The Outcomes of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Using the notes below, you should be able to tell me who won the Cuban Missile Crisis. For each person, give them a success rating out of 10.
KENNEDY AND THE USA:
· Kennedy came out of the crisis with a greatly improved reputation in his own country and throughout the West. He had stood up to Khrushchev and made him back down.
· Fidel Castro was still the leader of Cuba and therefore, Cuba was still a Communist state. This was in America’s backyard and therefore, may still pose a threat.
· Kennedy had also successfully stood up to the hardliners in his own government. Critics of containment had wanted the USA to invade Cuba and roll back Communism. However, the Cuban Missile Crisis highlighted the weaknesses of their case. Nuclear war was not worth risking and other methods could be used.
· Kennedy had to remove the missiles placed in Turkey that were pointed at the Soviet Union. Many within NATO were angry because they saw this as their protection from the USSR.
CASTRO AND CUBA
· Castro was very upset by the deal which Khrushchev made with America but he had little choice. He needed the support of the USSR.
· Cuba stayed Communist and highly armed. The nuclear missiles were removed but Cuba remained an important base for Communist supports in South America. Cuban forced also intervened to help the Communist side in the civil war in Angola in the 1970s.
· Castro kept control of the American companies and other economic resources he nationalised during his revolution. This remains a source of dispute between the USA and Cuba today.
KHRUSHCHEV AND THE USSR
· In public Khrushchev was able to highlight his role as a responsible peacemaker, willing to make the first move towards a compromise.
· There was no question that keeping Cuba safe from American action was a major achievement for the Soviets. Cuba was a valuable ally and proved a useful base to support Communists in South America.
· Khrushchev did also get the USA to withdraw its nuclear missiles from Turkey. However, Khrushchev had to agree that this withdrawal was to be kept secret so he was unable to use it for propaganda purposes.
· The crisis exposed the USA to criticism amongst some of its allies. Newspapers in Britain, for example, were sympathetic to Khrushchev putting missiles in Cuba due to the highlighted missiles in Turkey.
· Khrushchev had to back down and withdraw the missiles from Cuba. The Soviet military was particularly upset at the terms of the withdrawal. They were forced to put the missiles on the decks of their ships so the Americans could count them. This was a humiliating end.
· Khrushchev’s actions in Cuba made no impact on the problem of the Missile Gap. The USSR went on to develop its stockpile of ICBMs at a huge financial cost but never caught up with the USA.
· In 1964 Khrushchev was forced from power by his enemies within the USSR. These enemies used the Cuban Missile Crisis against him as a sign of weakness.
QUESTION: Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis? (10 marks)
KENNEDY AND THE USA:
· Kennedy came out of the crisis with a greatly improved reputation in his own country and throughout the West. He had stood up to Khrushchev and made him back down.
· Fidel Castro was still the leader of Cuba and therefore, Cuba was still a Communist state. This was in America’s backyard and therefore, may still pose a threat.
· Kennedy had also successfully stood up to the hardliners in his own government. Critics of containment had wanted the USA to invade Cuba and roll back Communism. However, the Cuban Missile Crisis highlighted the weaknesses of their case. Nuclear war was not worth risking and other methods could be used.
· Kennedy had to remove the missiles placed in Turkey that were pointed at the Soviet Union. Many within NATO were angry because they saw this as their protection from the USSR.
CASTRO AND CUBA
· Castro was very upset by the deal which Khrushchev made with America but he had little choice. He needed the support of the USSR.
· Cuba stayed Communist and highly armed. The nuclear missiles were removed but Cuba remained an important base for Communist supports in South America. Cuban forced also intervened to help the Communist side in the civil war in Angola in the 1970s.
· Castro kept control of the American companies and other economic resources he nationalised during his revolution. This remains a source of dispute between the USA and Cuba today.
KHRUSHCHEV AND THE USSR
· In public Khrushchev was able to highlight his role as a responsible peacemaker, willing to make the first move towards a compromise.
· There was no question that keeping Cuba safe from American action was a major achievement for the Soviets. Cuba was a valuable ally and proved a useful base to support Communists in South America.
· Khrushchev did also get the USA to withdraw its nuclear missiles from Turkey. However, Khrushchev had to agree that this withdrawal was to be kept secret so he was unable to use it for propaganda purposes.
· The crisis exposed the USA to criticism amongst some of its allies. Newspapers in Britain, for example, were sympathetic to Khrushchev putting missiles in Cuba due to the highlighted missiles in Turkey.
· Khrushchev had to back down and withdraw the missiles from Cuba. The Soviet military was particularly upset at the terms of the withdrawal. They were forced to put the missiles on the decks of their ships so the Americans could count them. This was a humiliating end.
· Khrushchev’s actions in Cuba made no impact on the problem of the Missile Gap. The USSR went on to develop its stockpile of ICBMs at a huge financial cost but never caught up with the USA.
· In 1964 Khrushchev was forced from power by his enemies within the USSR. These enemies used the Cuban Missile Crisis against him as a sign of weakness.
QUESTION: Who won the Cuban Missile Crisis? (10 marks)