Cuban Missile Crisis
Documents concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962--a major confrontation that brought the Soviet Union and the United States close to war over the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. The documents are drawn from countries all around the world and discuss armament and military supplies sent to Cuba, troop training, security issues in the region, and relations with the US. There are many items of correspondence during the crisis itself, including letters between Soviet representatives in Cuba, the US, the UN, and the USSR Foreign Ministry. See also Cuban Foreign Relations, and the related collections in the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project. (Image: Executive Committee of the National Security Committee during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Participants include President John F. Kennedy, Dean Rusk, and Robert McNamara in the White House Cabinet Room. (NARA 595950))
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February 15, 1961
From the Journal of S.M. Kudryavtsev, 'Record of a Conversation with Prime Minister of Cuba Fidel Castro Ruz, 21 January 1961'
Fidel Castro discusses the conditions of the Cuban economy and militia and expresses his belief that Cuba-United States relations are heading in a positive direction.
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August 04, 1961
Secret Agreement Between Cuba and the USSR Regarding Exchange of Special Materials
Agreement between the Republic of Cuba and the USSR regarding a provision of special materials to Cuba and payment for these materials. Also attached are two lists enumerating supplies given to Cuba by the USSR.
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September 30, 1961
Agreement and Lists to the Secret Agreement Between Cuba and the USSR
An agreement between Cuba and the USSR on the provision of special materials to Cuba and payment for these materials. Three annexes are included. Annex I: lists war materials provided by the USSR in 1961-2. 1/3 of the value paid. Annex II: lists materials in 1962-63. 2/3 of the value paid. AnnexIII: lists materials in 1962-3. Total value paid.
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February 27, 1962
Polish Embassy, Rio de Janeiro (Chabasinski), to Polish Foreign Ministry
Telegram describing Ambassador Chabasinski's meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Francisco Clementino San Tiago Dantas regarding the new Brazilian ambassador to Poland and mutual interests between the two countries.
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March 12, 1962
Alexei Adzhubei's Account of His Visit to Washington to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Alexei Adzhubei, Khrushchev’s son-in-law and the editor-in-chief of Izvestia, reports on his meetings with US journalists and officials in Washington, DC. Especially significant was his 30 January meeting with President John F. Kennedy in which Kennedy compared the communist revolution in Cuba with the 1956 Hungarian Revolution suppressed by the Soviet Union. Adzhubei also described Kennedy's comments on German reunification.
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March 17, 1962
Intelligence Report on US Plan to Attack Cuba
Intelligence report on possible US plans to invade Cuba. Forces will invade from Guatemala and Panama, "with support of the armed forces of the USA from their naval base in Guantanamo." The report also mentioned Havana's knowledge of the plan.
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March 23, 1962
Letter to Comrade Brisuela
Letter written to Comrade Carlos C. Brisuela, a representative of the Cuban government. Two annexes are attached. These state that the USSR will provide to Cuba (in addition to the materials provided by the 30 Sept. 1961 agreement) the materials as specified in Annex I. Apart from the provision provided by Annex I, the USSR will provide materials in accordance with Annex II. In all other affairs, the parties are guided by the original Sept. 1961 agreement.
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May 03, 1962
Polish Embassy, Rio de Janeiro (Chabasinski), to Polish Foreign Ministry
Telegram recounting a dinner hosted by Ambassador Chabasinski and attended by Foreign Minister Francisco Clementino San Tiago Dantas during which they discussed the two countries economic relations, foreign policy, and expanding Polish-Brazilian cooperation.
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May 07, 1962
Polish Embassy, Rio de Janeiro (Chabasinski), to Polish Foreign Ministry
Telgram describing meeting between Ambassador Chabasinski and Luís Carlos Prestes--founder of the Communist Party of Brazil--regarding Prestes acquiring a visa to Brazil with the help of Brazilian Foreign Minister Dantas. Also discussed Brazil's problems with Francisco Juliao, leader of the peasant league.
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May 21, 1962
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Presidium Protocol 32
Protocol 32 gives hint to the consternation Khrushchev faced to have his plan of missiles placed in Cuba approved. It took two separate meetings and four days for the Presidium to conceded to Khrushchev's plan.
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May 24, 1962
R. Malinovsky and M. Zakharov, Memorandum on Deployment of Soviet Forces to Cuba
Zakharov and Malinovsky send to Khrushchev the Ministry of Defense’s proposal to send troops and supplies to Cuba. Zakharov and Malinovsky give further detail as to the nature of material to be sent to Cuba and a timetable for building launch pads and assembling missiles.
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June 10, 1962
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Presidium Protocol 35
A record of the meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. This protocol illustrates Khrushchev's confidence in the plan to install missiles in Cuba, although some members still have to approach the operation from a practical standpoint.
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July 01, 1962
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Presidium Protocol No. 39
Protocol 39 gives some evidence that Khrushchev was thinking about more than just Cuba. Khrushchev discussed the importance of getting the US to stop flying over the ships heading to Cuba. After discussing the timetable for sending the missiles to Cuba, Khrushchev led his colleagues in a re-examination of the Soviet Union’s policy on West Berlin. Berlin had not been a topic of discussion for months.