Cuban Missle Crisis Essay Research Paper Nikita free essay sample

Cuban Missle Crisis Essay, Research Paper Nikita Khrushchev and the Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was the closest the universe of all time came to all-out atomic war. When the Soviet Union placed violative atomic missiles in Cuba, President Kennedy interpreted the act as one of ill will that would non be tolerated. However, the state of affairs was blown manner out or proportion by the president, American media, and finally the citizens of the United States. The Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, was responding to the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba, US Missile installings along the Turkey/Soviet boundary line, and the clear anti-Communist policy of the United States. Khrushchev was born in Kalinovka in southwesterly Russia. He was raised in a hapless household whose income depended entirely on the coal mining occupation of his male parent. In 1918 he joined the Bolsheviks and attended a Communist school the undermentioned twelvemonth. We will write a custom essay sample on Cuban Missle Crisis Essay Research Paper Nikita or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He moved to Moscow in 1929 and began working for the Communist authorities. He gained much congratulations and advanced rapidly. By 1939, he was a member of the Politburo. He became Secretary of the of the Central Committee in 1951. After Stalin died in 1953, the USSR went through two more Prime Ministers before Khrushchev came to power in 1958. As Premier, Khrushchev publically condemned the panic filled reign of Stalin. Stalin continually pushed for domination. Several Eastern European states united with the USSR under Stalin s reign and 1000000s of guiltless people were slain. Stalin besides restricted Soviet citizens personal autonomies to antecedently unheard of steps. Khrushchev was a wholly different swayer. He acridly criticized Stalin s offenses against humanity and began a rapid procedure known as de-Stalinization. This entailed destructing statues, images, or images of Stalin and renaming most things antecedently named for Stalin. Khrushchev besides restored many of the p ersonal autonomies that Stalin had taken off. He allow political captives free, restored much freedom of idea, and restored freedom of the imperativeness. He increased production in mills and placed a strong accent on the Soviet infinite plan. Although he had small commiseration for little, weak Europe and Asiatic states, he worked to avoid war with Western states. He even called for a peaceable coexistence with the United States. Khrushchev, despite being communist, was concerned for the public assistance of his state and did non desire war with the United States. Despite his desire to avoid struggle with the western universe, Khrushchev was faced with an aggressive United States authorities, and had to move consequently. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a premier illustration. This open military action took topographic point when the CIA funded a paramilitary force of Rebel Cubans to occupy Cuba and overthrow Castro. Kennedy refused to give the invasion strong American military force so it finally failed, therefore going a great embarrassment to the United States. Not merely was it an unbelievable failure and embarrassment, but it was besides a US sponsored military offense against Cuba, a communist state and Soviet ally. It was a challenge to the authoritiess of both the Soviet Union and Cuba. In add-on to the onslaught on Cuba, Khrushchev was besides faced with US missile installings in Turkey and Italy that posed a serious menace to the Soviet Union. The installings in Turkey were less than 150 stat mis from the Soviet boundary line. The installings here were MRBMs, Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles, and were about indistinguishable to the missiles Khrushchev had installed in Cuba. He was simply seeking to forestall the US from deriving the upper manus in a power battle, which could hold meant serious disaste r for the Soviets. Khrushchev, just like Kennedy and the rest of the United States, didn t want the enemy to gain a nuclear advantage. He was trying to protect his country and prevent nuclear disaster. The hysteria created in the United States as a result of the Soviet installations was immense. The US media was calling Khrushchev s actions aggressive and people began to panic. Kennedy and his advisors were debating whether or not to invade Cuba to destroy the missiles (which would have meant war), or to negotiate with Khrushchev. The situation was turned into a crisis. Khrushchev sent his first of two letters to Kennedy on October 24, 1962 in which he explained his reasons for installing the missiles. He said that the action was not aggressive, and that they would remove them immediately if the US missiles in Turkey were dismantled and Kennedy publicly promised not to invade Cuba. The fact that Khrushchev wanted the Turkey missiles dismantled was hidden from the American public fo r several years, making Khrushchev look much more militant than he truly was. Kennedy still debated with his brother, Robert, and Vice President Johnson for a few days. They decided not to heed to the Soviet demands and waited instead. In the meantime a U-2 plane was shot down over Cuba as it was surveying the missiles, suggesting that Khrushchev might be aggressive. However, planes were continually flying over Cuba, posing a threat to the Cubans and Soviets. Kennedy decided not to retaliate but voiced that if another plane was shot down, we would invade Cuba. Khrushchev wrote another letter on October 26 reiterating that they would quickly dismantle the Cuban Missiles if the US would publicly promise not to invade Cuba and if they would dismantle their missiles in Turkey. Again, Kennedy delayed and did not respond to Khrushchev. Kennedy merely said that the US blockade would be lifted if the missiles were taken out. On October 28, Khrushchev agreed and ordered the missiles to be re moved. The Cuban Missile Crisis was over. What happened here is easily understood in retrospect. The US had outlined a clear Anti-Communism policy through the Korean War, Bay of Pigs invasion, and missile installations in Europe. Khrushchev didn t want to jeopardize the safety of his country so decided to install missiles in Cuba to protect the Cubans and the USSR The US media along with the government, did not inform the public of the installations in Turkey or Khrushchev s offer to remove the missiles if the US missiles were also removed. This created intense public opposition to the Soviet leader as he was made out to be much more militant than he actually was. He was simply fighting fire with fire, but the government and media prevented the public from having the truth. It looks almost like a blatant attempt to manipulate the American public by over-dramatizing a situation for which US government was predominately responsible. Kennedy threatened invasion and he would have had su pport of the entire nation if he had proceeded with this plan. Khrushchev obviously didn t want war as he eventually agreed to remove the missiles and allow the US to have a nuclear advantage. Why would Khrushchev agree to remove the missiles without any US promise to remove their missiles or not to invade Cuba? The answer is obvious. Khrushchev did not want war with the United States. He was a vast improvement over Stalin as a Premier and had restored much freedom to his country. He wasn t a mad killer like Stalin and simply wanted to protect the citizens of his country, unlike Stalin had. The US government, however, wanted the media and public to think otherwise. They succeeded.