What if the Soviets are open about their intentions in Cuba.

[Ramp-Rat]

I have just been rereading James Philip excellent 10/27/62 TL, and I was struck by a thought. WI, instead of trying to deploy their missiles and military units in secret, the Soviets had proclaimed the world their intentions. That in return for US, missiles, troops and submarines, in close proximity to the USSR, they intended to place such weapons in Cuba. What could the US legally do to prevent this, and what would be their justification?

RR.

 

[Amadeus]

Announcing their plans to the world before planting the missiles would defeat the whole purpose. The Soviets wanted to give the US, "a taste of it's own medicine," and planned on announcing after the missile silos were successfully planted. This, they thought, would shock the West and shift the balance of power in favor of the Communist Bloc. Thankfully, American Intelligence discovered the plan before this could happen and the rest is history.

Further, if they accounce beforehand then the Americans could easily stop the plan from occurring by doing what JFK eventually did in OTL: blockade Cuba and take diplomatic action to force the Soviets to stand down. If alternate history follows the POD, then Khrushchev still makes himself out to be a fool and he is deposed on schedule.

 

[Ramp-Rat]

Given that the Soviets are open about what they are doing, they are entering a pact to defend Cuba from American aggression. And that the pact is little different from the ones that America has with various western nations. What without looking to be a complete hypocrite, or breaking International Law, remember both his own people and plenty of others told him that his actions in OTL, were illegal. Could Kennedy do to stop the Soviets, short of war.

RR.

 

[GDIS Pathe]

The USN moves to block Soviet vessels and prevents anything from getting through to Cuba

 

[fasquardon]

Announcing their plans to the world before planting the missiles would defeat the whole purpose. The Soviets wanted to give the US, "a taste of it's own medicine," and planned on announcing after the missile silos were successfully planted. This, they thought, would shock the West and shift the balance of power in favor of the Communist Bloc. Thankfully, American Intelligence discovered the plan before this could happen and the rest is history.

Further, if they accounce beforehand then the Americans could easily stop the plan from occurring by doing what JFK eventually did in OTL: blockade Cuba and take diplomatic action to force the Soviets to stand down. If alternate history follows the POD, then Khrushchev still makes himself out to be a fool and he is deposed on schedule.

I had thought that the whole aim was to avoid provoking a showdown, so they tried to do it in a quiet way.

If they did announce it like this, I think it would please Castro and alarm the US less than it did.

The US would still be pretty alarmed though and I suspect they'd still blockade Cuba. The difference may be that they do it sooner, and there aren't Soviet troops, air defences and tactical nukes in Cuba during the crisis. I don't know if that means the US are more likely to invade Cuba. I think if the Soviets are doing this to protect Cuba, then the Americans will come off as being the aggressor and the Soviets will gain much more prestige if the superpowers make a deal like that we got in OTL since the Soviets wouldn't seem to have climbed down so much.

So if things go as OTL, Khrushchev looks much better.

But there's a higher risk that the US invades Cuba.

fasquardon