The Cuban Missile Crisis Essay -- American History Cuba Essays

The Cuban Missile Crisis John F. Kennedys greatest triumph as chairperson of the unify States came in 1962, as the innovations two largest superpowers, the Soviet Union and the linked States, cutting closer and closer to nuclear war. The Soviet premier of Russia was caught arming Fidel Castro with nuclear weapons. The confrontation left the world in fear for thirteen foresightful days, with the life of the world on the disputation. In 1962, Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union, use a daring gambit. He secretly ordered the placement of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba. Earlier the Soviet premier had promised Soviet breastplate to Cuba (Cuban 774). This was the first time any such weapons had been placed after-school(prenominal) of Eurasia (Hersh 345). S incessantlyal explanations for his actions have been offered by historians. One factor in Khrushchevs decision was a strategic unity (Hersh 346). A year earlier, the United States had placed several medium-range nucle ar missiles in Turkey (Cuban 774). The missiles were erect across the Black Sea from the Soviet Union, within sight of Khrushchevs pass home (Hersh 346). President Kennedy had earlier ignored his advisors and placed nuclear missiles in Turkey. A nonher factor was a threat by the US to one of the Soviet Unions satellite countries, Cuba (Hersh 346). The United States had, in the past, attempted to kill Fidel Castro, potentate of Cuba (Brinkley 1047). In July of 1962, the United States found out that nuclear missile shipments were world made to Cuba. United States U-2 spy planes flew over the island, bringing back reports of eddy and b eitheristic missiles (Cuban 744). The CIA found that five thousand Russian armed services technicians were in Cuba, and various military weapons were being unloaded onto the island. When U-2 activity was increased, reports showed the figurehead of SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) and torpedo boats with ship-to-ship rockets (Mills 233). On September 4 , Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin met with Robert Kennedy to discuss a message from Khrushchev. According to the message, the military buildup was defensive in nature and not militarily threatening. Robert F. Kennedy informed the ambassador that the United States would closely watch all military activity in Cuba and warned of severe consequences should the Soviets place offensive weapons (Mills 233). President Kennedy apparently did not believe the ... ...were removed and the sites demolished. Khrushchev soon announced that he would concentrate on Russias economic problems instead of international military matters. He asked for solutions from the West in solving the Berlin dilemma. He thought that in the coterminous war, the survivors will envy the dead (Mills 246). On Christmas Eve, 1962, over $50 trillion of baby food and medical supplies were sent, and the Bay of Pigs prisoners were released. In April 1963, Kennedy had the Jupiter missiles removed from Turkey, and quadrupl et months later, Russia signed the nuclear test ban treaty. A hot line teletype link now enabled instant communication between Moscow and Washington, and the US sold extra wheat and flour to the Soviet Union. The tide of the shabby War turned--for a little while (Mills 247). The crisis was the closest the world had ever come to global nuclear war and could possibly be the fountain for Khrushchevs fall in 1964 (Cuban 774). Those thirteen days left the world in awe of the determination and responsibility of the United States and its young prexy (Hersh 342). John Kennedy summarized his dealings with Khrushchev in just five words I cut his balls off (Hersh 341).