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Essay about The Cuban Missile Crisis

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The Cuban Missile Crisis

In 1962, an American spy plane discovered the Soviet nuclear missile bases in Cuba. Castro had turned to the USSR for military assistance in fear of a US attack. It was the sighting of these missile bases that marked the beginning of the Cuban missile crisis. There were many reasons why the Cuban missile crisis came about, and undoubtedly the USSR and America's history played major roles in the coming about of this incident.

The Soviet bitterness towards America following the Second World War was amongst others one of the definitive causes of this crisis. Such events as the Berlin blockade and airlift, the Berlin Wall and the arms race had divided the two countries
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An ongoing rivalry between the USA and the USSR played a fair part in the taking place of the crisis in Cuba in 1962. The ideological differences between the countries often led to conflicts, like the Korean War. There was a mutual fear of each other; America had always feared Communism and the USSR remained in terror of the capabilities of weapons in the USA. The arms race had left both countries fearing the damage the opposing country could impose upon them. This arms race was an example of the fierce rivalry between the Super Powers. It is this competition that sees the countries going head to head at various times. The Cuban missile crisis seems just another excuse for these rival countries to challenge one another once again.

The battle to surpass each other extends to positions of influence. America had control of missile bases in Turkey, which is positioned very close to the USSR. Khruschev's eagerness to assist Castro may have been to ensure Soviet weapons were positioned near to America: a ploy to let the USA know that the USSR was as powerful a country as them. The fact that both America and the USSR influences were extending meant the two countries grew even closer; so the Cuban missile crisis is the result of the two countries desire to expand.

The revolution leading to Castro's rule in 1959, combined with his Communist type policies led
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