However, the soviet and the cuban leadership knew that the most dangerous weapons of the crisistactical lunas and. Most books on the cuban missile crisis tell the story through the perspective of memoirs of those who advised president kennedy, as he struggled to avoid world war iii. The cuban missile crisis preted by americans as a direct challenge to their strategic preeminence in the western hemisphere, but this apprehension was likely balanced by the fact that the united states had already deployed jupiter irbms along the soviet border in turkey, thereby posing a. Graham allison cuban missile crisiscuban missile crisis. Soviet perspective on the cuban missile crisis from nikita. These means are situated in cuba at the request of the cuban government and are only for defense purposes. Double, perhaps even quadruple that number of soviet, eastern european, and chinese citizens perished, and no one had any reliable data on how many western europeans, africans, asians, australians, and others were killed by the radioactive fallout as it. Soviet political deception also played a significant role before and during the. Kennedy john swift examines the events that led the world to the brink of nuclear catastrophe. The cuban missile crisis of october 1962 is perhaps the closest that the united. Numerous tactical nuclear weaponsnot known to the u. A photograph of a ballistic missile base in cuba, used as evidence with which u.
Soviet deception in the cuban missile crisis james h hansen on. The fall of the soviet union made it possible to reexamine the cuban missile crisis by using soviet information and questioning soviet participants in the crisis. The soviet intelligence services and the soviet military used deceptive measures to conceal from the united states their intentions in operation anadyr, which led to the cuban missile crisis. Asw forces and soviet submarines during october and november 1962, only in recent months has the hidden history of soviet submarine operations during the crisis become more widely known. The crisis was a major confrontation between the united states and the union of soviet socialist republics. Photograph of the soviet ship ansov departing from cuba during the cuban missile crisis, 11061962. The cuban missile crisis began for the united states on the morning of october 16, when president kennedy was informed of the discovery of missile sites in cuba by u2 surveillance aircraft. According to cia analyst james hansen, the soviet army most likely used largescale battlefield deception before the cuban missile crisis more frequently. New books on the cuban missile crisis the fourteenth day. Earlier in 1962 on february 20, a topsecret administration document discussed a plan called operation mongoose. The craft of denying the united states information on the deployment of the missiles and deceiving us pohcmak ers about rhe soviet unions intent was the foundation of nikita khrush chevs audacious cuban venture. Castro, mikoyan, kennedy, khrushchev, and the missiles of november. Soviet intelligence and the cuban missile crisis the belfer center. Cuban missile crisis facts, worksheets, significance.
To paraphrase sir winston churchill, perhaps the leastexplored aspect of the crisis was the soviet effort to cloak the truth of its strategic missile deployment within a bodyguard of lies, on a scale that most us. Cuban missile crisis, we can hardly wait that long. Download pdf khrushchev lied free online new books in. The cuban missile crisis was a thirteenday military and political standoff between the united states and the soviet union government over the installation of nucleararmed missiles by the ussr in cuba. According to the author, the main questions of the situation have eluded satisfactory answers because analysts have neglected the true cuban role in the event, particularly the russocuban relations prior to the crisis. The placing of soviet nuclear missiles in cuba, aimed at the united states, could have escalated into a full scale war between the united states and the soviet union. Ussoviet exchange during cuban missile crisis wikisource. The cuban missile crisis was one of the major climaxes of the cold war, bringing the world the closest it has ever been to a nuclear war. Soviet caribbean confrontation of october i962 to mere. Oct 15, 2012 a photograph of a ballistic missile base in cuba, used as evidence with which u.
Yet there is perhaps no single event in recent history as puzzling as this one. Thetrain routes and final destinations \vere kept secret. The resulting show downwhich the russians call the caribbean crisis and the cubans call the october crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. This book explains the critical events, along with the experiences of those who execute presidential commands in. The soviet view by sherry nay devastating german invasion of world war ii.
The cuban missile crisis, in october 1962, was probably the closest the united states and the soviet union came to initiating nuclear war. Soviet deception in the cuban missile crisis central. The cuban missile crisis the belfer center for science and. After several days of increasing tensions, the soviet union finally agreed to remove the missiles. Soviet premier nikita khrushchev had personally experienced the invasion of his village by the austrians in world war i. Oct 23, 2014 bbc history file film on the cuban missile crisis. They will kill us tomorrow because the missiles will be ready in days. Under the charter of the united nations, we are asking tonight that an emergency meeting of the security council be convoked without delay to take action against this latest soviet threat to world peace.
This map depicts the reach of the soviets mediumrange ballistic missiles newly installed in cuba and the threat presented to the u. This book explains the critical events, along with the experiences of those who execute presidential commands in times of national crisis. A s the cuban missile crisis unfolded in october 1962, president john f kennedy found himself wondering why nikita khrushchev would gamble. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the october crisis of 1962 spanish. On october 18, kennedy met with soviet minister of foreign affairs, andrei gromyko, who claimed the weapons were for defensive purposes only. Cwihp marks the 50th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis by releasing cwihp bulletin 1718, with over 500 newly declassified and translated documents from international sources. While experts on the missile crisis, as well as the participants themselves, have been long aware of the catandmouse game between u. After private negotiations, the threat of nuclear war was neutralized. The cold warcuban missile crisis wikibooks, open books.
Some analysts even have concluded that what was called the cold war ended in 1962 with the cuban missile crisis. This history produced an ongoing search for security and a desire to avoid war. This book rewrites the conventional history of the 1962 cuban missile crisis by drawing on secret transcripts of toplevel diplomacy undertaken by anastas mikoyan, the numbertwo soviet leader under nikita khrushchev. In june andjuly, the ussr began to charter western ships to carry general cargo from the soviet union to cuba, resening its own freighters for carrying mil itary cargo. Download citation soviet deception in the cuban missile crisis moscows surreptitious dispatch of nuclearcapable ss4 and ss5 surfacetosurface missiles to cuba in 1962 upset the strategic. So far as the world believes, the cuban missile crisis is over. Sep 14, 2012 most books on the cuban missile crisis tell the story through the perspective of memoirs of those who advised president kennedy, as he struggled to avoid world war iii. Information agency, 1900 2003 national archives, unrestricted use. Raul castro initialed a draft treaty with the soviet defense minister that governed the deployment of.
The estimated number of north american deaths was upwards of 200 million. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Khrushchev to kennedy october 28, 1962 cuban missile. The event known as the cuban missile crisis, the greatest of all cold war crises, is a milestone in the history of the cold war. From its inception, the soviet missile operation entailed elaborate denial and. Mar 16, 2020 this book rewrites the conventional history of the 1962 cuban missile crisis by drawing on secret transcripts of toplevel diplomacy undertaken by anastas mikoyan, the numbertwo soviet leader under nikita khrushchev.
Even though scholars have intensely scrutinized the cuban missile crisis for decades, michael dobbs, for one, has recently argued that there is still much to be uncovered, including a greater use of exsoviet sources, a closer examination of more basic archival materials such as those the u. The cuban missile crisis preted by americans as a direct challenge to their strategic preeminence in the western hemisphere, but this apprehension was likely balanced by the fact that the united states had already deployed jupiter irbms along the soviet border in turkey, thereby posing a similar threat to the eastern power. In such accounts, american intelligence collection was comprehensive. Kennedys letter on october 27, 1962 discussing solutions to the cuban missile crisis. Moscows surreptitious dispatch of nuclearcapable ss4 and ss5 surfacetosurface missiles to cuba in 1962 upset the strategic balance in an alarming way. But a soviet desire to be found out hardly squares with the extensive and effective camouflage and deception that shielded the transport of the missiles to cuba. Learning from soviet the past deception in the cuban missile crisis james h. Mail and telegrams along the way were strictly prohibited. There are many questions that still remain unanswered. During the cuban missile crisis nuclear weapons in cuba were aimed at the us, and at the same time. Designed to help policymakers, students, and interested citizens draw lessons from these critical events half a century ago, this site not only provides background on the crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster in october 1962 but also offers tools to understand how. A short history with documents michelle getchell in october 1962, when the soviet union deployed nuclear missiles in cuba, the most dangerous confrontation of the cold war ensued, bringing the world close to the brink of nuclear war. On october 15, 1962, the soviet union was discovered attempting to install nuclear missiles in cuba.
Soviet maritime policy began to shift in accordance with these first trips. Therefore, if there is no invasion of cuba, or attack on the soviet union or any of our other allies, then of course these means are not and will not be a threat to anyone. In a clandestine operation unprecedented in military history, the ussr moved a whole army around the globe and deployed the most sophisticated weapons of its time right under the nose. Soviet primier nitka khrushchev answering president john f. The united states, referred to as military help from nations outside, would work with cuban dissidents, referred. Harvard kennedy schools belfer center has created this site as a resource for the cuban missile crisis. Now available for download, the global cuban missile crisis at 50. Though these questions cannot now be resolved definitively, we must at least arrive at some provisional answers that can be tested against soviet behavior in the coming months and years. Cuban missile crisis world history free pdf download.
These missiles would have been capable of quickly reaching the united states. However, the soviet and the cuban leadership knew that the most dangerous weapons of. Oct 10, 2012 washington, dc, october 10, 2012 in november 1962, cuba was preparing to become the first nuclear power in latin americaat the time when the kennedy administration thought that the cuban missile crisis was long resolved and the soviet missiles were out. Only now, four decades later, can we uncover the extent of the use of deception in the events leading to the cuban missile crisis. The craft of denying the united states information on the deployment of the missiles and deceiving us policymakers about the soviet unions intent was the foundation of nikita khrushchevs audacious cuban venture.
The movie thirteen days, for example, opens with a montage of a u2 flight and photo interpreters poring over blackandwhite film reels and finding the missiles. Jul 29, 20 these means are situated in cuba at the request of the cuban government and are only for defense purposes. The cuban missile war was the most devastating war in world history. Washington, dc, october 10, 2012 in november 1962, cuba was preparing to become the first nuclear power in latin americaat the time when the kennedy administration thought that the cuban missile crisis was long resolved and the soviet missiles were out. Between 1987 and 1992 a series of five conferences helped to bring together former participants and scholars from the united states, the soviet union and cuba. It is anastas mikoyans cuban missile crisis, and it is a translation of a book written by mikoyans son, sergo mikoyan. The objectivity of sergo mikoyan is highly questionable, for the obvious reason that he is writing about his own father and is hardly going to present his father in an. The range of the newly discovered missiles and the risk they posed to u. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of cuba during the cuban missile crisis, on october 24, 1962. President kennedy and secretary of defense mcnamara in an excomm meeting. Oct 24, 2012 the second crisis was the cuban missile crisis. As khrushchev put it, he saw the deployment of soviet missiles in cuba as putting one of our hedgehogs down the americans. But for the soviets, reality is that they have one heck of a mess on their hands. Operation anadyr was not only a missile and troop deployment, but also a complex denial and deception campaign.
The confrontation was caused by the soviets putting missiles in cuba. The cuban missile crisis the cuban missile crisis of october 1962 was the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war. Soviet deception in the cuban missile crisis researchgate. Cold war the cuban missile crisis 1962 extract from president kennedys tv broadcast announcing the presence of soviet missiles in cuba sixth. Soviet deception in the cuban missile crisis maskirovka denial and deception, developing a cover story, operation anadyr, getting the cubans on board, disingenuous diplomacy by progressive management available from rakuten kobo. Download citation soviet deception in the cuban missile crisis moscows surreptitious dispatch of nuclearcapable ss4 and ss5 surfacetosurface. The soviet attempt to position nuclear weapons in cuba occurred under a shroud of great secrecy, both to deny the united states information on the deployment of the missiles and to deceive the united states political leadership, military, and intelligence services on the soviets. Kennedy convened an informal group of cabinet officials and top civilian and military advisors the ex comm to consider and plan an appropriate response. Keepingthesecretathome in the soviet union, the menand equipment destined for cuba were assembled, loaded, and moved by rail at night under rein forced guard.