• John F. Kennedy: Soviet Arms Buildup in Cuba
• Nikita Khrushchev: Excerpt From Communique to Kennedy Accepting End to Missle Crisis

On January 1, 1959, revolutionary Fidel Castro (1926–) established himself as leader of the small island of Cuba, 90 miles (145 kilometers) off the coast of Florida. At the time, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) and other Soviet leaders took no notice. Considered unimportant to Soviet interests, the Cuban Soviet embassy had shut its doors in 1952. There were no Soviet representatives in Cuba in 1959.

The American media at first offered positive reports about Castro. They labeled him a daring, educated soldier interested in...