Robert H. McNeill, Department of State, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Pg. 92-95 “Soviet Military Shipments to Cuba”
This memorandum was written by Roger Hilsman of the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research on August 25, 1962, just prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this letter to the Secretary of State, Hilsman analyzes a series of Soviet arms shipments to Cuba, and he offers possible explanations for this escalation. He believes that the regime in Cuba’s biggest fear is attack by the U.S. or U.S.-backed insurgents, and that the USSR reluctantly bolsters their military which would make the USSR and Castro look more powerful.
The tone of this memorandum demonstrates that the U.S. was not entirely prepared for Cuba to escalate tensions with the impending Missile Crisis, despite years of the U.S. attempting to destabilize the country through a variety of means. Hilsman’s view of the situation as Soviet posturing suggests he did not realize how serious the situation could become, and how willing Cuba was to become the center of a major international crisis. At this point, U.S.-Cuban relations reach what is probably their most fraught period as Cuba enlists Soviet muscle to finally threaten the United States.
“Cuba: Security, 1962.” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed November 13, 2022. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/23907320.