Nuclear Missile Attack From Cuba example essay topic

Keil Collins September 26, 2001 Period 4 Mr. Nickerson The Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world has ever been to a nuclear war which would have doomed the human race. For thirteen days the world was scared to death of what could happen. In a nutshell, the Soviet Union under leadership of Nikita Khrushchev tried to counter the lead of the United States in developing and deploying strategic missiles. The Soviet Union or USSR knew of the missiles the United States had set up in Turkey. (Garthoff) To gain first strike capabilities they reached an agreement with Cuba under the leadership of Fidel Castro set up missiles in Cuba. Cuba is just 90 miles from Florida.

President Kennedy got word of this via photographs and stated that any attack from Cuba would be regarded as an attack from the Soviet Union. (web) Also he setup a naval blockade on the country of Cuba preventing further Soviet shipments of military weapons from arriving there. (web) On October 24, 1962 Soviet ships turned around and headed back to the USSR. Then four days later on the twenty-eighth Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles and dismantle the missile sites. (web) With this, the Cuban Missile Crisis had ended as suddenly as it had begun. There were a number of reasons the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. First, the United States had missiles in Turkey, and to counter this the Soviet Union desired some missiles close to the United States.

What better place than Cuba was there? Cuba being only ninety miles South of the United States allowed for intermediate-range missiles aimed at the United States. Another reason for the near end of the world was because the lack of communication between the two superpowers. Both countries just made moves and did controversial things without consulting the other country.

The United States placed their missiles in Turkey without speaking with the USSR. A third reason for the crisis was the appeal of the USSR to Cuba and vise-versa. Both these countries were communistic. After Fidel Castro took over in Cuba he quickly despised the United States along with the USSR. The USSR appealed to Cuba because they could provide protection for them after the then recent Bay of Pigs invasion.

During this invasion, the United States in April 1961, more than 1000 Cuban exiles made an amphibious landing in Cuba at a place called the Bay of Pigs. (Webster's) Their plan was to move inland and join anti-Castro forces and stage a revolt. However, Castro's forces easily quelled them because they met the invaders. The United States was supposed to provide air support but that did not happen.

The surviving exiles were taken prisoner and on December 25, 1962 were let go in exchange for food and medical supplies valued at approximately $53 million. (Webster's) With the Soviet Union as an ally, Cuba would not have to worry about being taken over again nearly as much having a power as great as the USSR on their side. Cuba appealed to the Soviet Union because they were very close and provided first-strike capabilities at the United States. Lastly, the Cuban Missile Crisis happened because the Soviet Union felt they could do whatever they liked with Kennedy as president. He was a new president and was very young. For this reason, the Soviet Union did not take him as serious as they should.

Kennedy responded with courage and strength. Perhaps, Kennedy prevented World War. This is because many feel that both World Wars began because of weak responses to acts of aggression. The Cuban Missile Crisis involved mainly three countries, three world leaders, and congress. Depending on how you look at it, Turkey was also involved because the United States of America had missiles in that country. This is what encouraged the Soviet Union to pursue getting missiles in closer proximity to the United States.

Also, depending on how one looks on the matter, Cuban exiles were also involved. The United States sponsored about 1,000 Cuban exiles to encourage a revolt against the leadership of Fidel Castro. This was called the "Bay of Pigs Invasion" because it was deployed on the Bay of Pigs in Cuba. Needless to say the invasion was a disaster and tensions between the United States and Cuba worsened. Fidel Castro of Cuba looked to Nikita Khrushchev of the fellow-communist USSR for support.

In exchange for defense, Khrushchev wanted to build missile silos in Cuba. Khrushchev denied any knowledge of it when the United States secretly questioned him. (web) Then, on October 16, President John F. Kennedy was shown photographs of the Soviet missile installations under construction in Cuba. (web) Kennedy met with congress and their was intense debates in the United States administration. Some felt we should do nothing at all about it and some felt we should get the head start and bomb before they do. After seven long days of this, Kennedy announced this discovery to the people and proclaimed that any nuclear missile attack from Cuba to any country in the Western Hemisphere would be regarded as an attack on the United States by the Soviet Union and would be responded to accordingly. (Garthoff) John F. Kennedy called upon Khrushchev, "To halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless and provocative threat to world peace and to stable relations between our two nations".

Kennedy also went on to announce his naval quarantine he was placing on Cuba. (Garthoff) At the same time, the United States sent over 100,000 to Florida and Georgia to prepare for invading Cuba. Also, air units were alerted. At this time, there were 180 ships in the Caribbean. (Garthoff) After this, ships were stopped regularly while Khrushchev and Kennedy discussed the issue. Khrushchev realized his weak military position and on October 26 he agreed to put an end to it.

The effects of the crisis were the Soviet Union agreed to dismantle and remove the weapons from Cuba and the United States was offered on-site inspection. (web) The United States made a promise not to invade Cuba and to remove its missiles from Turkey. (web) Kennedy called off the naval blockade place on Cuba. (web) The United States did not get their inspection as promised because Cuba did not allow it due to them being upset with the USSR's submission. (Webster's) It did not matter though because United States spy planes revealed the missile bases were being dismantled. Soon after the crisis was history, Khrushchev announced that he would concentrate on Russia's economic problems instead of international military matters. (Garthoff) In April 1963, Russia signed the nuclear test ban treaty. (web) The Cuban Missile Crisis is the closest the world has ever been to ending in my mind as well as many other minds. Our president, JFK, made a lot of courageous and strategic moves to avoid and all out war without giving in to the Soviet Union either.

When I ask people what it was like to be alive during those memorable thirteen days, most tell me they wondered if they would see people again when they left. (Grammy Harvey) People did not know what was going to happen, automatically they think of the worst case scenario and picture the world ending. Its scary when you think just how close we came.