In October of 1962, America and the Soviet Union were as close as they had ever come to war. The Soviet's had nuclear-armed weapons based in Cuba that could strike on America at any point. The Soviet's had promised to protect Cuba from anyone at any time. Leader at the time, Nikita Khrushchev started sending medium-range missiles to Cuba in 1960. In July of 1962, President John F. Kennedy and America learned of Soviet's actions and immediately tried putting an end to the shipping of missiles. Many missiles were discovered by spy planes that Kennedy sent out to learn more of the Soviet's actions. Just three months later, Kennedy ordered a naval blockade be established to halt any other Missiles from entering Cuba. As the days grew darker, the event of a nuclear war seemed more and more inevitable as time grew. After bartering and negotiating, on October 28th, 1962 Khrushchev informed President Kennedy that all missile work in Cuba would come to an end and all missiles on their way to or already in Cuba would be returned to the Soviet Union. Kennedy assured that America would never invade Cuba and that they would remove all missiles from Turkey. All were happy to avoid war except for the disgruntled leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro.
This was the closest that the world has ever come to a nuclear war to date. This is also the closest America and the Soviets had been to actual war with each other. For the first time the two nations were face-to-face, negotiating war and peace. In all other accounts of the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union had fought through other countries like the Vietnam War, but in this particular instance America and the Soviet's came, what some think, within seconds of a nuclear war. This step back in action by Khrushchev, ultimately led to his downfall just two years later in 1964. Millions of Soviets were outraged that they did not attack America while they have the chance and Khrushchev was out of power shortly there after.
Kennedy's Press Conference
"Cuban missile crisis" Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. YouTube - John F. Kennedy Missile Crisis." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7YkJxQT_0Y>.
1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis-
In October of 1962, America and the Soviet Union were as close as they had ever come to war. The Soviet's had nuclear-armed weapons based in Cuba that could strike on America at any point. The Soviet's had promised to protect Cuba from anyone at any time. Leader at the time, Nikita Khrushchev started sending medium-range missiles to Cuba in 1960. In July of 1962, President John F. Kennedy and America learned of Soviet's actions and immediately tried putting an end to the shipping of missiles. Many missiles were discovered by spy planes that Kennedy sent out to learn more of the Soviet's actions. Just three months later, Kennedy ordered a naval blockade be established to halt any other Missiles from entering Cuba. As the days grew darker, the event of a nuclear war seemed more and more inevitable as time grew. After bartering and negotiating, on October 28th, 1962 Khrushchev informed President Kennedy that all missile work in Cuba would come to an end and all missiles on their way to or already in Cuba would be returned to the Soviet Union. Kennedy assured that America would never invade Cuba and that they would remove all missiles from Turkey. All were happy to avoid war except for the disgruntled leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro.This was the closest that the world has ever come to a nuclear war to date. This is also the closest America and the Soviets had been to actual war with each other. For the first time the two nations were face-to-face, negotiating war and peace. In all other accounts of the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union had fought through other countries like the Vietnam War, but in this particular instance America and the Soviet's came, what some think, within seconds of a nuclear war. This step back in action by Khrushchev, ultimately led to his downfall just two years later in 1964. Millions of Soviets were outraged that they did not attack America while they have the chance and Khrushchev was out of power shortly there after.
Kennedy's Press Conference
"Cuban missile crisis" Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
YouTube - John F. Kennedy Missile Crisis." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7YkJxQT_0Y>.