World war z during world war z, nearly every nation on earth was pushed to the brink of extermination by the zombie hordes. In october 1962 washington was preparing to invade cuba and brought the world to the brink of a nuclear conflict, but was blocked by the mobilization of cuba s armed workers and farmers. This is not just one more book on cuba, for as specialist jorge dominguez argues in the excellent introduction, this work records the interactions of crucial actors in the 1962 cuban missle crisis. Castro, the missle crisis, and the soviet collapse dominguez, jorge i. The cuban crisis the cold war 19451989 cvce website. Kennedy demanded that the soviets remove the missiles and ordered a blockade of cuba.
Michio kaku and daniel axelrod, to win a nuclear war. This moment, exactly so is available now thu 12 nov 2015 15. As the cuban revolution was part of the cold war, most sources are heavily biased toward either american or socialist interpretations of events. Brink of nuclear war, includes an exclusive account of soviet plans to attack guantanamo naval base with tactical nuclear weapons, the first detailed description of the handling and movement of soviet nuclear warheads around cuba, and previously unknown details about cia activities inside cuba. Letter from prime minister castro to chairman khrushchev.
President kennedy and secretary of defense mcnamara in an excomm meeting. Turkish and cuban missiles during the height of the cold war. The events of the cuban missile crisis, during which the cold war between the. Having cuba as an ally was seen as political profit to the soviet leaders. In the early 1990s, when the collapse of the soviet union pitched cuba into economic crisis, leal persuaded president fidel castro to approve the establishment of a. A tense standoff between the united states and the soviet union followed, bringing the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear conflict. The icrc and the 1962 cuban missile crisis by thomas fischer o n 6 november 1962, the swiss ambassador and former. The soviet union had secretly stationed nuclear weapons on the island of cuba, and when the government of the. The cuban missile crisis collin abel senior division historical paper 2,500 words. The first included nearly all the living members of the excomm executive committee of the national security council, formed by president kennedy on 16 oct.
In all likelihood, the two foremost reasons motivating khrushchev were, first, to save cuba and its revolutionary government from a perceived upcoming invasion by the us, and second, to redress an unfavorable nuclear balance. However, some people, countries, and animals actually benefitted from the war by using large masses and terrain as profitable, vital. The soviet union had secretly stationed nuclear weapons on the island of cuba, and when the government of. For days, the soviet union and the united states were on the brink of nuclear war. Deliberation and decision during the cuban missile crisis. On the night of august 4, 1789, amid rumors of peasant unrest, clerics and nobles in the french national assembly enthusiastically renounced their feudal privileges, overturning the old regime and establishing equality before the law. Since the overthrow of fulgencio batistas military dictatorship in january 1959, cuba had been ruled by fidel castro. Cuba welcomes decision, but says it has no plans to rejoin. In this and the next section we examine how ir reacted to cuban challenges to the missile crisis myth. For 14 days in october 1962 the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. The cuban missile crisis was among the scariest events of the cold war. How fidel castro sees cuba s plight and what he hopes to do about it emerge from this account of a unique conference held in havana in 1992, which brought together the soviet, cuban, and american participants in the cuban missile crisis to discuss its causes and course. Summer 20 columbus bar lawyers quarterly 25 toiletries and linens to sell on cuba s ubiquitous gray market. Letter from prime minister castro to chairman khrushchev, october 26, 1962.
It wasnt supposed to be this way, especially after the soviet unions demise put cuba on the brink of economic collapse and washington passed tough laws in 1992 and 1996 to tighten the u. Nikita khrushchev and the decision to deploy springerlink. With the disintegration of the soviet union and international socialism. New scholarship on the cuban missile crisis diplomatic. Cuba is on the brink of an internet revolution waterway.
My profile of james blight, architect of the critical oral history approach and authority on the cuban missile crisis. Castro, the missle crisis, and the soviet collapse james g. It is located in the caribbean sea or caribbean sea, near the coast of the united states and mexico. This new years eve in havana, 74yearold fidel castro celebrated his 42nd year in power. Cuban relations 32 supplementary documents to the cuban missile crisis 36 supplementary reading and materials 54 behind the scenes. Cuba on the brink james g blight, bruce j allyn, david a welch. Khrushchev a stunning insight into how the world looked from havana when, for a moment of supreme crisis, cuba was the hinge of the world. Nervous about another american attack, cuba turned to.
The history of cuban politics and cuban society really cannot be understood, from 1898, from 1959, without the impact of u. David a welch an account of a conference held in havana in 1992, studying the causes and the course of the 1962 cuban missile crisis, and revealing misperceptions on all sides that led to the brink of nuclear war. Given the analysis of the situation and the reports which have reached us, i consider an attack to be almost imminentwithin the. History 337 while history has judged kennedy harshly for the bay of pigs fiasco, kennedy had, in fact, been pinned on the horns of a dilemma that he had inherited from the eisenhower administration. Kop cuba on the brink av james g blight, bruce j allyn, david a welch pa.
The course of history sometimes hinges on what happens when people talk. Kennedy and nikita khrushchev during the cuban missile crisis, michael dobbs, author of. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the october crisis of 1962 spanish. An alternate list is provide missiled by brune crisis, pp. Websites on us relations with cuba kennedy library resources jfk in history. Cuba s perspective on the missile crisis, in the cuban missile crisis revisited, ed. In this issue of nuclear notebook, the authors analyze the order of battle of nuclear forces that were available to military and civilian officials in both the united states and the soviet. Castro, the missile crisis, and the soviet collapse. On the brink of nuclear war an excerpt from the cuban missile crisis. Ben bella had gone to new york to address the united nations as representative of the newly independent nation.
Their hostility was based on the placement of nuclear missile heads in cuba. A fascinating and extremely well annotated transcription of the discussions held in havana in january 1992 by a distinguished group of veterans and analysts of cuba s role in the missile crisis of 1962. The social status pyramid versus economic pyramid disparity can be dramatic. John swift examines the events that led the world to the brink of nuclear catastrophe. Turkish and cuban missiles during the height of the.
Let americans travel freely to cuba lexington institute. Castro, the missile crisis, and the soviet collapse, pantheon books, new york, 1993. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis, when the united states and the soviet union walked back from the brink of a nuclear war. Cuba on the brink captures the drama and danger of leaders, countries, and ideologies on a collision course with nuclear catastrophe. A soldier poses for a photograph on the outer casing of an old, empty soviet missile on exhibit at the military complex morro cabana which is open to tourists in havana, cuba, oct. We flew from columbus to miami, then on to havana on a charter flight. The cuban missile crisis revisited though much was made of the conflagration between john f. Draft agreement between cuba and the ussr on military cooperation and mutual defense, august 1962, in laurence chang and peter kornbluh, eds, the cuban missile crisis, 1962. New insight into the cuban missile crisis 30 epilogue. From the bay of pigs to the cuban missile crisis 19591962 cover contents cover title page unit introduction for teachers california historysocial science standards covered notes on the pdf key terms bibliography student worksheets list of images acknowledgments back cover please see notes on the pdf, page 6. In addition to fidel castro himself, the participants included ray cline, robert mcnamara, arthur schlesinger jr. Cuba and the missile crisis philip brenner on 16 october 1962, president john f. Cuba, officially called the republic of cuba, is a socialist country located in the caribbean, just south of the u. Edited transcripts and analyses of the first two conferences can be found in blight and welch, on the brink.
572 461 564 1208 378 160 924 142 347 286 323 652 956 964 1481 824 560 801 1306 562 1028 801 441 618 388 847 1402 1487 236 764 1174 977