Cuban Missile Crisis

Michelle Lizarraga

Mr. McCarthy

Period 1

Cuban Missile Crisis

The 1960s was a decade full of controversy and violence for the United States. It would witness a war, assassinations, and a movement of Americans that would create turmoil in the nation. One of those events was the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred in October 1962 and is known as the closest we have ever been to nuclear warfare. The crisis was a major confrontation between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The confrontation was caused by the Soviets putting missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States of America. The world was in the hands of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. These two men would have to reach a compromise or else the results would be fatal. During the cold war John F. Kennedy and the Soviet premier met to discuss the was between the east and west but they resolved nothing and Khrushchev left thinking that Kennedy was a weak leader. The Soviets Kennedy was informed the missiles that very same day and his advisors told him that they wanted an air strike followed by an invasion put up in Cuba. Kennedy knew that if the US invaded the Soviets would use their missiles.        

On one of the following days, Kennedy asked if the Air Force could take out all of the missiles in Cuba. The Air Force then told the President that with that process there would be 10-20,000 civilian casualties. Kennedy then decided to set up a blockade around Cuba. US ships prepared for a quarantine. The press then learned about the nuclear missiles and questioned them about it, the President asked the reporters not to reveal the news so he could announce it to the American people on TV. The Soviets had instructions to launch the missiles within minutes of Kennedy’s speech. After Castro listened to the President’s speech he mobilized all of Cuba’s military forces. The Organization of American States approved the US quarantine of Cuba and by the end of the day the US ships were in line and were prepared to destroy and ship that failed to stop at that line. On Wednesday, October 24th the Soviets ships approached the quarantine line. Soviets ship stopped when they received a radio message from Moscow.