The Cuban Missile Crisis was the most serious U.S.-Soviet confrontation of the Cold War

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The Cuban Missile Crisis The closest the world ever came to its own destruction was the event known to Americans as the Cuban Missile Crisis. In Cuba this event is known as the October Crisis of 1962, and in the former Soviet Union it was known as the Caribbean Crisis. The Soviets had installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States and the U. S. armed forces were at their highest state of readiness. The Soviet Union field commanders in Cuba were authorized to use tactical nuclear weapons if invaded by the U.S. The fate of millions literally hinged upon the ability of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, to reach a compromise. During the next two weeks of deliberation and negotiation, the two countries edged as close to nuclear devastation as the world has ever come. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the most serious U.S.-Soviet confrontation of the Cold War; this crisis was so intense that it absorbed the entire attention of President Kennedy and his closest advisers for nearly two weeks while the nation stood paralyzed on the brink of nuclear war. In the first weeks of September 1962, American U-2 spy planes discovered that the Soviet Union was building surface-to-air launch sites. In addition to this discovery there were a growing number of Soviet ships arriving in Cuba. The United States feared that these ships were carrying a new supply of weapons to Cuba. President John F. Kennedy, upset by these findings, complained to the Soviet Union about these developments and warned them that the United States would not allow offensive weapons in Cuba. (NSA, http://www.nsa.gov/publications/publi00033.cfm) With the SAM sites now actively installed, Cuban's possessed the ability to shoot down U-2 spy planes, putting Kennedy in a difficult position. Elections for the United States Congress were only two months away and with America's waning support of the President it was crucial for Kennedy to make the right decision. President Kennedy's ratings had fallen to their lowest point since he took office in 1961 and the polls suggested that after the congressional elections, support for Kennedy would continue to decline. Kennedy began to restrict U-2 flights over Cuba and pilots were told to avoid flying the whole length of the island. The President hoped this would ensure that a U-2 plane would not be shot down, and would prevent Cuba from becoming a major issue during the congressional election campaign. (Smith, The Polls, 1-5) While there was
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scatted evidence starting as early as July in 1962 of increased Soviet military assistance to Cuba, the presence of air defense missiles was not confirmed until August 29. By October 10 the United States military was aware that median-range bombers were shipped to Cuba, however absolute proof of these medium-range ballistic missiles did not become available until the examination of photographs taken on October 14 was completed on the following day. Schaller states that the photographs taken by a U-2 spy plane "showed the construction fifteen miles south of Havana of a launching site for missiles with a range of ...

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