Operation Zapata Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis

This led castro to invite the soviet union to install short-and intermediate-range missiles in cuba to prevent further US intrusions. Kennedy responded by ordering a blockade to stop Soviet ships from supplying the missiles, if the blockade was unsuccessful then the United States would order air Strikes all across Cuba. The world was on the verge of nuclear war but the United States and the Soviet Union were able to reach a compromise. The soviets agreed to remove the deadly missiles, while Kennedy agreed to not invade cuba any further and promised to dismantle missiles that were pointed at the soviet Union in Turkey. The two countries also signed a Partial Nuclear TEst Ban Treaty, this treaty prevented both countries from testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere

The Cuban Missile Crisis all started in October, 1962, when an American spy plane spotted and secretly photographed missile sites being built on the island of Cuba by the Soviet Union. President Kennedy did not tell the Soviet Union right away that we had found their nuclear missile site. But days later, President Kennedy meet secretly with his advisors to discuss the situation. President Kennedy and his advisors though long and hard about what to do and the finally came up with an idea. Kennedy decided to put a naval blockade around the island of Cuba. The purpose of this was so Cuba could not get anymore military supplies for the Soviet Union. President Kennedy demanded that the missiles that were already there be disabled and that the sit be destroyed. Later on, Kennedy told America what was happening on a televised address. Everyone was anxious about what the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, would say about the naval blockade. But both President Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev recognized that the devastation that a nuclear war will bring is too much.

After Truman took a hit for losing China and part of Korea, Kennedy knew it was important to take over Cuba. “It was agreed that there would be two air strikes against the Cuban air bases.” Kennedy sent off the first air strike, but it ended as a disaster. “Although the planes flew a path designed to give an impression of defection from Cuban airfields, this fooled few, especially when one of the planes had to make an emergency landing in Key West.” The planes missed nearly all of the targets.

The events that took place in October of 1962 had correlated a cease of movement due to what the Americans believed that a possible missile crisis was arising amongst the Soviet Union and Cuba. All three countries had undergone a change of leadership, opposing American ideals, making matters that even more difficult to come to a compromise between the three states. Ultimately, this had led to a blockade on part of the American government a few days on retrieving evidence of the accumulation of missiles within Cuba and resulted in immediate, carefully thought out action on part of President Kennedy. It is arguable that Castro and Khrushchev had reasonable action to work together, but this cooperation of the two led to a near nuclear crisis possibly leaving the US on warzone territory. Despite the circumstances, President Kennedy was valiant in his efforts in upholding actions where matters can

Most missile sites consisted of SA-2 SAMs and MRBMs; most of which were in North Cuba close to the U.S. Kennedy saw this as a threatening act and called in for a naval "quarantine" line of ships to block shipments of missiles. Kennedy did not call it a blockade as that sounded more or less like a term used in war. Kennedy then ordered for Krushchev to dismantle the sites and return all offense weapons. Krushchev did not stop but most ships either turned back or had nothing dangerous. On October 26, close to the missile sites being operational, Krushchev finally considered a deal with Kennedy to dismantle the sites, for he too feared nuclear confrontation. The deal was that if the U.S. did not invade Cuba and that they took their Jupiter missiles in Turkey back, the Soviets would take their missiles(Office of the Historian). A few days later the deal was made and nuclear war was averted. Through the whole solution, however, Castro was never regared and left as a pawn. Nevertheless, the world changing events of the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis brought three nations into conflict that ultimately Castro would see to wage war on one and ally with the

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

tried to attack, they used a quarantine line, and they faced missiles toward Turkey. The United States tried to attack Cuba called the Bay of Pigs. The U.S. knew that communism was spreading in that country by, Fidel Castro. This attack soon failed. Leaders of America were very disappointed at this action and we're ready to fight back again anytime. After this unsuccessful attack, the Soviets were secretly shipping in supplies and weapons to Cuba. Soon, the United States found out. The Americans decided to put a quarantine line around Cuba. The quarantine line meant that any ships that were sending offensive supplies to Cuba were going to be destroyed. That line sent a message to the Soviets, and many of the ships did not go in that area anymore. The Soviets and Cuba, shortly afterwards, started to face Nuclear missiles towards the United States. The U.S. then faced Nuclear missiles at Turkey. After moments of waiting, the Soviets removed their missiles and so did the United States. Everything was removed and nothing happened in this crisis (Doc

The Bay of Pigs invasion has come to be known as the perfect failure in American history. The invasion only lasted two days but the effects of the invasion lasted for decades. One of the most significant consequences of the Bay of Pigs was the thirteen day standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States over the installation of nuclear armed Soviet missiles on Cuba a year after the Bay of Pigs. The standoff, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, is the closest the world has come to nuclear war. The causes and the responsibility for the Cuban Missile Crisis are many. Was the Bay of Pigs just another event in a timeline that was destined for the Cuban Missile Crisis or did the Bay of Pigs cause the Cuban Missile Crisis? A historical analysis of the events leading up to the Bay of Pigs as well as the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs will substantiate the fact that the Bay of Pigs was a substantial critical event causing the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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.

In 1962, Cuba was convinced that the USA was planning to attack them and asked the Soviet Union for military assistance. The USSR sent Cuba materials to build missile bases and launch sites. When President Kennedy realized that Cuba could launch missiles into America, he demanded that the USSR remove its weapons and troops. The Americans formed a naval blockade as the world stood nervously on the edge of a nuclear war. The USSR removed its weapons despite protests from Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Kennedy had to deal with was another conflict with the Soviet Union. On April 17, 1961 the United States had another situation with the Soviet Union in the Bay of Pigs. President John F. Kennedy informed about a plan by the Central Intelligence Agency or the CIA. They wanted to train Cuban citizens for an invasion to their own homeland (JFK library). The main plan of this whole whole situation was to plan anticipate that all off the Cuban citizens and elements of Cuban military would support the idea of the invasion.(JFK library).

The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the biggest results of the Cold War. According to Catherine Hester Gow, English professor and author of The Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War was a time of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II. After separating as allies, they sought to undermine each other due to their different ideas of government (14). Bruce W. MacDonald, Special Advisor of the Nonproliferation and Arms Control, states that after the U.S. failed attempt at invading the island of Cuba, Soviet

Soviet leader Krushchev quickly agreed to protect Cuba. Cuba was in a strategic location to place missile launch sites that could strike nearly all of the continental United States. During the Cold War the United States had many missile launch sites placed all over the world and pointed at the Soviet Union. The United States was allied with Turkey, so the American military had a base there to work their U-2 from and many missile sites pointed at the Soviet Union. These missiles in Turkey made Krushchev want to build surface to air missile sites on Cuba to balance the power and show his force. Krushchev would soon start sending ships and submarines loaded with equipment to start building medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles. In May 1962, Krushchev wrote in his memoirs: “This will be a means of protecting Cuba from another U.S. Invasion of Cuba like the Bay of Pigs in 1961, also to counter the U.S. emerging lead of deploying strategic missiles.”

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.

So, the Soviets decided to put nuclear weapons in Cuba, to counter the growing lead. On October 14, 1962, a pilot of an American U-2 spy plane was making a high-altitude pass over Cuba. What he saw was a Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missile being assembled for installation. President Kennedy was briefed about the missiles on October 16. Kennedy didn’t want nuclear war, so he decided to establish a blockade.