Cuban Missile Crisis Importance

1062 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Significance of the cuban missile crisis

The Importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis Throughout history, there were many important events, but few of these events could have ended the world as we know it. Imagine living in a radioactive wasteland like that of Chernobyl. That very well might have been the fate of the United States of America if the Cuban Missile Crisis resulted in a different outcome. John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, faced the difficult task of handling America’s Cold War enemy putting deadly missiles within range of America. Now, it is clear he made the right decision, a decision that did not lead to the complete destruction of two of the world’s most important countries, and did not end life as we know it. The Cuban missile crisis is the most important …show more content…

became all too real when U.S. spy planes discovered Soviet missile pads in Cuba. The U.S. worst nightmare was becoming a reality, Soviet missiles with the capability of obliterating U.S. cities were now in range (lecture notes). President Kennedy knew something had to be done to get rid of the missiles in Cuba or the U.S. would have no choice but to enter a nuclear war with the Soviets. One of the options was to have the U.S. air force bomb the missile pads to destroy them. President Kennedy felt this would provoke the Soviets into attacking and decided against it (Lecture notes from TCPS government class, 2014). After considering all possible options, President Kennedy decided the best choice of action was to set up a naval blockade to quarantine the nation of Cuba, and stop the import of offensive weapons. This was the perfect decision because it did not provoke the Soviet Union, but also showed the U.S. was willing to stand firm on its decision. President Kennedy can be quoted as saying “It looks like its all up to the Navy.” to Navy chief of operations George W. Anderson. To which Anderson replied, “Sir, the Navy will not let you down.”, and luckily, for the fate of life as we know it, he was correct (Cuban Missile Crisis, Youtube.com.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ZzL9KsyPY). In October 1962, the U.S. Navy set out to sea, and intercepted a Soviet submarine armed with Nuclear tipped torpedoes. The U.S. Navy was instructed to destroy Soviet and Cuban forces ashore should the quarantine fail. The world watched anxiously for thirteen days until finally, on October 28 1962, Soviet leader Khrushchev ordered the removal of Soviet weapons from Cuba (lecture notes, and Cuban Missile Crisis, youtube.com). This decision helped ease tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union, and was the first step in the disarmament of nuclear weapons by both

Show More
Related

  • John F Kennedy Ethos Appeal In Jfk Speech

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy reached out to America and the Cubans with his Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation. During this time, the Cold War had occupied several countries of world. This war resulted from tensions, military and political, between Russia and its allies and America, its allies, and the Western Hemisphere. When President Kennedy gave his speech, Russia had occupied Cuba and began building military bases that contained nuclear warheads and other deadly missiles. People of America saw this as a threat to the freedom of the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere. In a time of great tension and fear, President Kennedy delivered his spectacular and reassuring speech that appealed to the citizens of American in several ways.

    Read More

  • Kennedy Assassination Cause And Effect

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    United States spy planes found Soviet missile hangers being constructed throughout Cuba with the missiles being capable of reaching various targets in the United States. Panic raced throughout the Kennedy administration. Kennedy’s defense advisors urged for increased force, with options ranging from invading the island to destroying the hangers with bombs. Kennedy, who feared the possibility of nuclear war, wanted a solution without escalation. The solution was to put a quarantine on Cuba.

    Read More

  • The Miracle on Ice: The US Hockey Team

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Soviet Union and the United States were very distant during three decades of a nuclear arms race. Even though the two nations never directly had a battle, the Cuban Missile Crisis, amongst other things, was a result of the tension. The missile crisis began in October of 1962, when an American spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union in Cuba. JFK did not want the Soviet Union and Cuba to know that he had discovered the missiles, so he made his decisions very secretly. Eventually, Kennedy decided to place a ring of ships around Cuba and place missiles in Turkey. Eventually, both leaders superpowers realized the possibility of a nuclear war and agreed to a deal in which the Soviets would remove the missiles from Cuba if the US didn't invade Cuba. Even though the Soviets removed took their missiles out of Cuba and the US eventually taking their missiles out of Turkey, they (the Soviets) continued to build a more advanced military; the missile crisis was over, but the arms race was not.

    Read More

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis In 13 Days

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    The docudrama ‘13 Days’ depicts the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union which nearly ended in a cataclysmic crisis widely known as the Cuban Missile crisis. The course of events and the escalation of the crisis during the intense 13-day period in October 1962 are conveyed to the audience through the perspective of US political leaders. The crisis begins as U-2 spy planes evidence that Soviet leader, Khrushchev, had intermediate-range missiles deployed to Cuba in secrecy and is in the process of activating them. The movie surfaces the conundrums faced by President Kennedy in deciding appropriate actions to be undertaken, such that the missiles in Cuba are removed without resorting to war. Audiences are acquainted with the various complexities involved in the decision making processes, as President Kennedy not only had to deal with the antagonistic Soviet Union, but also disagreements within his own administration.

    Read More

  • Thirteen Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert F. Kennedy's chilling account of his experiences with his brother, President John F. Kennedy over thirteen days in October of 1962 give an idea to the reader of just how alarmingly close our country came to nuclear war. Kennedy sums up the Cuban Missile Crisis as "a confrontation between two atomic nations...which brought the world to the abyss of nuclear destruction and the end of mankind."1 The author's purpose for writing this memoir seems to be to give readers an idea of the danger confronted during the Cuban Missile Crisis and to reflect on the lessons we should learn from it as a country, and for future members of government.

    Read More

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    Canadian-American relations were severely hurt during the Cuban Missile Crisis due to the actions taken by John Diefenbaker. The crisis between the Soviet Union and Cuba on one side and America on the other was one of most heated moments during the Cold War. America had hoped that Canada would provide basic necessities during the crisis. However, when Canadian Prime Minster; John Diefenbaker failed to give full support, the relationship between the two countries stood on edge. It was through Diefenbaker’s lack of cooperation and doubt during the situation that had affected the relationship between the two countries. Not to mention Diefenbaker’s dislike towards the US. President; John F. Kennedy had also been a reason to why the two countries relations were falling apart. Canada and America’s relations had broken down during the Cuban Missile Crisis as a result of Diefenbaker’s lack of cooperation, doubt and dislike towards the United States President.

    Read More

  • The Role of John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis

    1743 Words  | 4 Pages

    Perhaps the most critical moment that had occurred to the United States and the world of the last century is the Cuban Missile Crisis. The significance of this event was that it had brought the world to the closest it could ever be to a nuclear war. Millions of lives, cultures and infrastructure would have been lost if it was not splendidly dealt with. Yet, a man was able to prevent this devastation, and he was none other than President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) of the United States. How was he significant to the event? This research paper will discuss it with the points that are based on JFK’s characteristics. Hence, to provide an overview of this paper; the outbreak of nuclear warfare was prevented in the Cuban Missile Crisis specifically by John F. Kennedy’s many distinguished characteristics.

    Read More

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis

    1916 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major event in U.S History that almost led to nuclear destruction. It was over a period of thirteen days in which diplomats from the U.S and the Soviet Union were trying to reach a peaceful resolution so that they wouldn’t have to engage in physical warfare. The crisis was the hallmark of the Cold War era which lasted from the 1950’s to the late 1980’s. The Cold War was a power struggle between the U.S and Soviet Union in which the two nations had a massive arms race to become the strongest military force. The U.S considered Communism to be an opposing political entity, and therefore branded them as enemies. Khrushchev’s antagonistic view of Americans also played a big role in the conflict. The Cold War tensions, coupled with a political shift in Cuba eventually lead to the military struggle known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the point of most tension and near collapse causing the Cold War to almost shift from a passive and underground struggle to a violent and catastrophic one.

    Read More

  • Cuban Missile Crisis Rhetorical Analysis

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    One day, in the early 60s the US Government discovered that the Soviet Union had a nuclear missile on the island of Cuba. So, the US government asked the Soviets to get rid of them. It was a bold thing to do because anything could have happened. Things between the US and the Soviets were already tense because of the cold war. For fourteen days, tension grew between the nations. Not knowing if this missile aimed and ready to fire at the US. Kennedy decided to give this speech the “Cuban Missile Crisis Address”. The address was used was to announce there will be a naval blockade on Cuba until the crisis is solved. This address was very effective because Kennedy did not say he was going to start

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Cuban Missile Crisis

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    The U.S. had just elected President Kennedy two years prior to this very threatening occasion, and every nation thought he was a weak leader who just craved attention. During this time, the Soviets and the U.S. were right in the middle of the Cold War (1947-1991): the period of time when both nations were trying to spread their type of government and become superior, making us enemies. Just a year before the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. had made a failed attempt at invading Cuba at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow their communist dictator, Fidel Castro. Once Russia caught wind of this failed invasion, they quickly jumped at their chance at becoming allies with Castro, and started building nuclear bombs in Cuba. Kennedy had recently placed bombs in Turkey, Russia’s neighbor probably leading the soviets to place some of theirs in Cuba, because of how close it was to America; one nuclear bomb could reach Washington D.C. in 30 minutes.

    Read More

  • Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    The "Thirteen Days" of the Cuban Missile Crisis were, at that point, the closest the superpowers came to war. How severe this would have been is impossible to know. That this is the case was due in a large part to serendipity and the patience and understanding of the leaders. The lessons of this stand-off were not lost on either side. There were several key after-effects of this confrontation:

    Read More

  • Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the most important events in United States history; it’s even easy to say world history because of what some possible outcomes could have been from it. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was a major Cold War confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. After the Bay of Pigs Invasion the USSR increased its support of Fidel Castro's Cuban regime, and in the summer of 1962, Nikita Khrushchev secretly decided to install ballistic missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy and the other leaders of our country were faced with a horrible dilemma where a decision had to be made. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara outlined three possible courses of action for the president:

    Read More

  • Cuban Revolution Compromise

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this way, Mr. Anderson’s death contained a crisis quickly developing into a war. Day 13: On the final day of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a compromise was made. This is what saved the world from disaster. In a letter from Soviet leader Khrushchev to President Kennedy, an offer was made to remove the Cuban missiles if the U.S would agree to remove the blockade, as well as our missiles in Turkey.

    Read More

  • The Cold War: The Cuban Missile Crisis

    1652 Words  | 4 Pages

    A blockade is defined as an act of war by which a belligerent prevents access to or departure from a defined part of the enemy’s coasts” (“Cuban Missile Crisis.” 2). President Kennedy declared that any ships carrying nuclear weapons trying to pass into Cuban territory will be taken in control by the US Navy. Soviet Union ships attempted to find new ways around the Blockade. JFK, then sent a letter stating to the Soviets that “the United States would not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba, and demanded that the Soviets dismantled the missile bases already under construction or completed, and return all offensive weapons to the U.S.S.R”(“The Cold War.”). All of these events, lead to the start of a period of time that would be known as the darkest part of the Cold War. These thirteen days from October 16th - 28th, 1962 (“The Cold War.” ) were known as the darkest time. Moreover, President JFK went on national television to tell Americans what they had found in Cuba and how they were going to resolve the issue with nuclear weapons in

    Read More

  • The Realist Perspective of the Cuban Missile Crisis

    896 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted two weeks in the midst of the Cold War, and brought the world closer to nuclear war than ever before. In October of 1962 multiple nuclear missiles of the Soviet Union’ s were discovered in Cuba, a mere 90 miles south of the United States. Given the communist ties between Cuba and the USSR, this poised a considerable threat to our national security. Throughout the 14 days the two leaders, John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev struggled to clearly understand each others‘ genuine intentions. Actions taken by each state during this crisis demonstrates the realist point of view, in a variety of ways. The fundamentals of Realism will be explored and explained along with actions taken during this crisis from a realist point of view.

    Read More

More about Cuban Missile Crisis Importance

Open Document