The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 Essays

The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 Essays The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 Essay The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 Essay Cuban Missile Crisis is based on major conflict between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), which was over Soviet-supplied missile installations in Cuba.It was regarded as the worlds closest approach to nuclear war. In 1960 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began plans to supply Cuba with medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It would put the eastern part of the United States within range of a nuclear missile attack.Khrushchev incorrectly assumed that the United States would take no action.When questioned they denied that any missiles were being supplied to Cuba. By the summer of 1962, U.S. spy planes that were flying over Cuba had photographed Soviet-managed construction work and spotted thefirst ballistic missile on October 14. U.S. President John F. Kennedy consulted secretly with his advisers discussing options to take invasion, air strikes, a blockade, or diplomacy. On October 22, Kennedy announced that there is a naval blockade to prevent the arrival of any more missiles. He demanded that the USSR take apart and remove all the weapons. He also declared a quarantine zone around Cuba, within which U.S. naval forces could intercept and inspect ships to determine whether they were carrying weapons. For several days Soviet ships going to Cuba avoided the quarantine zone, and Khrushchev and Kennedy communicated through diplomatic channels. Khrushchev never kept to the same goal, sending a message on October 26 in which he agreed to Kennedys demands to remove all missiles, and then the following day he tried to negotiate other terms. Kennedy responded to thefirst communication, and on October 28, Khrushchev agreed to dismantle and remove all the weapons from Cuba and offered the United States on-site inspection in return for a guarantee not to invade Cuba. Kennedy accepted and halted the blockade. Cuba was angry at Soviet submission, they refused to permit the promised inspe