Why did the Soviet Union place missiles in cuba?

Answer 1

It was a direct threat to the United States - and a power move to show they could place missles within 90 miles of their border.

There are actually 5 possible reasons:

1. To Bargain With The USA-Krushchev may have put them there so that he had something against the USA and good agree on removing them in return for some American concessions.

2. To Test The USA-The missiles could have been put there to see how string the Americans really were, whether they would back off or face up. The USSR may have wanted to test out Kennedy

3. To Trap The USA-The missiles could've been a trap and Krushchev may have wanted the Americans to find them and be drawn into a nuclear war. He didn't even try to hide them.

4. To Defend Cuba-The missiles could have been their to genuinely defend Cuba

5. To Get The Upper Hand In The Arms Race-The missiles were put there so that the Soviet Union was at least level with the USA in the Arms Race. With their missiles in Cuba and America's missiles in Turkey, it was less likely the USA would ever launch a 'first strike' against the USSR.

Answer 2

The Soviet Union believed that the US had an unfair strategic advantage, because the US had placed missiles on West Germany, Turkey, Greece and some pacific islands near china, while the USSR had no missiles placed anywhere besides its own borders so they felt the US would have that unfair advantage and deliver a strategic if nuclear war were to have started.

Answer 3

The Soviet Union wanted to base missiles in Cuba in order for their missiles to be able to reach targets in the United States of America. Missile technologies at the time had limited ranges that did not allow missiles based in the Soviet Union to reach American targets.

The Americans had technologies to launch missiles from submarines, and the ability to base missiles in Europe making American missiles able to target Soviet Union locations.

They felt threatened by US missiles already in Turkey.

Answer 4

it was 90 miles from the u.s., and was therefore the perfect place to launch them at the u.s.

Answer 5

Because the US had missiles in Turkey already.

Answer 6

During the Cold War the Russians and Americans were in an ''Arms Race'' and the Russians wanted to place biological weapons close to America in case on an out break of war.

Answer 7

To get NATO to remove missiles in Italy, Turkey, Britian, and other European countries.

Answer 8

to get closer to the U.S.A.