The Justification of the Soviet Union Putting Missiles in Cuba
It was at the peak of the arms race between the Soviets and USA when
the Cuban missile crisis unfolded. Before 1962, each country was doing
its best to outdo the other in terms of weapons, bombs and space
exploration.
So when the Cuban missile crisis occurred, both countries wanted to
show that they were more powerful and would not back down. To
understand why the soviets put missiles in Cuba we need to know
Khrushchev’s position in the Soviet Union. Khrushchev’s famous
de-Stalinization speech criticizing Stalin’s policies was not very
popular at the time as many people still respected Stalin after his
death. Also, Khrushchev had left himself open to attacks by
revisionists because of his policy on peaceful co-existence. He needed
to show the communist world that he was ready to take action against
the west. Khrushchev’s bond with Cuban leader Fidel Castro made him
feel that he had an obligation to help the Cuban revolution by putting
missiles in Cuba.
It was certain though; by placing missiles on Cuba that Khrushchev
would have the upper hand in negotiations relating to the cold war.
Also Khrushchev claimed that ‘the missiles were placed merely to deter
the Americans from invading Cuba’. (Timewatch Missile - Crisis)
Khrushchev’s decision to put Soviet missiles in Cuba was very
important and crucial to America. Cuba was only 90 miles away from the
USA, and the Americans did not like the idea of a pro communist state
in its ‘sphere of influence’ (Gcse modern world history). More than
military advantage for the Soviets who had missiles elsewhere which
could...
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...et, Jeremy. Timewatch - Missile Crisis. BBC TV Production.
Cable of Andrei Gromyko’s meeting with President Kennedy. Obtained by
NHK. Provided to Cold War International History Project. National
Security Archive. Washington, D.C..Translation by Vladimir Zaemsky.
CNN Productions. 1998. Cold War – Volume 4. Warner Home Video.
California
Kennedy, Robert. 1969. Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile
Crisis. New American Library. New York
Khrushchev, Nikita. 1970. Khrushchev Remembers. Little Brown & Company.
Boston
Lowe, Norman. 1988. Mastering Modern World History. Macmillan Master
Series. London.
Walsh, Ben. 1996. Gcse modern world history. John Murray. London.
Weisbrot, Robert. 2002. Maximum Danger: Kennedy, the Missiles, and the
Crisis of American Confidence. Ivan R. Dee Publisher. Chicago
Things began to roll when a US-based U2 sky plane took photos of some USSR intermediate ballistic missiles with the capability of transporting nuclear heads. The situation got worse when the USSR dispatched 42 medium range missiles and 24 other intermediate range missiles to the Cuban. After the United States threatened to attack Cuba, UUSR withdrew her weaponry. The Cold War gets to give a description of the US-USSR relationship during that phase. The Cold War intensified in the late 1940s and the early 1950s because of the hysteria that the US citizens developed.
In 1980, it seemed like the United States was not as dominant in the world as it had been before. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union began after World War II. The two nations had joined forces as members of the Allies, but tensions arose after the war. The Americans were very worried about the spread of Soviet communism, and tried to prevent it with a policy of containment, where the United States would protect countries from outside oppression. The Cold War also expanded to include the race between the Soviets and Americans to create atomic weapons. Furthermore, there was a race between the two countries to put the first man in space, which was accomplished by the United States in 1961 (“Cold War History”). The Cold War was a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union to try to prove their dominance in the world. Each country wanted to have more power and diminish the power of the other. At home, Americans were paranoid with the thought of Soviet spies and communists hiding amongst them, dubbed the “Red Scare.” President Richard Nixon and the Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic A...
Eyeball to Eyeball: America, Cuba and The Soviet Union America and The Soviets again using other countries for their own warfare
Following the Cuban Revolution of 1959 and the Castro regime’s subsequent alliance with the Soviet Union, Cuba emerged to play a substantial global role in Cold War politics. Most famously, Cuba featured as the staging ground for the super power confrontation of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Moreover, throughout the Cold War, Cuba provided near constant support for revolutionary movements across the Latin American region. Finally, Cuba provided crucial and direct military support for Marxist regimes in Africa through the mid 1970s until the early 1990s.
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.
The Cuban missile crisis was a major turning point in American history. It sparked conflict between two of the most powerful countries and almost led to possibly the most horrific war ever. This point in American history also caused long lasting tension between the United States and Cuba and posed as the most terrifying 13 days in United States history.
After the Korean War, it was believed that the United States’ nuclear build-up had played a key role in achieving armistice. At this time, early in President Eisenhower's term in office, he had announced his policy of nuclear superiority. During this time period of nuclear build up, the Soviet Union began to find ways to overcome deficiencies in their strategic technologies2. Not soon after Eisenhower made his policy known, Russia became the first country to successfully test ICBMs, or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. These tactical nuclear weapons are land based rocket propelled vehicles capable of intercontinental range in excess of 4000 nautical miles....
" We were eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked" (Shmoop). This
Without the occurrence of the Cuban Missile Crisis we would may not be living in the world we are today. During the Cold War the Cuban Missile created a stalemate between the two major countries involved in the war, the Soviet Union and the United States. This event greatly known as a turning point in the it during the 1960's period of the infamous war, by being able to turn the tables and prevent a “hot” war to form out of one of the “coldest” wars in history. The Cuban Missile Crisis was an exceptionally significant event during the Cold War because of its ability to affect multitude of aspects between the two sides involved during the war.
American settlers in East and West Florida declare independence and rebel against Spain for control of land.
Fifty years ago, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the not just the U.S but the world to the brink of nuclear warfare.In October 1962, a U.S. spy plane caught the Soviet Union trying to sneak nuclear missiles into Cuba, 90 miles off the U.S coast.Kennedy determined at that action could not stand.The crisis is generally considered as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to turning into a nuclear conflict. For fourteen days during October 1962, the world held its breath as John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev,the leader of the Soviet Union at the time, tried to reach an agreement and avoid nuclear war.
As president of the United States of America, Mr. William J. Clinton has five duties to perform. The Constitution states that he must act as Commander in Chief, Chief Executive, Chief of State, Chief Legislator, and Chief Diplomat. (Constitution) When he deals with foreign policies, he is executing his job as Chief Diplomat. This very important task consists of recognizing foreign governments, making treaties, and making executive agreements. When making the treaties, two-thirds of the senators there must agree with the policy.
Cuban Missile Crisis Analysis Report. The impact of nuclear weapons between two superpowers The Cuban Missile Crisis was the one and only time mankind could have ended the world in less than a few hours. The concluding result of this 13-day battle between the top two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, could have impacted the world in such catastrophic ways, resulting in a zero sum game. This particular game is defined by one side winning by firing their weapons first and eliminating the opponent.
Smith, William Y and Anatoli I. Gribkov. Operation ANADYR: U.S. and Soviet Generals Recount the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chicago: Edition Q, 1994.
However, on August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union shocked the entire world with their first nuclear bomb named “First Lightning”. The world did not think that the Soviet Union was this far along in their nuclear weapons. The United States felt threatened. The nuclear arms race had began.