How Far Was the Dispute over Berlin in the Years 1958 – 1961 the Primary Cause of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962?
Between the years 1958 and 1961, the dispute over Berlin (often known as the ‘Berlin Crisis’) was one of the main issues between the USA and USSR, and caused a considerable amount of growing tension between the two states. The dispute over Berlin was a continuing issue over who was to occupy Berlin, the capital city of Germany. The city was seen as an important area for both states and led to several conflict issues throughout the time period. It could be argued that this issue and the tension caused by this was the primary reason (or, the main reason) for the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. The Cuban missile crisis was an issue over the placement of nuclear weapons on the island of Cuba by the Soviet Union and brought the world closer than ever to nuclear war. However, the Cuban missile crisis cannot be solely blamed on the dispute over Berlin. Other reasons that could be linked to the development of the Cuban missile crisis include Bay of Pigs, the actions of individuals (such as Kennedy’s personal views and actions over Fidel Castro and Cuba), the existence of US Jupiter missiles in Turkey, the validity of storing Soviet missiles on Cuba and the need to close the missile gap. This essay will examine the significance of each of these possible causes and how far they affected the Cuban missile crisis, in comparison to the dispute over Berlin.
The Berlin crisis between 1958 and 1961 was a primary issue for the USA and the USSR. Since the end of World War Two in 1945, Berlin had been divided into the West Berlin (for the USA, UK and France) and East Berlin (for the USSR). Both sides were determined to keep control of their half of Berlin and it was seen as vital in the strength and success of each country as a whole. US General Clay said ‘when Berlin falls, western Germany will be next. If we mean to hold Europe against communism we must not budge’. This suggests that keeping control of West Berlin was incredibly important to the Americans and if they were to lose
The Berlin crisis between 1958 and 1961 was a primary issue for the USA and the USSR. Since the end of World War Two in 1945, Berlin had been divided into the West Berlin (for the USA, UK and France) and East Berlin (for the USSR). Both sides were determined to keep control of their half of Berlin and it was seen as vital in the strength and success of each country as a whole. US General Clay said ‘when Berlin falls, western Germany will be next. If we mean to hold Europe against communism we must not budge’. This suggests that keeping control of West Berlin was incredibly important to the Americans and if they were to lose
Links: like these made Cuba and the Soviet Union closer and gave Khrushchev a reason to defend Cuba when it was found that the USA were not pleased with a communist society so close to them. The placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba helped ensure this security. The Soviet Union saw the Cuban revolution as a success for Marxism-Leninism and therefore needed the support. The USA could not attack after this support out of fear of devastating retaliation. In December 1962 after the crisis had ended, Khrushchev claimed ‘our purpose was only the defence of Cuba.’ This is supported by Paterson in 1990, saying the USA made efforts ‘to harass, isolate and destroy the radical government in Havana’. This revisionist view suggests that Khrushchev’s placement of missiles on Cuba was necessary to protect the country and that it was not done so in an intention to threaten the USA. However, despite the intention of protecting Cuba, the actions of Khrushchev had repercussions of endangering the USA which therefore lead to the Cuban missile crisis. If Khrushchev truly wanted to protect Cuba, he could have done so in a way that did not involve nuclear weapons. This suggests that although Khrushchev may have wanted to protect Cuba, it also provided a good outlet for him to show the nuclear strength of the Soviet Union. After the Berlin crisis, it appeared that Khrushchev had the upper hand in Cold War relations. It could be suggested that, to improve on and take advantage of this, Khrushchev developed Cuba as a big issue to show and continue his success. By deliberately antagonising the USA with the placement on nuclear missiles so close to them, Khrushchev was able to develop a situation where he had the opportunity to address the Soviet Union as the leading world power. This did not happen – it may be that the Cuban missile crisis grew larger than Khrushchev ever expected and therefore lost control. However, it was a good opportunity for Khrushchev and also allowed Russia to readdress themselves as the leading communist power. The rapid growth of China (a communist state) was threatening to Russia as they may begin to lose their communist power to China, therefore a deliberate antagonism on the issue over Cuba gave the Soviet Union a chance to show how they remain the strongest communist force in the world. Due to propaganda within China, the general view of Khrushchev was that he was reluctant to back revolutionary movements. The placement of missiles in Cuba, a country with revolution, would instantly prove this propaganda wrong. It is likely that Khrushchev was trying desperately to continue the power and success he has achieved so far in the Cold War and in the spread of communism and by using Cuba to antagonise the USA, one of the world’s leading powers, Khrushchev could reaffirm the strength and power of the Soviet Union as a whole and show to the world that communism can be strong. However, as the Cuban missile crisis became so close to nuclear war and wide-spread destruction, it is likely that Khrushchev did not intend to make such a large crisis through his deliberate antagonism – it caused too much of a crisis than expected. From the above evidence, it can be suggested that although the dispute over Berlin in the years 1958 – 1961 was one of the causes of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, it was not the primary cause. The crisis was caused by a variety of factors shown above – primarily the tactical placement of the nuclear missiles so close to the USA and the need for protection of the borders of the USA and Cuba. The Cuban missile crisis was brought about by building tension between the USA and the USSR following World War Two and cannot be solely blamed on one event over a short period of time. The dispute over Berlin helped create the tension that led to the actions of the USA and USSR – for instance, if Kennedy was not humiliated over Berlin, he may not have felt the need to prove his strength with the Cuban missile crisis. However, it was not the primary causation and the Cuban missile crisis was caused and developed by a combination of factors from the USA and USSR.