Virginia Tech Model United Nations Conference November 3rd-5th, 2017

1962 CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

(EXCOMM)

BACKGROUND GUIDE

Events Leading to the Creation of EXCOMM

There were a significant number of events stretching over a long period of time that led to

the creation of The Executive Committee of the National Security Council (EXCOMM) on

October 22nd, 1962. The inherent differences between the ideologies of the United States and

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were outlined by George Kennan in the X Telegram in 1947

and intricate to understanding the causes of the Cold War. Kennan summarizes the USSRs

ideology as the belief in the basic badness of capitalism, in the inevitability of its destruction, in

the obligation of the proletariat to assist in that destruction and to take power into its own hands

making their rivalry with the US anything but unnatural. This rivalry intensified in 1949 with

the establishment of East and West Germany and a blockade of Berlin by the USSR. The US

countered this action by carrying out a 324 day airlift where essential supplies were flown into

western areas of Berlin. Tensions between the worlds foremost superpowers continued to be

broadcast on the global stage as the United States moved 15 Jupiter missiles into Turkey, within

range of Soviet territories and peaked with the beginning of construction of the Berlin Wall by

Khrushchev in August of 1961. This aggression between superpowers was also expressed by a

race to collect Third World state allies, adding to the United Statess concerns regarding

containment under the Truman Doctrine. This concern led to the US supporting any government

or regime that declared itself to be anti-communist.

Virginia Tech Model United Nations Conference November 3rd-5th, 2017

Leading up to the takeover of Fidel Castro the US had had favorable relationships with

his predecessor, Fulgencio Batista, who had nurtured the economic dependence of Cuba on the

US. Castro, while publicly anti-communist, was working behind the scenes with the Soviets,

once this became apparent to the US they instituted blockades in an effort to cripple the Cubans

economically. This merely reinforced the Cuban-USSR alliance. In an attempt to regain control

over the former colony, Kennedy carried out the Bay of Pigs invasion in April of 1961, it failed

miserably. In June of the same year Kennedy and Khrushchev met in Vienna to discuss relations

between their countries, these talks resulted in Khrushchev perceiving Kennedy as weakand

easily intimidated. Under the heavy influence of the United States, Cuba was expelled from

the Organization of American States on January 31st of 1962. Construction of Soviet missiles in

Cuba began in September 1962 and were discovered by US U2 aircraft on October 14th. After a

day of the images being analyzed they were discovered to show medium range ballistic missiles

and IL-28s being assembled. Upon learning this information Kennedy immediately began to

assemble the members of EXCOMM. Using the information obtained from the reconnaissance

mission to Cuba this committee was comprised of trusted experts and sought to resolve the ever-

intensifying crisis.
Virginia Tech Model United Nations Conference November 3rd-5th, 2017

Works Cited

"The Berlin Blockade." Cold War Museum. The Cold War Museum, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/berlin_blockade.asp>.

"Introduction: The Cuban Missile Crisis." Cuban Missile Crisis: The Essential Reference Guide.

Ed. Priscilla Mary Roberts. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Xi-Xviii. ABC CLIO,

2012. Web. 27 Nov. 2016. <https://books.google.com/books?id=3-

WoO0V6rRMC&pg=PA267#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Kennan, George. "The Sources of Soviet Conduct." Letter. 1946. The History Guide. Foreign

Affairs, 13 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.

<http://www.historyguide.org/europe/kennan.html>.

Stat. "Proclamation 3448." Proclamation 3448 (1962): 1446-447. US Government Publishing

Office. United States Government. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.

<https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-76/pdf/STATUTE-76-Pg1446.pdf>.

"Timeline Cuban Missile Crisis." Cuban Missile Crisis. Harvard Kennedy School, 2016. Web.

27 Nov. 2016. <http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/background/timeline/>.