Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962

When the pilot of the U-2 (American spy plane) carrying out a mission over Cuba on August 30, 1962, he passed over an area in which Soviet troops collaborating with the Cuban regime were doing works, it is probable that he did not realize that the photos he took would put the world much closer to a nuclear war than probably any other time in the world. story.

The Cuban missile crisis consisted of a diplomatic incident between the USSR and Cuba on the one hand, and the United States on the other.

The threat that these missiles supposed was not for less, since they could penetrate the airspace before America's missile defenses could meet them or even detect them.

On the Soviet side, the installation of ballistic missiles in Cuba allowed it to equalize the threat posed by the US nuclear missiles installed in Turkey.

In addition, the recent attempted invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro forces supported by the States United, made fear a possible and subsequent invasion of the same US army to regain control of the island.

The missiles were thus a guarantee for the government Cuban that would allow him to counterattack by damaging the territory continental US in case of conflict, which was an active deterrent against said possibility.

Both powers also had the support of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, so it is not incorrect to say that a third world war was near ...

The USSR not only sent long and medium-range missiles, but also troops and an air detachment to protect the facilities and the island, within the framework of a secret program.

The photos taken by the U-2 spy plane revealed the installation of the missiles in the eyes of the experts. From here, events rushed forward.

The North American response was overwhelming: on October 22, 62, and in a televised speech to the nation, US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy announced a total air-naval blockade of the island.

This meant that, regardless of the nationality of the ship or aircraft trying to reach Cuba from outside the island, the American forces deployed to enforce the blockade would take the necessary measures to prevent it, which involved the use of the force if it was necessary.

Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet president, addressed Kennedy in blunt terms: Soviet ships would be instructed to ignore the blockade and to continue heading toward Cuba. The confrontation was served.

We must understand the seriousness of the matter: if an American warship opened direct fire on a Soviet one, that meant an act of war and, therefore, legitimized subsequent actions, leading to escalation and leading to the formal declaration of war. And the latter included the possibility of nuclear war.

Despite the US statement, the first to open fire was the USSR: its antiaircraft missile batteries shot down a U-2 in an espionage flight over Cuba. The tension increased at times, despite the fact that at sea the captains of the ship avoided direct confrontation.

It is, to get an idea, how to open a gas pump and let it flow freely, while we walk around the entire gas station with a lit match; It may sound like a fun idea, but there is a great risk that everything will blow up.

Throughout the crisis, communication between the Kremlin and the White House was kept open, although this would be difficult and messages would take time to get from one party to the other.

After the crisis, and with the lessons learned, the concept of "red telephone" was developed as direct line between the leaders of both countries, without the need for intermediaries to facilitate the communication and avoid unnecessary stressful situations.

The Soviet offer of dialogue it included the United States dismantling its nuclear missiles on Turkish soil in exchange for the USSR doing the same in Cuba.

While Khrushchev and Kennedy negotiated, the Cuban government headed by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara asked the USSR to stand firm.

The revolution had been won, but had not yet been consolidated, and the Bay of Pigs attempt had demonstrated, in addition to showing how far the Americans could go to expel Castro from the can. So the still young regime considered that its survival was to be able to intimidate the United States with nuclear weapons.

On October 28, the Americans accepted the Soviet proposal. The crisis had been brief but extremely intense.

It was time to de-escalate, and the Americans lifted the blockade, replacing it with a patrol, while their spy planes allowed them to certify the Soviet withdrawal.

However, what was agreed was the withdrawal of nuclear weapons, but the USSR would maintain a conventional deterrent force in Cuba. The Cuban government was informed to this effect, not liking this decision much on the island, since the regime now looked less protected.

Six months later, the US government announced the withdrawal of its nuclear missiles from Turkish soil.

Some voices have asserted, over time, that the assassination of President Kennedy was due to his performance in this crisis.

The politicians and, above all, the most radical military men who wanted an armed confrontation with the USSR, would have been disappointed and, perhaps some of them would have hatched a plan for revenge.

Like all the conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of the mythical president, this one is also difficult to prove.

Photos: Fotolia - Konstantin Kulikov

Issues in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962