Now that the crises was becoming worse the U.S.S.R gave Cuba weapons in which to defend itself these included MIG 21, IL-28, Bombers, S.A.M’s and SA-18 missiles. The other reason for why the U.S.S.R gave these weapons to Cuba was because this way the U.S.S.R could have a base in Cuba only 90 miles away from the U.S.A giving them first strike capability like the U.S.A had already done in turkey were they had put missiles. This was making the crises worse as now it was about to turn into a so-called “hot war”.
Even though Cuba knew that the U.S.S.R were only giving them the weapons so that the U.S.S.R could have first strike capability and so that they would have a hold over the other superpower U.S.A, Cuba took the weapons anyway in order to protect itself from the U.S.A, who were now enemies with Cuba and were mad due to the events of the bay of pigs invasion, were the U.S.A had invaded Cuba in order to try and turn Cuba to a capitalist society and to try and overthrow Castro.
The U.S.A however found out about these weapons from the CIA who was keeping a watching eye on what was going into Cuba and the U2 plane photographs in which was the U.S.A spying on Cuba without them knowing. Making tension between the superpowers for the U.S.A was now being perceived as liars, making the crises worse.
When president Kennedy found out about the soviet missiles in Cuba he ordered a naval blockade, which was, were American warships tried to stop the Russian ships carrying weapons to Cuba. This made the crises worse as now the U.S were stopping their weapons making the U.S.S.R and Cuba mad and more likely to attack the U.S.A.
Also when Kennedy found out he could have easily had started an air strike, an invasion of Cuba, and a nuclear attack. Kennedy prepared the U.S.A ready for when these were needed, by putting the U.S air force on standby and loading nuclear bombs into bomb bays. The U.S.A did not like the fact that there were soviet missiles in Cuba as the U.S.S.R had a base closer to the U.S.S.R, which meant that the U.S.S.R had first strike capability. If the U.S.S.R had let off any nuclear weapons, New York would have been the place that was hit.
On the 22nd of October 1962 the U.S.A made the first threat which developed the crises into nearly nuclear war saying “it shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the western hemisphere as an attack by the soviet union on the united states, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the soviet union.” And then on the 23rd of October 1962 the soviet press officer replied with a threat back to the U.S.A saying “this could well be our last conversation before New York will be blown up tomorrow by soviet nuclear weapons. The Kremlin won’t stand for this” this made the crises worse as now it was meeting of tensions without proper communication between each other with threat being sent to tell the two sides what was happening. Making the sides confused on what were actually the true facts that were happening at the time.
The crisis really grew in October 1962 because there was a threat of direct confrontation between the two superpowers.
This was that there was an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation this is because the two sides didn’t meet directly. They communicated though ambassadors, press releases and letters. At this time there was great risk of a nuclear war about to happen and great tension upon the rest of the world, as they didn’t no what was exactly happening.
The main reasons for why the crises developed in Cuba in 1962 were split into several categories these included the long term causes the short-term causes and the immediate cause of the crises in October 22nd- October 28th 1962.
The long-term causes were because the U.S.A had always hated each other and had totally different beliefs and systems, and the fact that they could both use nuclear weapons.
The short-term causes were that Khrushchev saw the chance to gain equality from Cuba as that if they made allies with Cuba they would have a base 90 miles away and first strike capability. This also threatened the U.S.A because they were aimed at the major cities.
Another short term cause of why the crises developed was that Cuba had missiles ready to go off that the U.S.A didn’t no about and that there was rubbish communications between the two superpowers and that they did not want to back down due to this as it would make there side look weak.
Lastly the immediate causes of the crises, which were that it would be really easy for the whole crises to turn into a nuclear war and that, the U.S.A and the U.S.S.R were both extremely worried about the whole thing turning into a nuclear war this made the crises worse as it just meant that it was not for the good of there country but that it was just because they didn’t want to look weak as leaders so it was hard when eventually the two sides did back down.
