mid+20th+century+group+5+a+Cuban+Missile+Crisis+(1962)

=Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)=

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Overview
In the fall of 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union came as close as they ever would to global nuclear war. Hoping to correct what he saw as a strategic imbalance with the United States, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev began secretly deploying medium range ballistic missiles and intermediate range ballistic missiles to Fidel Castro's Cuba. Once operational, these nuclear-armed weapons could have been used against cities and military targets in most of the continental United States. However, U.S. intelligence discovered Khrushchev's plan, and President John F. Kennedy ordered the Soviets to remove from Cuba not only their missiles but all of their offensive weapons. This event became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. = =

Critical Issue
The Navy incorporation with other U.S armed forces and with American Allies created and maintained a month long naval quarantine of Cuba in order to prevent Russian ships from bringing additional missiles and construction materials to the island. The potential military force created by the U.S and its Allies were so effective that the president did not have to resort to war to protect vital Western interests because Khrushchev realized that his missile and bomber forces were no match for the United States. Khrushchev, faced with the armed might of the United States and its allies had little choice but to find some way out of the difficult situation in which he had placed himself and his country. President Kennedy did not press the advantage that the strength of U.S. and allied naval and military forces gave him. Thus, on October 28, the Russian Premier conceded to President Kennedy's demands by ordering all Soviet supply ships away from Cuban waters and agreeing to remove the missiles from Cuba's mainland.

Conclusion/Historical Significance
The entire incident lasted seven days from October 22 to October 28, which became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Khrushchev may have placed his missiles in Cuba only to get Kennedy to remove U.S missiles from Italy and Turkey that threatened the Soviet Union. However, because the withdrawal of the Jupiter missiles from NATO bases in Southern Italy and Turkey was not made public at the time and Khrushchev’s forces drawn from Cuba made Khrushchev appeared to have lost the conflict and become weakened. The perception was that Kennedy had won the contest between the superpowers and Khrushchev had been humiliated. However, this is not entirely the case as both Kennedy and Khrushchev took every step to avoid full conflict despite the pressures of their governments. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closet the World had come to a Nuclear War.