Joshua Rivera
October 15, 2013
I. Introduction
II. Baslance of Power: Soviet deployment of missile in Cuban
III. Kennedy and Khrushcev intentions: missile reported
IV. Blockade
V. Conclusion
The Cuban missile crisis was a conflict between the Soviet Union, Cuba and United States. The Soviet Union had missiles kept in Cuba, United States found out and tensions rose. The Cuban missile crisis became a problem the United States had to solve.
Unites states and the Soviet Union were front runners in the missiles arms race.
In 1961 the Soviets only had four intercontinental ballistic missiles. By Oct. 1962, they may have had a few dozen. The United states on the other hand had 170. Overall, the advantage in total number of nuclear warheads (27,000 against 3,600) at the time. In May 1962, Soviet premier Nikita Khruschev countered the U.S. Growing lead in strategic missiles, so he placed Soviet missiles in Cuba. Fidel Castro and Khruschev came to an agreement, due to the fact Fidel felt that the U.S. Would attack and he wanted to protect his island nation. In the summer of 1962 Soviet Union worked on secretly building missiles in Cuba. Fidel and Khruschev came to a mutual agreement that the U.S seemed to becoming increasingly powerful witched scared bothe of them but they both saw the need for self protection. So they both came to a compromise where Fidel will hold Khruschev missiles and in the event Cuba was to be attacked upon they would have the necessary weapons to fight back against the U.S.
But ofcourse once the U.S and all the world caught wind of this it obviously stirred up controversy, thus the Cuban Missile Crisis began and the U.S.Cuba and Soviet Union came to a standoff all about who would attack first. But soon you will see it was a game of bluffing for neither nations wanted to truly go to war and nuclear war at that. But both nations were ofcourse ready if neccesarry. (library.thinkquest.org)
The missiles were spotted Sept. 1962 by Anti-Castro Cuban refugees and reported