Cuban Missile Crisis: Correspondence With Khrushchev

According to historians, in October of 1962, “The most dangerous 13 days in the history of mankind,” took place. This was known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, a time of tensions during the Cold War between Cuba, the United States, and the Soviet Union. This period of time was so dangerous that there was enough nuclear power to destroy humanity (Cullough). John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States, was elected in 1960. Considering the fact that he was elected at 43 years old, he was the youngest President in the United States. The Premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, came to rule in 1958. Another leader that was greatly involved, was Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba who came to power in

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a dangerous and direct confrontation in the year 1962 between the Soviet Union and the United States over the existence of missile sites in Cuba. Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet premier positioned Soviet military missile in Cuba that had come under the Soviet power since the victory of the Cuban Revolution (Lockwood, Lockwood and Lockwood 15). This crisis occurred during the cold war and was the instant when the two superior powers came nearer to the nuclear conflict. The crisis was distinct in a number of ways featuring miscalculations and calculations as well as secret and direct miscommunications and communications among the two sides. The dramatic catastrophe was also featured by the fact that it was mainly played out at the Kremlin level and the white house with relatively diminutive input from the respective bureaucracies normally included in the foreign policy process (Blight., et al 64). This essay will discuss the Cuban Missile Crisis and the impact of the United States and Russia.

On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy “informed the world” that the Soviets were building secretive missile bases in Cuba, very close to Florida. President Kennedy decided to take the peaceful route in handling is major crisis. As

People on both sides wondered if this would cause World War III. On October 22, 1962, President Kennedy appeared on national television to speak about the crisis; the people need to know what was going on directly (Edwards, 9). President Kennedy said the missiles stationed in Cuba could strike Washington, DC, or the Panama Canal. They could also strike Cape Canaveral, Florida, or Mexico City; nowhere in the US was safe. He explicated that he warned Cuba not to strike any American cities; this meant cities in Central American and South America, too (Edwards, 9). President Kennedy also shared with the American people his plan of surrounding Cuba with the US Navy. Now, it was just a matter a

On October of 1962 there was a big misunderstanding between the dictator of the Union Soviet and the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. People all around the world was terrified as it could’ve turn into a nuclear war, this event was known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. It all began after the outcome during the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 which resulted in a total failure of the United States trying to take over the Cuban dictator (history.state.gov). At this point the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, was concerned about another attack from the United States and decided to make a pact with the Union Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev. They held a secret meeting where Fidel Castro offered Nikita Khrushchev locations inside his territory, allowing the Russian leader to build launching facilities and place nuclear missiles inside Cuban soil. Nikita Khrushchev accepted this proposition, he believed that President Kennedy wasn’t capable of making the right decision judging him by the outcomes of the already mention event, the Bay of Pigs, as well as the Mongoose Covert

Gromyko’s telegram accurately describes U.S. policy regarding Cuba around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962.

It is evident that the US had been flagrantly deceived. Then Kennedy called for a naval blockade of Cuba. Kennedy used political negotiations with Khrushchev to come to an agreement in the removal of the weapons. Throughout negotiations, there were incidents that occurred which amplified tensions. Such as on the noon of October 27th, a U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over Cuba. In those moments, both the US and the Soviet Union assumed that it was Castro who commanded the fire of low-flying U.S. planes on October 27th. Although Castro had certainly commanded Cuban antiaircraft artillery to fire, there is no indication that he had also ordered Soviet artillery to fire. Another occurrence is Castro’s letter to Khrushchev insisting that the Soviet Union should launch a first-strike nuclear attack on the United States.

The Cuban Missile Crisis started on October 16, 1962. At the time the dictator Fidel Castro was developing a relationship with the Soviet Union. Previously, Castro visited the United States to help establish a foreign relationship with the U.S only to be denied by the president. Vice President Richard Nixon had to step in to greet Castro at the White House. Cuba was in a deep economic turmoil and desperately needed foreign aid to help its people. The Soviet Union was willing to help out but not without a price; establishing a commercial and diplomatic relationship ( Walters) . The Soviet Union and its communism beliefs was inching closer to the United States until it was at their door step. In addition the Soviet Union developed 50 megaton nuclear

On hearing the news of the U-2 plane shot by Cubans, Khrushchev became irritated. He had told Kennedy, Cuba was no threat and that there would be no source of conflict as long as the United States didn’t plan on attacking

When speaking about the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy said, "It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization” (“Nuclear Test Ban Treaty” 1). the Cuban Missile Crisis was a time where these two men, Kennedy and Khrushchev, had the power in their hands to end civilization. In order to understand the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis one must understand, the Cold war drama; the dangerous crisis; and its importance today.

Krushehev the leader of the Soviet Union entered into talks with the Kennedy administration where it was agreed missiles would not be placed in Cuba, and America would not attack.

He did this despite never getting formal guarantees that the United States would not invade Cuba.

Clenched teeth and white knuckles as they opened the letter, this was the highly intense and nerve-racking Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The question still remains: Who was most to blame for the Cuban Missile Crisis? The USSR’s Nikita Khrushchev is the most to blame for the Cuban Missile Crisis because of the hostile actions towards the United States that could’ve been prevented if it wasn’t for his bad intentions. The USSR convinced Cuba that is was a good idea to install the missiles for defense and safety of America’s neighboring island. Khrushchev had not only targeted nuclear missiles towards the United States, intending to obliterate it, and to top all of that off, the USSR lied to United States officials about installing the missiles in Cuba. This very well proves that it is in fact Nikita Khrushchev who is most at fault for the crisis. He started with an agreement with Cuba and began poking and pushing America’s buttons, forcing Kennedy to go into panic-mode and set up a defensive blockade. This prompted Cuba to feel threatened by the United States, thinking it would be another Bay of Pigs Invasion and they started advocating for the launch of the missiles on the United States It was a short crisis, but had much importance because it could’ve been the start of a very dangerous war. Kennedy is to blame for overreacting and setting up a quarantine. And Fidel Castro is to blame for their intentions on the missiles and for pressuring the United States with their threats. Although Kennedy and Castro had an immense impact on the start of the crisis, it is Khrushchev who initiated these issues and actually created the crisis that could’ve very well led to a nuclear war. This is why Nikita Khrushchev is the most to blame for the Cuban Missile

On one of the following days, Kennedy asked if the Air Force could take out all of the missiles in Cuba. The Air Force then told the President that with that process there would be 10-20,000 civilian casualties. Kennedy then decided to set up a blockade around Cuba. US ships prepared for a quarantine. The press then learned about the nuclear missles and questioned them about it, the President asked the reporters not to reveal the news so he could announce it to the American people on TV. The Soviets had instrustion to launch the missiles within minutes of Kennedy’s speech. After Castro listened to the President’s speech he moblized all of Cuba’s military forces.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a frightening moment for the entire world. It started October 14th, 1962 after the Soviet Union planted nuclear missiles inn Cuba. The U.S. found out that these missiles were being planted without their knowledge, but the Soviet Union continued the construction of these nuclear missile sites, even after President Kennedy, the president of the U.S., sent out a warning against these weapons in Cuba. Even after this warning, Kennedy once again found out that the construction was still happening. Following the discovery of the ongoing construction, Kennedy wanted to meet with people at the White House to solve the problem that they were encountering. There were multiple sides during their talk about the missiles. Some of the people at the meeting wanted to take a more aggressive approach and destroy these missiles and then follow up with an attack. Kennedy eventually decided to quarantine Cuba. After Kennedy quarantined Cuba, there were many messages sent between the White House and the Kremlin to try and solve the problem. The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for thirteen extremely tense days. At the end of these thirteen days, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended with an agreement between the United States and Soviet Union. The Cuban Missile Crisis greatly impacted history. It strengthened the bond between the United States and Soviet Union, showed people how to come to a