The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban missile crisis was the worst point of the cold war. The major confrontation began when the United States discovered Nikata Khrushchev, the Soviet premier had secretly installed Soviet missiles that were carrying nuclear weapons from Cuba. The missiles were targeted all over the United States and in particular Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. When President John F. Kennedy discovered the plot, there was a standoff of several days as the United States imposed a naval blockade of Cuba and the US demanded the USSR to remove the missiles immediately. The United States were fearful that Fidel Castro, Cuba's revolutionary leader, would establish a Communist regime so they also applied economic pressure and cut off all trade between the United States and Cuba. Castro responded by becoming closer to USSR and Russia helped Cuba by offering trade opportunities. This was to ease the effects of America's trade block with Cuba which began two years earlier.

English: John F. Kennedy meeting with Nikita Khrus...

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English: Civilian employees and dependents boarded...

The US and the USSR were already involved in the Cold War. The Cold War was a diplomatic, military and economic struggle between capitalist and Communist countries. They also promised the protection of US hostilities. The cozy alliance between the Soviet Union and Cuba laid the perfect groundwork for a missile base in Cuba .

In September of 1962, President John F. Kennedy warned the Soviets that "the gravest of issues would arise" are weapons were found. In October, U.S. spy planes showed photographs of Soviet missile installations under construction in Cuba. The United States said to Cuba if the weapons were not dismantled and removed, that they would invade. Khrushchev thought that the United States would take no action. The Soviet diplomat denied that there were any offense missiles being built in Cuba. The United States then...