Castro welcomed the missiles, pushed for a hard line, and was angry when the superpowers settled without him.
Castro agreed to the missiles to protect the revolution and to strengthen the socialist camp. He wanted the deployment announced publicly, but Khrushchev insisted on secrecy.
During the crisis, Castro expected a US attack. On 26 October he wrote to Khrushchev urging that, if the USA invaded, the USSR should not let the imperialists strike first with nuclear weapons. Khrushchev was alarmed by the advice.
Castro learned of the settlement from the radio. He felt betrayed. Cuba had not been consulted, and the deal ignored his demands, which included ending the blockade and returning the US base at Guantanamo.
Castro refused UN inspection on Cuban soil. Soviet deputy premier Anastas Mikoyan spent weeks in Cuba repairing relations. Soviet-Cuban ties survived, but the crisis showed the limits of superpower control over allies.
- Castro's letter
- 26 October 1962, urging a hard line if Cuba were invaded.
- Inspections
- Castro refused UN inspection on Cuban soil.
- Mikoyan mission
- November 1962, repairing Soviet-Cuban relations.
Worked example: An H1 lens: sustaining allies
How far did the USSR succeed in sustaining its alliance with Cuba?
- Success: Cuba stayed a Soviet ally and the no-invasion pledge protected the revolution.
- Limitation: Castro was excluded from the settlement and resented it.
- Limitation: Castro refused inspections, complicating the deal.
- Judgement: the alliance survived, but on strained terms.
Watch out for this
Cuba was a passive pawn in the crisis.
Castro pressed for a hard line, rejected inspections and complicated the settlement. Cuba's fears and demands shaped the crisis.
Check your understanding
Why was Castro angry at the end of the crisis?
- The superpowers settled without consulting Cuba.
- The USSR invaded Cuba.
- The USA agreed to every Cuban demand.