The Causes And Effects Of The Cuban Missile Crisis

Improved Essays
The Cuban missile crisis was one of the tensest points of the cold war. This 13-day standoff between The United States and the Soviet Union was the closest that the world has ever been to an all-out nuclear war. This portion of the Cold War was an example of intimidation between two nations. What will be explained here is the causes and effects that the Cuban Missile Crisis had on the people of each union, as well as to summarize the events that occurred during this standoff.

The Cuban Missile Crisis, or otherwise known as the October Crisis, was a 13-day standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union. This standoff took place from October 16, 1962 to October 28, 1962 during the height of the cold war. John F. Kennedy or JFK, had
…show more content…
In response to this, Nikita Khrushchev deployed nuclear weapons in Cuba for the same reason. After the states discovered the missiles in Cuba, JFK debated on whether or not to attack Cuba in order to remove the nuclear weapons. However, it was decided that this would not be the best choice because as a result, the Soviets may attack the United States. The effects of an all-out nuclear war would be devastating to the entire world, and both parties were aware of this fact. Robert F. Kennedy recognizes this in his book, “Now that the Cold War has disappeared into history, we can say authoritatively that the closest to blowing itself up during thirteen days in October 1962”. Instead, an agreement was made between the two nations, the …show more content…
The relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were at the most volatile than they have ever been until that point. This is the closest that the world has been to nuclear war in history. If it had not been for the compromises made by the leaders of the two nations, the world may be in a very different state than it is now. There were a few underlying causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis, however the main issue was the discovery of Soviet nuclear weapons stationed in Cuba that heightened the tensions between the two superpowers at the time. What resulted from this was a more cautious approach to other aspects that may have been treated differently if this event did not occur. In summary, the Cuban Missile Crisis is an important event in world history, and had it transpired differently, the world may be in a very different state that it is

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    1. Difference between JFK and LBJ administrations is in how they operated as managers. JFK was Harvard educated and came from a wealthy family. His family connections assisted him in entering the Navy, becoming a special correspondent for the Hearst Newspaper and later his election to congress. Despite his lackluster congressional career, JFK becomes the youngest person elected to the Presidency.…

    • 1266 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Cuban missile base simply could have been catastrophically devastating had the proper precautions been in order. A base so close to American shores could easily prove advantageous, should President Kennedy allow it. Either fortunate or unfortunate, Kennedy acted very…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One significant Cold War event of the 1960s included the Cuban Missile Crisis. Broadly, this crisis was a thirteen day conflict in 1962 involving the United States and the Soviet Union regarding the installment of Soviet airstrike missiles in Cuba. This situation was globally televised and was the nearest the Cold War had ever come to a nuclear war. Tension between superpowers, Fidel Castro, and the Bay of Pigs Invasion led this event to unfold as it did and the event took the Western bloc in an entirely new direction. Leading up to the crisis, the tension between the United States and Russia heightened because each superpower was in constant competition over the space race and the arms race in terms of nuclear testing.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The arguments on how to react to the Cuban Missile Crisis shifted when Khrushchev sent a letter to President Kennedy offering to remove there missiles if the U.S. promised not to invade Cuba. Then, Khrushchev offer to remove the Cuban Missiles if the U.S. removed the missiles that had at the Turkish-Soviet border. One of the United States plans before getting the letter to bomb Cuba and invade them but, later use there Navy to quarantine Cuba. The reason the arguments on how to react to the Cuban Missile Crisis shifted was after the letter from Khrushchev.…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The focus of this paper is to examine the roles played by the personality and actions of the US President during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and to show how this event influenced the foreign policies in America through J.F Kennedy. The actions of the United States of America during Cuban Missile Crisis depended on the personality of the President, John Kennedy. The Cuban Missile Crisis episodes depict John F. Kennedy as a flexible and diplomatic leader who wants peace for all nations. President J. F Kennedy became a leader during the era of nuclear war.…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dbq Arms Race

    • 1199 Words
    • 5 Pages

    By 1962 both countries arms had easy access to their rivals, showing a progression in the level of danger that the arms race exposed the world to. However, stakes were so high at this point that the risk of the arms race caused Kennedy and Khrushchev to rely on diplomacy to an even higher degree. During the crisis, the two sides exchanged many letters and other communications, both formal and "back channel. " Khrushchev sent letters to Kennedy on October 23 and 24 indicating the deterrent nature of the missiles in Cuba and the peaceful intentions of the Soviet Union. On October 26, Khrushchev sent Kennedy a long rambling letter seemingly proposing that the missile installations would be dismantled and personnel removed in exchange for United States assurances that it or its proxies would not invade Cuba.…

    • 1199 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Cuban Missile Crisis took place during October of 1962. It can pretty much be summed up as how America and Russia almost went into nuclear war against each other in 13 days, but I'm still gonna explain it further. The Cuban missile crisis was an intense 13 day military and political battle between the soviet union and America. America had found out by a U-2 plane that the soviet union has installed some…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Section A: Identification and Evaluation of Sources One of the sources that I used is a book titled In the Name of Democracy by Thomas Carothers. It is an examination of U.S. policy in Latin America during the Reagan era. Carothers provides information on U.S. involvement using interviews with United States officials and his own perspective as a former State Department lawyer. Also, the book provides information on the effects of removing the communist influence. This source is created so the information about the effects of the U.S policy in Latin America could be shared to the public.…

    • 2055 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    While I argue that the Cuban missile crisis was in fact a crisis, many argue that the crisis did not warrant the full blockade and end to all ties with Cuba, which were further perpetuated by the crisis and our failure to support Cuban citizens who were suffering from an oppressive communist regime. The decision of Kennedy seems to be grounded in fact, but our decision to re-establish ties, calls into question the true urgency of the existence of missiles in Cuba and our potential failure to help instead of hurt Cuban citizens in their attempt to combat a communist…

    • 1512 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cuba played a large role in the Cold War between the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Bay of Pigs, occurring in 1961, was prompted after Fidel Castro overtook a American supported president of Havana. The invasion was poorly planned and due to the small numbers, the troops fighting for America were defeated after twenty-four hours. America had initially gotten into this predicament because while they did not believe that Fidel Castro was a real threat, they believed that they could prove to Russia, China and other others that the American officials were serious about winning the Cold War. The invasion was initially kept a secret but, when it was was finally let out of the bag – due to the radio – from there the plan began to fall apart.…

    • 391 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The American people became upset even more when President Kennedy made an announcement that the United States of America was on the brink of war because of the proximity of Cuba to America. President Kennedy stated in this announcement to the country that if any missile was launched from Cuba it would be treated as a Soviet attack on the United States (Randall). These tensions needed to be settled. Americans and Kennedy could not keep worrying about how Cuba could severely hurt Americans because of how close Cuba was to America. Kennedy would have succeeded at his job had he been able to do so.…

    • 1883 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cuban Missile Crisis

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was a dangerous confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This is when the US and Soviet Union came the closest to nuclear warfare. The situation was different in a number of ways, featuring confirmations and non supported directions as well as direct communications and miscommunications between both the US and Soviet Union (Office). The overwhelming conflict was also being judged by the fact that it was basically played out at the White House and the Kremlin level with very little say from the respective organizations typically involved in the foreign policy stages (Office).…

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From the Mayflower Compact to the Emancipation Proclamation, there have been numerous documents throughout American history that have impacted the country. These documents have caused wars, alliances, hatred, relief, and much more. While many of them occurred long ago, they have each influenced the country we see today. Some of these documents gave advice that was obeyed, while others were completely ignored. The choice to embrace or overlook this advice is what causes changes to arise.…

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since the beginning of the Cold War in 1947, tensions had been gradually increasing between the Soviet Union and the United States. However, in 1962 tensions reached an all-time high when the United States found evidence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. In this tense period, the entire world held its breath fearing global disaster. The Cold War at times threatened to become a direct confrontation between the superpowers. Looking back, a victory in terms of the Cuban Missile Crisis alludes to achieving foreign policy goals, and although both succeeded in the short term, Khrushchev was the ultimate victor in the long run.…

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Although it certainly contributed to the overall conflict, ideology was not the main concern that brought about the Cuban Missile Crisis but rather the threat of national security that it imposed on the US, Cuba and Soviet Union. The reason the crisis occurred was due to distinct differences in views on how society should be run and not simply based on rivalry amongst the superpowers. The US believed in democracy, and due to Soviet influence, Cuba supported a communist regime. It is undeniable they both became blindsided to each other’s views and had not assessed the consequences of their actions. The US were concerned that a communist state was now located only seventy miles from their borders.…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Brilliant Essays