cut

• Crises cannot be managed

• Flexibility, not steel will, saved us

• Force or threat of force precipitated the crisis, made it more dangerous

US Misconstrues Soviet US Misconstrues Soviet MotivesMotives

Berlin Wall Erected, August 1961Berlin Wall Erected, August 1961

Summit in Vienna Austria, June 1961Summit in Vienna Austria, June 1961

Jan. 3, 1961Jan. 3, 1961

The next day, 1,500 U.S. trained Cuban The next day, 1,500 U.S. trained Cuban exiles landed on Cuba with weapons exiles landed on Cuba with weapons supplied by the United States.supplied by the United States.

Bay of Pigs

Richard Richard Goodwin Goodwin Meets Meets Ché Ché GuevaraGuevara

● ● ●

● ● ●

Memorandum from Gen. Lansdale to Special Group (Augmented) -- Pg 1

Operation Operation MongooseMongoose

Gen. Gen. Lansdale Lansdale Memorandum Memorandum (Continued) (Continued) -- Pg 2-- Pg 2

Operation AnadyrOperation Anadyr

In July 1962 the Soviet Union began to send ballistic missiles, other weapons and soldiers to Cuba. The build-up troubles US military planners, even as they conclude

that ballistic

missiles are

not being

installed.

New York Times

October 23, 1961

. . .

Soviet Union responds Soviet Union responds by exploding a 50-by exploding a 50-megaton hydrogen megaton hydrogen bomb in the bomb in the atmosphere, Oct 30, atmosphere, Oct 30, 19611961

White House Statement

Problems with US Lessons - Problems with US Lessons - Second CutSecond Cut

• Crisis management Groupthink and exclusion of information

• Steel will inflexibility and no negotiations; force becomes only alternative

• Coercive diplomacy military build-up; ignores factors such as patriotism

Soviet LessonsSoviet Lessons

• Crises cannot be managed• Crises must be prevented

– Improve communications with the other superpower

– Achieve parity (equal military force) with US

President President Kennedy’s Kennedy’s

American American University University SpeechSpeech

June 10, 1963June 10, 1963

Cuban LessonsCuban Lessons

• Neither superpower can be trusted• Cuba must defend itself with

asymmetric warfare – Support revolution in Third World– Strengthen military forces– Intensify internal security

Castro’s Five Demands• Cessation of the US economic embargo and US Cessation of the US economic embargo and US

pressure on other countries to cut commercial pressure on other countries to cut commercial links to Cuba; links to Cuba;

• End US subversive activities against Cuba, End US subversive activities against Cuba, including the “organization of invasions by including the “organization of invasions by mercenaries” and “infiltration of spies and mercenaries” and “infiltration of spies and saboteurs”saboteurs”

• Cease “piratical attacks” from bases in the Cease “piratical attacks” from bases in the United States and Puerto Rico United States and Puerto Rico

• End violations of Cuban airspaceEnd violations of Cuban airspace

• US withdrawal from Guantanamo Naval BaseUS withdrawal from Guantanamo Naval Base

Anastas Mikoyan Arrives in CubaAnastas Mikoyan Arrives in Cuba

IL-28 Bomber (Bulgarian model in Cuba)

How Castro Remembered Mikoyan’s VisitHow Castro Remembered Mikoyan’s Visit

-- From: James Blight and Philip Brenner, Sad and Luminous Days

OSPAAL: Organization of Solidarity of the

Peoples of Africa, Asia and

Latin America

Cuban Missile Cuban Missile Caribbean Caribbean OctoberOctober

CrisisCrisis