Why did neither the U.S. nor U.S.S.R ever invade Cuba?

[KingBishop]

Just curious about opinions on this. After Castro took power in 59, at one point he had strained relations with both Russia and the U.S. Why did neither of those countries ever invade the island?

And the Bay of Pigs didn't count

 

[RegentMan]

For the fear of beginning a nuclear war, perhaps?

 

[KingBishop]

For the fear of beginning a nuclear war, perhaps?

Russia would have started a nuclear war if the U.S invaded Cuba?

 

[Bugfatty300]

The US came very close to invading in 1963. There were something like 200,000 armed troops ready to go in Florida with the landing craft, LCVPs and everything. But it never happened since the Russian ships turned back. After that Russia agreed to remove the missiles and the US agreed not invade Cuba, so an invasion never occured.

Mystery solved. Good job gang.

 

[Sgt.Hellfish]

Russia, well russia would've started war with America and upset other Communist nations both being bad things and not worth this small outpost.

america internal presure and foreign pressure again all out war with the warsaw pact was likely. TBH its just not worth it.

 

[Theige]

The US came very close to invading in 1963. There were something like 200,000 armed troops ready to go in Florida with the landing craft, LCVPs and everything. But it never happened since the Russian ships turned back. After that Russia agreed to remove the missiles and the US agreed not invade Cuba, so an invasion never occured.

Mystery solved. Good job gang.

Read the question again, hes talking about 1959, right after Castro took power, not 1963

 

[Case]

Just curious about opinions on this. After Castro took power in 59, at one point he had strained relations with both Russia and the U.S. Why did neither of those countries ever invade the island?

Why would they have? Countries don't invade other countries due to a diplomatic tiff.

 

[KingBishop]

Why would they have? Countries don't invade other countries due to a diplomatic diff.

Human rights violations. Isn't that why the US invaded Iraq? Weapons of Mass Destruction. Russian missle silos in Cuba...

 

[Louis XXIV]

Russia would have started a nuclear war if the U.S invaded Cuba?

They probably would have invaded West Berlin and possibly the whole West Germany as well. This would leave them threatening the rest of Europe. Who knows what could happen after that?

The Bay of Pigs was an attempt at the US to invade Cuba. It was US-trained Cuban exhiles training on US-friendly loccations (in Venuzuela?), using old US planes. This was their best attempt to do so without threatening the Russians (although it was threatening to the Russians, especially because it happened after the U2 incident).

BTW, a good book about the Bay of Pigs is "Give us this Day" by Howard Hunt. I believe it does give some opinions from the CIA and US government about the July 26 Revolution and the Castro regime.

 

[RegentMan]

Russia would have started a nuclear war if the U.S invaded Cuba?

Well, if the US invaded Cuba, a communist nation, the USSR would be like "Hey guys. What the hell? Get out of Cuba." And we'd be like "Um... no thanks." Then they'd be all like "We have nukes." Then we'd say "Oh well, we will n00k your butts!!!!1!!11!1"

I'm sorry about that paragraph, but you can see my opinion. USSR gets pissed at US. Both have nukes...

 

[Bugfatty300]

The Korean war had just ended a few years earlier.

Plus, after the Korean War America never again invaded a communist country and as far as I know North Korea was the only communist country the US ever invaded unless you count the intervention in the Russian Revolution.

So it wasn't like the US was just invading countries for being communist as many people believe.

 

[Sgt.Hellfish]

urh vietnam?

 

[luiz]

Well technically the US only protected South Vietnam(capitalist) from the North's aggression. The North got bombed, but not invaded.

 

[Reno]

The Korean war had just ended a few years earlier.

I take it you mean Vietnam since Korean war ended (Ceace Fire was signed) in 1953 not in 1963.

 

[Bugfatty300]

urh vietnam?

Nice try. Please remind me when the US invaded North Vietnam?

I take it you mean Vietnam since Korean war ended (Ceace Fire was signed) in 1953 not in 1963.

I didn't know South Vietnam was communist when we were there.

the US never invaded communist Vietnam.

I stand by my statement. North Korea was the only and last communist country the US ever conventionally invaded.

 

[Sgt.Hellfish]

ok no invasion but thats my own fault for interperating the statement teh way i wanted to not how it was written . Obviously i mean they initiated the war with N.Vietnam and no im not going to get drawn into an argument about who started what.

 

[CruddyLeper]

And the Bay of Pigs didn't count :

Revisionist!

The USSR didn't invade because there was no point. It's a bit like the US invading the UK or Thailand - it's not going to make things easier than they already are.

In Thailand's case, a lot of the population wouldn't even notice if they were invaded.

 

[Companiero]

Its logical that the USSR didnt invade Cuba after 1959. They were their most potential ally in the Western hemisphere, and some even claim Kastro had Soviet connections even before the Revolution.
As for the US, they knew Batista was hated in Cuba, and although they supported him, they kind of understood it's too late for them to change the natural flow of events and change the will of the Cuban people. They hoped to get a moderate socialist who'd take into account American interest, but Kastro chose the Soviets as his ally, and then it was already too late for an invasion.

 

[Case]

...not to mention that the USSR didn't actually happen to have the capability to invade Cuba even if it had, for some bizare reason, wanted to.

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

I am still surprised the US upheld the Teller Amendment to let Cuba have its indepence, instead of throwing it out and claiming Cuba.