Cuban Missile Crisis

Can you imagine being afraid of being bombed? Can you imagine going into hiding? On October 16, 1962, the people of America were afraid for their lives. This was a confrontation during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviets were said to have nuclear weapons. The American people knew that they would be closer to a nuclear war than ever before. (Wikipedia)

By most historical accounts, the closest the United States has ever come to the brink of the nuclear holocaust occurred during a tense thirteen-day standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States in October 1962 known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U.S. was able to avoid nuclear disaster through a show of military power and tense negotiation.(The Struggle Over Policy)

By the spring of 1945, two world superpowers emerged from the rubble of the Second World War: the United States and Soviet Union. Within a year of the end of the war, these two allies had become advisories. During the 1950’s, under Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Union (USSR) was actively trying to establish a foothold in the Western Hemisphere closer to its enemy, the United States. On New Years Day in 1959 they got their perfect opportunity in Cuba. They had a revolution led by a young guerilla fighter named Fidel Castro. Within a year of the revolution, the Castro government

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fearing invasion from the USA turned to the Soviets for military and financial aid. By the early 1960’s, Cuba was a communist state with a growing presence of Soviet military advisors throughout the country.(The Struggle Over Policy)

On October 16, 1962, President Kennedy was shown pictures that revealed Soviet nuclear missile installations on the island. The President felt that he had a nuclear advantage with three hundred land based missiles and Polaris submarines. The Soviet Union was said to have only four to six land based ICBMs and about one hundred short range V-1 type missiles that could be launched from surface submarines. (Wikipedia)

In late July, over sixty Soviet ships were en route to Cuba because Khrushchev devised the deployment plan in May of 1962. Even though President Kennedy was

warned that the ships might be carrying weapons, he dismissed this accusation because he did not believe that the Soviets would try such a thing. (Wikipedia)

A U-2 flight in late August photographed a new series of surface-to-air missile sites being constructed. Even though there were photographs, Kennedy told Congress

that there were no offensive missiles in Cuba on September 4, 1962. Behind the Presidents back, Cuba was secretly building nine sites. (Wikipedia)

President Kennedy did not acknowledge the preparation of missiles until a U-2 flight showed the construction of an SS-4 site near San Cristobal on October 14. On October 19, the U-2 flights showed four sites that were operational. The United States government kept the information a secret by only telling fourteen of their closest officials. (Wikipedia)

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When President Kennedy televised the awful news, America went into shock. They were terrified at the thought of a nuclear war. The President announced that if there was a nuclear attack from Cuba, it would be regarded by the Soviet Union and would be responded to. He placed a naval quarantine on Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of military weapons from arriving there. (Wikipedia)

The American people’s thoughts were focused on the international situation in general and on atomic war and fall-out. Surprisingly, the public was neither traumatized nor paralyzed by the events that were taking place. The Cuban Missile Crisis did not dominate or take over people’s minds. The people of America had faith in their President and his decisions. But the thought that did keep entering into their heads was nuclear war and how to survive. (Tom W. Smith)

The public was not terrified or driven to panic during this terrifying time. The country paid close attention to events and showed poise under pressure like the President. Thoughts of death were less common during the climax week, which was October 22-28,

than before the crisis. Just eleven percent said their lives during that week differed from most weeks because of the Cuban Missile Crisis situation. (Tom