The Cuban Missile Crisis was a critical event in the Cold War, involving the US, Cuba, and Russia. The crisis was resolved through negotiations, with the US agreeing not to invade Cuba and secretly removing missiles from Turkey, while the Soviet Union destroyed missiles in Cuba. The crisis could have escalated into nuclear war if not handled properly.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a critical Cold War event that many cite as one of the most important events in this prolonged period of hostility between the United States and the then Soviet Union. Had the Cuban Missile Crisis been mismanaged, it could have escalated into nuclear war, a turn of events that was likely to be catastrophic. Numerous historians have studied the intricacies of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and as more documents about the crisis are declassified, more information has emerged about the event and the people involved.
The main actors in the conflict were the United States, led by President John F. Kennedy, Cuba, led by President Fidel Castro, and Russia, led by Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev. The United Nations also intervened, and numerous other nations had a vested interest in the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as tensions between the United States and Russia had the potential to impact the rest of the world.
The context of the Cuban Missile Crisis is complex, but, in short, President Castro was concerned that Cuba would be overrun by American forces, while Khrushchev wanted to gain a foothold in the Caribbean that could be used to launch an offensive against the United States. When he approached Cuba to discuss the possibility of installing missiles and other military hardware, President Castro agreed, deeming it a wise security move.
On October 15, 1962, a US spy plane revealed missile installations in Cuba, raising concerns about Cuba’s intentions. President Kennedy and his Cabinet discussed a number of approaches to the matter, eventually authorizing a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent military reached the area. A flurry of letters and telegrams of protest were exchanged between the United States and the Soviet Union, and President Kennedy went public on October 22, giving a tense televised address before the nation.
Covert negotiations were conducted in an attempt to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis in a way that satisfied both sides, even as both sides post-warned military forces and inflammatory speeches. Finally, on October 28, the United States agreed to refrain from invading Cuba and secretly removing American missiles from Turkey, and the Soviet Union destroyed the missiles in Cuba, under United Nations supervision. A hotline has also been established between Washington and Moscow so leaders can communicate clearly and quickly in the future.
Had Kennedy and Khrushchev refused to negotiate, the Cuban Missile Crisis could have escalated to a dangerous level, and as it was several days into the crisis they were very poignant. For the Soviet Union, the Cuban missile crisis, which they called the Caribbean crisis, turned out to be a public relations disaster, because the Russian people were unaware of the American missile deal in Turkey, so it seemed that Russia he had simply failed to carry out a political decision. The Cubans, who dubbed the event the October Crisis, were angry at what they perceived as a betrayal by the Soviet Union, as Castro was not involved in negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
