Most of what you know about the cuban missile crisis is. The cuban missile crisis exemplified the cold war between 1945 and 1991 between the us and russia. On 14th october 1962 a us spy plane flying over cuba reported the installation of russian nuclear missile bases. What are some of the best nonfiction books on the cuban. In dark beyond darkness, james blight and janet lang. Hourly history does quite well in quickly summarizing the events leading up to and surrounding the cuban missile crisis. Cuban missile crisis, 1962, major cold war confrontation between the united states and the soviet union. Discover the remarkable history of the cuban missile crisis. The following article on the result of the cuban missile crisis is an excerpt from warren kozaks curtis lemay. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful. The cuban missile crisis is a thrilling tale but it is also a chilling one, for the showdown could easily have gone another, darker way.
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. Welch distill the best current scholarship on the cuban missile crisis into a brief narrative history. The cuban missile crisis at 55 national security archive. About the cuban missile crisis and the threat of nuclear war. The cuban missile crisis occurred more than a half century ago, but the lessons of that terrifying cold war episode remain. As we know, brinkmanship is deliberately put crisis to the brink of disaster. Jfk and the aftermath of the cuban missile crisis norton, 2012. Kennedy was informed of a u2 spyplanes discovery of soviet nucleartipped missiles in cuba. Great leadership in a time of crisis the new york times.
In this spirit, professor scott has written a book of compelling interest. 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. The cuban missile crisisknown as the october crisis or the missile scare in cuba and the caribbean crisis in the former ussrwas a day confrontation in october 1962 between the soviet union and cuba on one side and the united states on the other side. President trumps threat to unleash the greatest fire and fury in history against north korea has prompted many hasty comparisons to the cuban missile crisis. Most popular cuban missile crisis movies and tv shows imdb. In response to the bay of pigs invasion and other american actions against cuba as well as to president kennedys buildup in italy and turkey of u. Kennedy called together a group of his closest advisers at the white house. In the brief space of this article, it is not possible to. At midday, and again in the early evening of october 16, 1962, john f. The origins of the cuban missile crisis lie in the failed bay of pigs invasion. A decade ago the sabers of war were rattling over iraq.
A whatif history of the cuban missile crisis eric g. With the longest war in us history currently underway, risks of terrorism. In this book, we read about the discovery by the us that the russians placed bombs in cuba that could be sent rapidly to the us and destroy much of the country. Aerial reconnaissance during the cuban missile crisis by capt. The cuban missile crisis and the threat of nuclear war. Cuban missile crisis world history free pdf download. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
For 14 days in october 1962 the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. The lessons of the cuban missile crisis foreign affairs. Enjoyed this book as it provides some valuable insight into this brief, but highly intense period of the cold war. Lessons learned from cuban missile crisis prove relevant today. Jfks address on cuban missile crisis shocks the nation history. 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. A concise history, second edition, don munton and david a. The crisis was a defining moment in the presidency of john f. In 1961 at the bay of pigs, ciatrained and organized cuban exiles aiming to overthrow fidel castro were soundly defeated. The soviet union had secretly stationed nuclear weapons on the island of cuba, and. Fifty years after the cuban missile crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war its dramatic history continues to hold lessons for the present.
Brinkmanship and the cuban missile crisis 1264 words 6 pages. Rational choice theory of the cuban missile crisis bartleby. Best sellers gift ideas new releases whole foods today s deals amazonbasics coupons gift cards help free shipping shopper toolkit registry sell. This book tells the story of the cuban missile crisis in 1962, the struggle that president kennedy and his advisers including the author, who was head of intelligence at the state department went through to try to understand why the soviet union had put nuclear missiles in cuba, the alternative policies they debated to deal with the presence of the missiles, the aftermath of the. It is about a time of tension that many analysts are saying is similar to the us relationship with russia today.
The contradictions of defense department declassification policy. Welch distill the best current scholarship on the cuban missile crisis into a brief and accessible narrative history. Professor philip brenner looks back at the cuban missile crisis to share insight on how best to prevent and mitigate international security crises today. Photographs taken by a highaltitude u2 spy plane offered. Should any party be held more at fault than the other. The current confrontation between the united states and iran is like a cuban missile crisis in slow motion. Brian dooley assesses the incident which brought the world perilously close to nuclear war. The cuban missile crisis was the moment during the cold war when the two superpowers. In may 1960, khrushchev began to ship ballistic missiles to cuba and technicians to operate them.
The cuban missile crisis was different to those wars it was partly about strengthening the soviet position and giving it a more credible nuclear threat. John swift examines the events that led the world to the brink of nuclear catastrophe. Bundy came to alert the president that a major national crisis was at hand jfk library. The cuban missile crisis 30 years on history today. Fifty years ago the united states and the soviet union stood closer to armageddon than at any other moment in history.
An international history of the cuban missile crisis. Presidential decisionmaking and its effect on military employment during the kennedy administration fidel castro, domino theory, covert operations, khrushchev. The decision whether to use nuclear weapons that faced political and military leaders fortyfive years ago may be the choices facing leaders in crises situations today and in the future. On october 18, kennedy met with soviet minister of foreign affairs, andrei gromyko, who claimed the weapons were for defensive purposes only. Kennedy relied on a history book to guide him in the cuban missile crisis and we now know that book was wrong by jordan michael smith globe correspondent.
I also want to commend the former historian of the kennedy library, sheldon stern, who many of you have probably seen, who is in the audience today and has a piece on this cuban missile crisis in today s boston globe. Forget those comparisons with the cuban missile crisis. Not wanting to expose what he already knew and to avoid panicking the american public,kennedy did not reveal that he was already aware of the missile buildup. The authors draw on newly available documents to provide a comprehensive treatment of its causes, events, consequences, and significance. Brinkmanship and the cuban missile crisis qianwen shi 362015 to discuss about the conclusion of the dodges case study, i think i should explain the concept of brinkmanship first. A french intelligence agent becomes embroiled in the cold war politics first with uncovering the events leading up to the 1962 cuban missile crisis, and then back to france to break up an international russian spy ring. Cuban missile crisis timeline world history project. 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. Soviet premier nikita khrushchev saw an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the soviet union and fidel castro s cuba and make good its promise to defend cuba from the united states. A striking example of this was in 1962, the time of the cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile crisis in american history library binding march 1, 2001 by paul brubaker author. Defense department deletes khrushchevs public statements about jupiter missiles in turkey.
In january 1959, fulgencio batista, the brutal, americanbacked cuban dictator, was overthrown by the guerrilla army of fidel castro. Even now, fresh history continues to blow holes in what we thought we knew. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the october crisis of 1962 spanish. Lessons learned from cuban missile crisis prove relevant today opinion. How did the superpowers extricate themselves from it. Thus, it is a part of history that we need to understand to be able to understand what is happening today. If you want a more tacticallevel perspective on the cuban missile crisis, check out blue moon over cuba. The cuban missile crisis begins on october 14, 1962, bringing the united states and the soviet union to the brink of nuclear conflict.
The cuban missile crisis as history, warning, and catalyst james g. National security archive electronic briefing book no. List of books and articles about cuban missile crisis. It could happen at all because in the years before 1962 the cuban revolution led communist leader fidel castro to take control of cuba in 1959.