Why was there a crisis over Cuba in 1962?

Super Power Rivalry

Why was there a crisis over Cuba in 1962?

There were a few main reasons why there was a crisis over Cuba in 1962. After the Second World War and the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, there was growing competition between America and Russia while Stalin was in power. In 1945, during the Cold War, communism was at its height as Stalin had taken over Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia in his plan to spread communism throughout Eastern Europe.

America, determined to put a halt to the ongoing spread of communism, used the Truman Doctrine and Marshall plan to gain interest away from Russian dominancy. Throughout 1946, relations between the USA and the Soviet Union were rapidly deteriorating. America was deeply concerned by the supposed “Domino Theory” and felt they had to put a stop to this outrage. But still the Soviet Union strongly believed that communism was the way forward and that Capitalism was not the way to control a country. They were prepared to do anything to contain the spread of communism that was threatening the whole of Europe.

The Berlin airlift was another important event that made it clear that America was doing everything possible to prevent the Soviets infecting their communist plague into the west, which the Berlin Blockade by the Soviets strongly suggested. Not forgetting the Korean War, which gave America even more incentive to wipe out communism.

The USA called their prevention of communism “containment”, meaning to use their power and wealth to stop the spread of communism for example The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

All these key events helped encourage the growing aggression between the USA and the Soviet Union thus ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

The USA called their prevention of communism “containment”, meaning to use their power and wealth to stop the spread of communism for example The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

All these key events helped encourage the growing aggression between the USA and the Soviet Union thus causing an almost catastrophic nuclear disaster.

In the large Caribbean island Cuba from 1959; the USA controlled almost all of its industry. But after years of guerrilla fighting against the dictatorship of Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista, Cuba broke into a revolution, resulting in a man named Fidel Castro coming to power. America, already intimidated by the Communist spread, were appalled to find out Cuba had a Soviet-style Government set up; also looking to the Soviet Union for support in their rebellious act against the Americans. Cuba was only ninety miles from the USA and America was getting increasingly worried how this could effect them and their Democratic policies. Already Communism had taken a hold over many countries in Europe – they couldn’t afford to let it gain control over a country so physically close to them.

So in April 1961, the American CIA set up plans to invade Cuba with Cuban exiles and attempt to overthrow the Government, hopefully persuading Cubans to join them along the way. The forces landed at a place on the island called “The Bay of Pigs” and unfortunately for America, they had completely mistaken Cuba’s forces and the popularity of their government as the Cuban forces were a lot more powerful than they expected and they were easily defeated - it was highly humiliating for President Kennedy and the rest of America.

Fidel Castro saw this invasion as a threat to him and immediately looked to the Soviets for support, whether it being military or not. So in 1962, the Russians were happy to help Cuba seeing it as a way to oppress Communism on them, decided to place nuclear medium range missiles on Cuba to help with their defence against USA if there was an attack. The missiles were easily capable of reaching America from Cuba.

America, completely unknown to this military advance, soon found out when on the 14th of October an American U2-Spyplane flew over Cuba and spotted nuclear missile sites planted there. The missiles could reach prime cities in the USA and this worried them.

This was when the crisis really started and the reason for this was due to the Cold War and America being so determined to wipe out Communism that they found themselves in an almost total nuclear war against Cuba and the Soviet Union. Without the continuing spread of communism throughout Europe and the increasing aggression between the USA and USSR, there would have been no crisis at all and America wouldn’t have reacted so intensely towards Cuba and its Government.

Lawrence Hayes 11R