Pdf a general explanation of the cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile crisis database of k12 resources. Explaining the cuban missile crisis helps us understand uss decisionmaking throughout the thirteen days by allowing us to look through three distinctive conceptual models. Cuba the deal made 50 years ago this week to end the cuban missile crisis and stave off nuclear armageddon is widely viewed today as a winwin for moscow. Sep 14, 2012 as we come up towards the 50th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis, there are several new books coming out commemorating the crisis, adding new information and interpretation, and taking fresh looks at what history remembers as the most dangerous crisis of the nuclear age. Why we should still study the cuban missile crisis united states. In contemporary times, literary and cinematic interpretations of the cuban missile crisis have still excluded a cuban perspective in their material. Dec 12, 2017 forty years later, what is now known as the cuban missile crisis, which lasted for several weeks, is remembered as the hottest moment in the cold war between east and west and a defining moment in kennedys presidency. Missiles in cuba can beaflexible component in any secondarylevelsocial studies course, particularly u. A case study into the cuban missile crisis researching whether factors of the democratic peace theory influenced the policymaking of president kennedy and his excomm bachelor thesis, institute of political science, leiden university student.
True test of a leader how well does he perform in a crisis cuban missile 2. The cuban missile crisis was one of the major climaxes of the cold war, bringing the world the closest it has ever been to a nuclear war. Pdf this chapter develops a new explanation of the cuban missile crisis, from a. In exchange, the us would remove missile bases in turkey near the soviet unions borders. Miller political science 220b may, 1966 university of california berkeley except for the correction of some typographical errors, this digitally remastered version is. Carter s memorandum is also reproduced in cia documents on the cuban missile crisis, 1962, pp. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the october crisis of 1962 spanish. Some scholars have questioned the utility of studying the cuban missile crisis as a. Kennedy library, sta26162 the cuban missile war was the most devastating war in world history. Oct 23, 2014 bbc history file film on the cuban missile crisis. Fourteen days after the discovery of the soviet missiles, the crisis ended. Apr 20, 2020 during the cuban missile crisis in 1962, both the acting secretarygeneral u thant and the security council played a vital role in averting an international crisis when a dispute between the united states of america and the soviet union over cuba escalated. Cuban missile crisis simple english wikipedia, the free. Harvard kennedy schools belfer center has created this site as a resource for the cuban missile crisis.
Kennedy convened an informal group of cabinet officials and top civilian and military advisors the ex comm to consider and plan an appropriate response. The cuban missile crisis the belfer center for science and. October 16, and kennedy immediately called for a meeting of his principal advisers at 11. Thirtysix years after the cuban missile crisis, these declassified documents stand as testament to just how dangerously close the world came to nuclear destruction in 1962, and challenge the official history of the event as a model of crisis management. Key documents cuban missile crisiscuban missile crisis.
Kennedy and soviet premier nikita khrushchev, were able to prevent the worstcase scenario from taking place. May 23, 2008 produced by the discovery channel, a historical documentary commemorating the 40th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis hosted by internationally acclaimed writer tom clancy. Thankfully, the cuban missile crisis was settled by uss decisions. The program uses documentary footage to reconstruct step by stepthe events which brought the united states and the soviet union to the brink of nuclear war in october 1962. Part of the excellent bbc learning zone series that supports the modern world gcse syllabus. The core questions a model i analyst seeks to answer in explaining a govern. During the cuban missile crisis nuclear weapons in cuba were aimed at the us, and at the same time nuclear weapons in the us were aimed at cuba. With the push of a button on either side, a nuclear. Fidel castro centre for international governance innovation. Allison in pdf format, then youve come to the right site. How cuba won the missile crisis public radio international. Allison and zelikow explore through three different conceptual lenses accommodating the reader to look further into common. A national security archive documents reader national security archive, chang, laurence, kornbluh, peter on.
Lessons drawn from the cuban missile crisis, or interpretations of it, continue to shape the. The executive committee of the national security council excomm, meeting in the white house cabinet room, sorted through intelligence and advised the president during the cuban missile crisis. The crisis was a defining moment in the presidency of john f. Cubas absence from the crisis that bore its name is a constant feature of u. The cuban missile crisis in october of 1962 brought the united states and the soviet. Allison, graham, and philip zelikow 1999 essence of decision. The characteristics of these new missile sites indicate two distinct types of installations. In october 1962, all of the pieces were in place for nuclear annihilation. Eisenhowers reluctant adventurism to use a favorite marxist word plunged us into the most dangerous period of the cold war. Mcgeorge bundy had informed the president about the u2 photographs of the missile sites at 8.
By then the meaning of kennedys strategy got through to khrushchev. The cuban missile crisis occurred in 1962 when the soviet union began to install nuclear missiles in cuba. Dod, transcripts, secret, notes taken from transcripts of meetings of the joint chiefs of staff, octobernovember 1962. Soviet union agreed to remove all missiles in cuba in exchange for the. For decades, the cuban missile crisis has been studied and analyzed as a case study in presidential power and crisis management.
The cuban missile crisis began for the united states on the morning of october 16, when president kennedy was informed of the discovery of missile sites in cuba by u2 surveillance aircraft. Designed to help policymakers, students, and interested citizens draw lessons from these critical events half a century ago, this site not only provides background on the crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster in october 1962 but also offers tools to understand how. We were in our third year, none of us 15 yet, and we were walking in the valley of the. The confrontation is often considered the closest the cold war. The united states refused to allow this and, after thirteen tense days and many secret negotiations, the soviet union agreed to remove the missiles.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The cuban missile crisis at 55 national security archive. Explaining the cuban missile crisis, by graham allison and philip zelikow examines the momentous cuban missile crisis, which was one of the most successful acts of diplomacy during the cold war. Allison harvard university the cuban missile crisis is a seminal event. The cuban missile crisis 4 preparations continue, thus increasing the threat to the hemisphere, further action will be justified.
The picture left is one of those taken from the spy plane and clearly shows missile transporter trailers and tents where fuelling and maintenance took place. Yet the late cuban leader fidel castro, us president john f. Khrushchev initiated the cuban missile crisis which ended the berlin crisis. The missile crisis illustrates the sometimes pivotal role of personality in politics. Nonetheless, the cuban missile crisis remains the bestdocumented study of. Raul castro, brother of cuban premier fidel castro, visits moscow. A period of increased cooperation and reduced tensions known as detente began almost immediately after the cuban missile crisis and continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In united states historiography, the importance of cuba in the cuban missile crisis has been marginalized by the threat of soviet made military hardware in the western hemisphere. Essence of decision studocu summary library en studocu. Foreign relations of the united states, 19611963, volume xi. The soviet union begins largescale shipments of technicians and military aid to cuba.
Cuban missile crisis, major confrontation at the height of the cold war that brought the united states and the soviet union to the brink of a shooting war in october 1962 over the presence of soviet nucleararmed missiles in cuba. Due to the age and poor quality of some of the pdf images, a screen reader may not be able to process the images into word documents. It is better understood as an example of the limits of presidential power and the haphazard returns of crisis management. On 14th october 1962 a us spy plane flying over cuba reported the installation of russian nuclear missile bases. New books on the cuban missile crisis the fourteenth day. This is perhaps the closest that the united states and the soviet union came to nuclear.
These historical documents are pdf images of formerly classified carbon paper and reports that have been declassified. Indeed, on the fever chart of these fortyfive years. And having now confirmed and completed our evaluation of the evidence and our decision on a course of action, this government feels obliged to report this new crisis to you in fullest detail. Cia special national intelligence estimate, major consequences of certain u. The cuban missile crisis was a time of heightened confrontation between the soviet union, the united states, and cuba during the cold war.
If you read british foreign office records from the 1940s, its clear they recognised that their day in the sun was over and that britain would have to be the junior partner of the united states, and sometimes treated in a humiliating way. I have directed the armed forces to prepare for any eventualities. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Click download or read online button to get the cuban missile crisis book now. A striking example of this was in 1962, the time of the cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile crisis in the international system nicholas r. In russia, it is known as the caribbean crisis russian.
Cuban missile crisis closer to nuclear war than previously believed. For thirteen davs of october1962, there was a higher probability that more human lives would end suddenly than ever before in history. Cuba and the missile crisis article pdf available in journal of latin american studies 2212. The cuban missile crisis download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Pdf a gametheoretic history of the cuban missile crisis. Oct 16, 2017 the cuban missile crisis at 55 maps and charts prepared by cuban historians for the 55th anniversary of the missile crisis showing deployments of soviet forces missiles and troops, range of soviet missiles, and scope of u.
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