Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day scare and one of the major confrontations of the Cold War – and the closest the war ever
came to becoming a nuclear conflict. It’s the first documented instance where mutual assured destruction was a factor in resolving the conflict.
Nikita Khrushchev, the soviet leader, attempted to set up a nuclear missile base in Cuba, to deter a future invasion attempt and nullify the existence of a U.S. nuclear base in Turkey. The construction of the base was first photographed by U.S. planes on October 14, 1962 – speculations in the United States began on the 15th. The U.S. considered attacking Cuba, but created a naval blockade instead, calling it a legal quarantine. They then demanded that the base be dismantled and the weapons sent back to the USSR. Khrushchev took offense at the blockage, which was in international waters, and said that it constituted an act of aggression. Secretly, however, the United States President and the Soviet Premier came up with a plan to solve the crisis.
As this happened, severial Soviet ships attempted to run the blockage, which increased tensions. On the 27th, the Soviets shot down an American plane, an act which could have been the beginning of a nuclear war. Kennedy continued on with negotiations. On October 28, 1962, Kennedy and Krushchev publicly agreed that the Soveits would dismantle the bases in Cuba, and the U.S. would never invade Cuba. Privately, they also agreed that the U.S. would dismantle their nuclear weapons in Italy and Turkey. The blockade was officially ended on November 20th.
came to becoming a nuclear conflict. It’s the first documented instance where mutual assured destruction was a factor in resolving the conflict.
Nikita Khrushchev, the soviet leader, attempted to set up a nuclear missile base in Cuba, to deter a future invasion attempt and nullify the existence of a U.S. nuclear base in Turkey. The construction of the base was first photographed by U.S. planes on October 14, 1962 – speculations in the United States began on the 15th. The U.S. considered attacking Cuba, but created a naval blockade instead, calling it a legal quarantine. They then demanded that the base be dismantled and the weapons sent back to the USSR. Khrushchev took offense at the blockage, which was in international waters, and said that it constituted an act of aggression. Secretly, however, the United States President and the Soviet Premier came up with a plan to solve the crisis.
As this happened, severial Soviet ships attempted to run the blockage, which increased tensions. On the 27th, the Soviets shot down an American plane, an act which could have been the beginning of a nuclear war. Kennedy continued on with negotiations. On October 28, 1962, Kennedy and Krushchev publicly agreed that the Soveits would dismantle the bases in Cuba, and the U.S. would never invade Cuba. Privately, they also agreed that the U.S. would dismantle their nuclear weapons in Italy and Turkey. The blockade was officially ended on November 20th.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS AND JFK
For information on the crisis with a focus on JFK and the peaceful relations that followed the agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, visit this site.
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
This site gives more information about the discovery of the missiles and the way that both sides handled the conflict.