Cuban Missile Crisis

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Cuban Missile Crisis

Near World Destruction and Nuclear destruction, when those two devastating and frightening words are brought up one thought comes to mind, The Cuban Missile Crisis.

This was the closest the world has ever come to being blown apart by the people living on it. In April 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev conceived the idea of placing intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. Placing IRBM in Cuba would double the Soviet strategic arsenal and provide a real deterrent to a potential U.S. attack against the Soviet Union or Cuba. In mid-July of 1962 the Soviet Union began its buildup of offensive weapons in Cuba. The fate of millions literally hinged upon the ability of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. The near destruction of the world was brought upon by, The Cold War, faulty communications amongst Soviet and U.S. leaders, and personality conflicts amongst the two leaders.

The crisis only lasted 14 days but they were the longest 14 days in October. The Cold war, which began in 1945, was a period of Eastern-Western world competition, tension, and conflict short of full-scale war, characterized by mutual perceptions of hostile intention between military-political alliances or blocs. The end of World War II saw two great nations rise, the Soviet Union (the mighty communist country dominated by one of the world's most powerful armies), and the United States (great power of the western nations and world's economic leader). After the fall of Nazi Germany, both nations (along with Britain and France) competed for the grand prize of Central Europe: Berlin. This was only the beginning of uneasy tensions.

The Soviet's hunger for nuclear knowledge coupled with their thirst ...

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...t communication between the two leaders caused the Cuban missile crisis to occur. Both Khrushchev and Kennedy wanted the same outcome, peace. The personality conflicts caused Khrushchev to feel as if he was able to push Kennedy around. This caused the entire crisis because Kennedy was not the man to play around with. He responded to the crisis, and both men stood there with the world in their hands.

The end result of the Cuban missile crisis was, of course, a successful one, as well as one which both sides wanted to occur. Neither country could claim victory in this crisis because both sides got what they desired. The Americans got the missiles removed from Cuba, and the Soviets got the U.S. missiles taken out of Turkey, as well as an American promise never to invade Cuba again. Victory was indeed declared by the world when it was saved from near world destruction.

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