The United States Invasion of Cuba: A Historical Overview

In October 1962, the United States invaded Cuba during the height of the Cold War, sparking a tense international conflict that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The arrival of four Russian military vessels in Cuba has people wondering about a Cuban missile crisis 2.0.

Cuba's notoriously paranoid socialist leadership claims a South Florida exile boarded a jetski and tried to invade the island nation, leading to increased tensions between the two countries. On October 22, 1962, United States President John F. Kennedy announced a “quarantine” of Cuba, in retaliation for the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles on the island.

The Soviets had installed nuclear missiles in Cuba. The U.S. government demanded that they be removed. If they refused to remove them, the U.S. was prepared to take military action. This led to a standoff that lasted for thirteen days, with the world watching nervously as the two superpowers squared off.

Many Latin American exiles want the U.S. to invade their home countries. The Afghanistan debacle should convince them why it's not always the best solution. Cubans would have been told to obey all orders of U.S. troops, or be hauled before a military court in the event of an invasion.

In Fall 2002, the Kennedy Library observed the fortieth anniversary of the missile crisis, highlighting the importance of the event in shaping U.S. foreign policy. The story of the attempted overthrow of Castro's regime in Cuba is a cautionary tale of the perils of intervention.

On October 27, 1962, an American aircraft carrier dropped depth charges to force a Soviet submarine to the surface. The crew inside had not had communication with Moscow for days, raising fears of a miscalculation that could lead to all-out war. This incident underscored the high stakes of the crisis and the potential for escalation.