Cuban Missile Crisis - E-book - ePub

The Cuban missile crisis, commonly known as the Caribbeancrisis in Russian terms and October crisis in Cuban terms isthe time highlighting the juxtaposition between the Soviet Union, Cuba, and the United States. It is often considered as the coldwar of Cuba which was extended to a great level that therewas a major possibility of the conversion of the cold war intoa nuclear war between the two countries.
The Soviet Unionstarted installing the missiles in Cuba as they wanted Americansto emit the missiles placed in Turkey and Italy. Another reasonwas the unsuccessful Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 by Americawhich developed a huge fear of another attack in Cuba in theminds of USSR (Soviet Union). In 1959, Fidel Castro was giventhe power and was considered as the new government ofCuba. Using his power Castro took over the importantAmerican business and as a result, American Governmentforeclosed buying goods and services from Cuba.
On February7, 1962, new tension arouse that Soviet would invade Americathrough Cuba. As Cuba was very close to America, it was quiteobvious that the missiles thrown by the Soviet would reach theAmerican cities which can not only harm the people residingtheir but also pulverize the American businesses. The theory mainly focuses on the crisis and consequences thatoccurred due to the cold war. It mainly happened due to themiscommunications, misinterpretations, and misunderstandingsbetween the two countries.
As American had once tried theBay of Pigs invasion in Cuba, the Soviet Union suspected thatthe Americans would invade Cuba again. In that fear, NikitaKhrushchev, the Soviet premier decided to place the missiles inCuba to protect the region from another invasion. TheAmerican government was quite alert as they knew that Sovietwill do some harmful act after the failure of Bay of Pigsinvasion. However, the prediction came to be true when theAmericans observed the missiles placement in Cuban onOctober 14, 1962.
The crisis sustained for 11 days until theJohn F Kennedy, the formal president of US came to the finalagreement with the U Thant. The agreement stated that themissiles placed in Cuba should be ruined on the condition thatAmericans will no more attack Cuba. Khrushchev also had asecret agreement with Kennedy to remove the Jupiter andThor missiles located in the Turkey and Italy. However, Kennedy accepted his terms but desired not to reveal this tothe public.
This misunderstanding between the Soviet Union andAmerica was converted into a major crisis. Though the problemcould be sorted through a proper communication, Soviet wishedto take a revenge on the Americans using the weapons andmissiles on its own soil. According to the several surveys and sources, the war wasalmost transformed into the nuclear war but somehow themeetings and agreement between the two rescued the life ofthousands of people and a lot of property.