The Success Of Khrushchev And The Cuban Missile Crisis

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. While Khrushchev may have exaggerated his statement in calling the Cuban Missile Crisis a ‘victory’ as he had backed down and removed …show more content…
Khrushchev could be considered successful as he forced the remove of missiles from Turkey and by Cuba remaining communist. Khrushchev had been successful in achieving his first priority, which was the removal of the missiles in Turkey. In the eyes of the Soviet Union, the United States placing missiles in Turkey was seen as a threat as the missiles could strike anywhere in the Soviet Union. The “US had 3,500 nuclear weapons capable of reaching the Soviet Union via bomber or missile. The Soviets only had about 350 nukes capable of reaching America” (Give Me Liberty, 2014). This created uncertainty and pressed the Soviet Union to respond to it, thus placing the missiles in Cuba for exchange for Kennedys missiles in Turkey. Kennedy agreed the missiles in Turkey would be removed “within a short time after this crisis was over” (Cited in Cuban Missile Crisis, 2016). As the missiles were removed from Turkey, this was a major victory for Khrushchev. A strategic plan by Khrushchev was placing the missiles in Cuba, as “Khrushchev had no intention of using his missiles, Khrushchev would renounce his missiles if Kennedy pledging not to invade Cuba. However, Khrushchev added a demand for the US to remove its missiles from Turkey by way of a trade, a proposal that Kennedy did not resist (as long as it was …show more content…
However, ultimately, in the long run, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a victory for Khrushchev. This is because Khrushchev achieved his objectives, being the removal of the missiles in Turkey and making Kennedy promise to never invade Cuba, which made Cuba one of the only communist countries in a region dominated by the United States. Whilst Kennedy was successful in the withdrawal of Soviet missiles, he was forced into a secret agreement with Khrushchev, which therefore proved that in the long term the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was a victory for Khrushchev and the Soviet