Were contemporaries correct in regarding President Kennedy as the saviour of the Western World after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Authors Avatar

Were contemporaries correct in regarding President Kennedy as the saviour of the Western World after the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A large section of the American public believed that Kennedy had acted sensibly and responsibly to avoid nuclear conflict as they had been told a biased story. The American public had only been told what Kennedy wanted them to know. Khrushchev was made to look bad, whereas Kennedy came out of the Cuban missiles crisis looking strong and brave. He was seen to stand up to Khrushchev and win, which put him in a good light with American people.

        

However, the Americans did not see all that was really happening. I think that Khrushchev played just as much of a part in resolving the crisis as Kennedy. Khrushchev wanted to put an end to the crisis because Kennedy had missiles in Turkey, which is next to Russia, pointing at them. Khrushchev had missiles in Cuba facing America but I do not think that he would have fired them, as I think that that they were only put there to warn Kennedy and to show him that he does not call all the shots.

Join now!

Also, Khrushchev could have made the situation a lot more awkward for Kennedy than he did, but he knew that this would be risking a nuclear war. Khrushchev was prepared to compromise with Kennedy to resolve the crisis, before the situation became too dangerous.

I do not think that Khrushchev intended a nuclear war, as he knew that if this happened it would be the end of Russia. I think that he could have been playing with and taunting Kennedy by making him feel the danger and by letting him know that the result of the situation was ...

This is a preview of the whole essay