The Cuban Missile Crisis Was A Twenty Day Crisis - 923 Words

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a thirteen day crisis that occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union. This crisis occurred on October 14, 1962 and ended on October 28, 1962. The crisis involved the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba by the Soviet Union and the caused concern for the United States due to the closeness of Cuba. This placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba was due to the failed Bay of Pigs fiasco and Cuba’s need for protection against the United States invading in the future. The Bay of Pigs was a failed mission of the United States that happened in April of 1961. The United States wanted to overthrow the communist leader Fidel Castro, but was ultimately defeated within just three days. Due to this failure, Cuba contacted the Soviet Union to get them to place nuclear missiles so that Cuba could defend their country from the United States. With this failure under John F. Kennedy’s presidency, he had to figure out a different way of forcing the d ictatorship of Fidel Castro without strengthening him even more. Before they could plan another invasion into Cuba, a U-2 plane had flown close range to the Cuban border and had captured photographic evidence of nuclear missile facilities being built. According to Marfleet (2000), â€Å"Kennedy was privately belligerent—a condition sparked largely by anger at what he perceived to be Soviet attempts to deceive him† (p 547). While it was a small part of a bigger problem, it was the key defining event of the Cold WarShow MoreRelatedCauses Of The Cuban Missile Crisis1279 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy said, â€Å"It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization,† (Nuclear Ban Test Treaty). This quote directly describes the overall idea of Cuban Missile Crisis. The â€Å"Thirteen Days† of the Cuban Missile Crisis refer to the closest poi nt where the Soviet Union and the United States came to nuclear war. For thirteen days both nations waited in fear, for news if there was aboutRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis : The United States1339 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Cuban Missile Crisis was a thirteen day political and military standoff between the United States and Soviet Union officials. The confrontation was over the Soviet army putting nuclear weapons on Cuban soil, only ninety miles from the United States coast. On October 15, 1962 a United States U-2 Spy Plane discovered the missiles and this started the crisis itself. On October 22, 1962 President John F. Kennedy addressed the United States and told the country about the missiles and also statedRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy: Hero or Villain Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesPresident John F. Kennedy: Hero or Villain? For thirteen days, the United States’ government and citizens waited with abated breath, fearing the nuclear annihilation of their great nation. These thirteen days between October 16 and 28, 1962 are now known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Briefly this crisis can be explained as a confrontation between two of the world’s greatest superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, which nearly instigated a nuclear calamity that could have destroyed bothRead MoreWhat Major Events in the Cold War Caused Fidel Castro to Side with the Soviet Union Super Power?805 Words   |  4 PagesCastro to side with the Soviet Union Super Power? In the 1960’s the world was largely dominated by the Cold War which was a long period of tension and hostility that only occasionally broke out into open warfare. This conflict was caused by the rivalry of two superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union and emerged after the Second World War. Both super powers had different ideologies - the United States was a capitalist democracy, whereas the Soviet Union were communist. These two superRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis Essay2023 Words   |  9 PagesThirteen days in October of 1962 changed the course of the World in the nuclear age forever. The Cuban Missile Crisis represents the closest brink of mutual nuclear destruction the World has ever been close to reaching. The leadership in place throughout the crisis is critical to the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Three men dominated the nations involved in the crisis and captivated citizens of all corners of the world. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy of the United States, Soviet Premier NikitaRead MoreCauses of the Cuban Missile Crisis1872 Words   |  8 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the most pressured filled moments in the history of the United States. Furthermore, the actins that took place that day would have not have just effected the United States and the Soviet Union but the entire war. The U.S. and Soviet Union the resident two superpowers of the time were on the verge of all out nuclear war. That potential war would have murdered tens of thousands of people within the first couple days. Furthermore, the nuclear fallout from a war ofRead MoreThe Cold War : Cuban Missile Crisis2377 Words   |  10 PagesDuBois World Studies 19 June 2015 The Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis Nuclear catastrophe was hanging by a thread ... and we weren t counting days or hours, but minutes. Soviet General and Army Chief of Operations, Anatoly Gribkov The closest the World has ever been to nuclear war was with The Cuban Missile Crisis. The lives of millions lay in the ability of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev to reach an agreement. The crisis began when the United States discovered that justRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Kennedy Hope947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Kennedy Hope 1961 was a year of renewal and hope for American and its allies through the election of 1960 and a new young vigorous president; John F. Kennedy. Young and full of energy President Kennedy gave America hope through courage, re-invention, and pioneered that path forward for America and its people. The election of President Kennedy to the highest office in the land of freedom and opportunity brought new hope, dedication, and power through superiority to America and the world. FirstRead MoreEssay about The Cuban Missile Crisis1349 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis The Cold War was a time in history when intense rivalry overcame two nations. Many historians agree that the Cold War began in 1945, the end of World War II, and lasted through the late 1980’s. The two opposing sides were the Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States. The Cold War was not a battle involving guns; in fact it was more about power and competition between two groups. Each side thought its political and economic systems were superior to the otherRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy Gave the Order for the Bay of Pigs Invasion1100 Words   |  4 PagesCuba and overthrow Castro, America was expecting a victory. The American population expected Cuba to be destroyed. They thought Cuba could not stand up to the United States. What they didn’t expect was that Cuba would put up a fight. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a deciding factor in the Cold War that gave Cuba and the Soviet Union strength, and decreased morale and confidence in the Americans. The Bay of Pigs invasion took place during the Cold War, which was not an actual war, but it consisted