Pearson Baccalaureate: History: Cold War for the IB Diploma
This document answers the question "To what extent was the USA responsible for causing the Cuban Missile Crisis?"
Cambridge International AS/A Level – October/November 2017
Depth Study 3: International History, 1945–1991
Theme 1: The Cold War, 1950–1975
Syllabus 9389
Paper 43
cambridge international as and a level history 9389
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
Edition:
ISBN:
Edition:
More summaries for
(CIEHistory9389) New Leaders/Ideas during Cold War
(CIEHistory9389) Germany as a Source of Tension
(CIEHistory9389) The Cuban Missile Crisis and MAD
All for this textbook (18)
Written for
A/AS Level
CIE
History
Unit 4c - International History, 1945-1991 (9389)
All documents for this subject (36)
1
review
By: jameselirogers • 3 year ago
Seller
Follow
noteshelp4u
Reviews received
Content preview
To what extent was the USA responsible for causing the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Cambridge International AS/A Level – October/November 2017
Depth Study 3: International History, 1945–1991
Syllabus 9389
Paper 43
In my opinion both the USA and USSR are to blame for the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
For example, after Fidel Castro overthrew Batista at the end of the 1950s the USA should have
funded him to prevent the USSR from getting involved. Nevertheless, they refused to lend
him funds so he sided with the USSR instead. The USSR should have known that by funding a
Socialist Government, only ninety miles away from Florida, would have created tension with
the USA.
On the one hand, the USA are to blame by the way they handled the matter after Fidel Castro
came to power in 1959. They should have tried to improve relations between the US and Cuba
by funding Castro and helping the Cuban Economy. Nevertheless, he was seen as a threat due
to his Socialist views and was isolated and refused support. The US even put embargoes on
all of Cuba’s exports, except food and medicine, in an attempt to destabilise the economy.
Moreover, the Bay of Pigs invasion, aided by the CIA, was seen as one of the major reasons to
why the US were to blame. 1,214 of the 1,400 soldiers that were sent over were either killed
or captured which resulted in the attack being a disaster for the US. The survivors were
released for 50 million dollars’ worth of food and machines which incremented Castro's
popularity and support amongst his people. Overall, the attack confirmed that the US were
anti-Cuba, resulting in Castro seeing them as an enemy and siding with the USSR. Now it is
known that the CIA were to blame for the massacre as the troops lacked training, ammunition
and air support. If the invasion was a success then Castro could have been overthrown which
would have then led to the Soviet nuclear warheads never touching Cuban soil.
The CIA continued to carry out covert operations to sabotage Cuba’s economic targets like its
sugar and petroleum deposits. Furthermore, they even attempted to assassinate Fidel Castro
and his advisers, and isolate Cuba from diplomatic decisions. These were all carried out under
‘Operation Mongoose’ which was mainly a failure. Furthermore, in 1962 the USA expelled
Cuba from the ‘Organisation of American States which once again created more tension
between the two countries. The US doing military exercises off the coast of Puerto Rico
definitely didn’t improve relations either. Moreover, by the Bay of Pigs Invasion it was clear
to the USSR that the US were keen to overthrow the now ‘Marxist’ Castro and remove the
ICBMs. Nevertheless, the Soviets were justified to keep the missiles in Cuba to help balance
their nuclear global power with the US. If they were removed it would have been seen as the
defeat of Communism, also the US could not be trusted not to invade Cuba if the nuclear
weapons were removed. Many historians believe that the nuclear warheads in Cuba were not
a threat to the USA as they had nuclear missile facilities in Turkey to retaliate with. The move
by the USSR was an attempt to balance military power with the USA.
On the other hand, the USSR is also to blame for the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis by how
they intervened in Cuba, knowing it would arouse suspicion and threaten the US. After the
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller noteshelp4u. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $0.00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
