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Executive Committee of the National Security Committee during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Cuban Missile Crisis

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Fidel Castro, 1959.

Castro, Fidel

1926 - 2016

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Photograph of Secretary General of the United Nations U Thant

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1909 - 1974

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Bastian Pinto, Luiz Leivas

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Alekseyev, Alexander Ivanovich

1913 - 1989

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Soviet Union. Embassy (Cuba)

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Nikita Khrushchev Collection

Sino-Indian Border War, 1962

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October 1962	Notes of N.S. Khrushchev [on a Letter to Fidel Castro] N.S. Khrushchev reflects on Fidel Castro's impulsive and desperate nature, comparing him to a peasant who values a bear's skin over his own safety, illustrating Castro's dangerous push for nuclear war during the Cuban Crisis.
February 26, 1963	Copy of the Report of the Embassy in Havana Ddated February 26, 1963; Subject: 'The Political Situation in Cuba' Since the Cuban Missile Crisis, tensions in Cuba have gradually eased, with Cuban leaders increasingly accepting the Soviet Union’s position on security matters and regional policy. Soviet Ambassador Alekseev noted that Fidel Castro now understands the need for stability and is more inclined toward Soviet perspectives, though he avoids openly aligning with them to preserve Cuban autonomy. Chinese influence in Cuba's leadership has diminished, but remnants persist among some mid-level officials, while the newly forming Partido Unido de la Revolución Socialista (PURS) shows signs of deeper Soviet alignment. Although Fidel Castro dominates Cuban leadership, both he and the Soviet Union recognize that Cuba’s Communist leaders need time to fully embrace Marxist-Leninist principles. This document summary was generated by an artificial intelligence language model and was reviewed by a Wilson Center staff member.
December 13, 1962	Bolesław Jeleń, 'Information Note' According to the Polish ambassador, Moscow’s goal to install missile launchers in Cuba was not completely clear. The explanation given by the Soviet Deputy Premier Sergei Mikoyan that Moscow wanted to use the missiles to obtain a guarantee for Cuba had obvious holes, Jeleń argued. To him, the Soviet move seemed more like a political ploy than military strategy. Warsaw’s emissary in Havana concluded his critical observations by stating that the Soviet Union did not make a mistake in withdrawing the missiles as the Cubans suggested but rather by installing them in the first place.
April 1961	Information of the Soviet Ambassador in Cuba on 18 April Czechoslovak diplomats in Havana inform Prague of the Soviet envoy’s admission that the threat of US-sponsored counter-revolution left Castro with no other choice but to turn to Marx and Lenin and to rely on the help of the Soviet Union and the other socialist countries
January 9, 1961	J. Miller, 'The Danger of Military Aggression against Cuba and a Proposal for Further Measures of Czechoslovak Intelligence in Support of Revolutionary Cuba' The head of the Czechoslovak intelligence observed that the interruption of diplomatic relations with the US in January 1961 brought the immediate danger of military aggression against Cuba.
1961	Document from the Soviet Embassy in Cuba Requesting Soviet Support Against 'Counter-revolutionary Gangs' In a 1961 top secret report, the Soviet embassy painted a very dire situation on the island with US-backed counter-revolutionary forces gaining momentum
September 27, 1962	Report from Marshal of the Soviet Union M. Zakharov to Comrade R. Ya. Malinovsky on Combat Supplies and Ammunition for Operation 'Anadyr' A report detailing the type and amount of combat supplies and ammunition sent with troops on operation “Anadyr’”.
September 29, 1962	General-Colonel S.P. Ivanov, 'List of Generals and Officers Assigned to Pavlov's Group' A list of generals and officers assigned to "Pavlov's" group. Pavlov, often used by Soviet officials as a pseudonym, most likely refers to Issa Pliyev, the commander of Soviet troops in Cuba.
September 15, 1962	Instruction from M. Zakharov and Bakayev to the Commander of the Ship and the chief of the Military Contingent concerning the Defense of a Transport Ship These instructions provide regulations regarding the procedures in case of piratical acts committed by Cuban or US "counterrevolutionaries." They include information about how and when to use antiaircraft mounts in defense.
September 3, 1962	General-Colonel S.P. Ivanov, 'Reference Report on Sending Units for the "Andyr" Operation' This report provides a revised schedule for the arrival of Soviet ships to Cuba that allows for the additional dispatch of combat equipment.