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

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Anastas Mikoyan in 1959

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Photograph of John F. Kennedy in 1963

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1917- 1963

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Sino-Soviet Relations

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October 26, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Washington (Drozniak), 26 October 1962 Drozniak makes an assessment of the Cuban Missile Crisis situation, based on his conversations with foreign diplomats and respected journalists. Among other topics, he includes his opinion that "The operation of installing the [Soviet] missiles in Cuba was carried out in great hurry, without special adherence to secrecy, and perhaps even with the awareness that the missiles would be discovered relatively quickly. This [fact] has been interpreted [by the Americans] as [a possible] attempt by the USSR to test Kennedy’s “the will and readiness to fight.” [Soviet leader Nikita S.] Khrushchev chose Cuba, because he considered Berlin to be too dangerous."
October 25, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Washington (Drozniak), 25 October 1962 Drozniak discusses the ongoing Cuban Missile Crisis situation, including the rumors of a possible US military invasion of Cuba.
October 24, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Moscow (Paszkowski), 24 October 1962 Paszkowski discusses changes in the tensions of the Cuban Missile Crisis situation, including his opinion that the US's recent actions and rhetoric were a pre-election bluff.
October 24, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Havana (Jeleń), 24 October 1962 On the Cuban Crisis situation, Jelen says that Soviet Ambassador Aleksandr Alekseyev is optimistic but Brazilian Ambassador Luis Bastian Pinto is concerned. Jelen also gives his own impressions of the crisis, saying that "There’s a relative run on the stores, but without any signs of panic and fears of the threat of military operations."
October 23, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Washington (Drozniak), 23 October 1962 In a conversation with Charles Bartlett (a journalist who had befriended President Kennedy), Drozniak learns more of the Cuban Crisis situation and of US-USSR relations, including that the steps taken to address the crisis (the quarentine of Cuba) were implemented by Kennedy in the atmosphere of great pressure from the public opinion.
October 20, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Washington (Drozniak) Drozniak compiles information he has collected from US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs William R. Tyler and US Ambassador at Large Llewellyn E. Thompson on the rising Cuban situation and US-USSR relations.
October 18, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Washington (Drozniak), 18 October 1962 Drozniak forwards a report from US Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs [Edwin M.] Martin. Martin says that the Americans are well-informed of the military situation in Cuba, that Cuba does not possess nuclear weapons (nor will they be likely to because the USSR did not give such weapons to China, so why would they give them to Cuba?), that the level of the Cuban economy is twenty-five percent lower than the period before Fidel Castro came to power and Cuba is much more economically dependent on the USSR, and finally that any military invasion or complete blockade of Cuba would be considered an act of war by the USSR.
October 18, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Washington (Drozniak), 18 October 1962 Drozniak discusses the possibility of US military action against Cuba, as well as Cuba's foreign relations with the USSR and the US.
September 14, 1962	Telegram from Polish Embassy in Havana (Jeleń), 14 September 1962 Jelen discusses a conversation he had with [Foreign Minister Raúl] Roa [García] on 9 September. They discussed diplomatic visits, UN delegation sessions, and growing tensions in the 'Cuban situation' and possible US military action against Cuba.
March 19, 1963	Letter from Dutch Embassy, Havana (Boissevain), 19 March 1963 Boissevain writes of the continued presence of Russian military and economic advisors in Cuba, which are causes for concern. The ongoing question is for how long they will remain in Cuba and when do they leave. Boissevain says that last week approximately 1,000 advisors left the country, but with some note of resistance. However, the departure for them is a great relief for the average Cuban and Russian alike.