Double, perhaps even quadruple that number of soviet, eastern european, and chinese citizens perished, and no one had any reliable data on how many western europeans, africans, asians, australians, and others were killed by the radioactive fallout as it. Those years reveal an extremely pervasive and robust cold war atmosphere, hence, the rationale why the missile crisis needs. These historical documents are pdf images of formerly classified carbon paper and reports that have been declassified. In united states historiography, the importance of cuba in the cuban missile crisis has been marginalized by the threat of soviet made military hardware in the western hemisphere. For this reason, many observers have said that during the cuban missile crisis the world came closer to the brink of nuclear war than at any other time. The cuban missile crisis of october 1962 has been considered the closest the u. Second, without a better grasp of dias history, the intelligence community is left with an incomplete. Due to the age and poor quality of some of the pdf images, a screen reader may not be able to process the images into word documents. Cuban missile crisis closer to nuclear war than previously believed. Taylor characterised the cuban missile crisis as the two most important weeks in human history. Read both letters and then compare the points of view of both men. Forty years ago, a standoff between the worlds two superpowers over soviet nuclear missile bases on the island of cuba threatened to plunge the world into a nuclear war. In contemporary times, literary and cinematic interpretations of the cuban missile crisis have still excluded a.
The authors report on the cuban missile crisis is much better written and includes some analysis. Afterward students can discuss how the events in the film compared to what they have learned in this lesson. The cuban missile crisis began for the united states on the morning of october 16, when president kennedy was informed of the discovery of missile sites in cuba by u2 surveillance aircraft. Central intelligence agency, dcimccone files, job 80b01285a, meetings with the president. Kennedy convened an informal group of cabinet officials and top civilian and military advisors the ex comm to consider and plan an appropriate response. The cuban missile crisis in the international system for the analyst of international politics, the cuban missile crisis was a marvelously useful. Through the exercises in this lesson, the students become fa. But the cuban missile crisis did not replicate on the beach, and so thoughts about a cuban missile war passed unobtrusively into history. Cuban missile crisis world history free pdf download. The two letters you will read for this final activity were exchanged between president kennedy and chairman khrushchev towards the end of the crisis. Resurrection day is a novel written by brendan dubois in 1999. Subject guides cuban missile crisis libraries western illinois. Memorandum for discussion washington, october 17, 1962.
Sep 14, 2012 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. If the cuban missile crisis was the most dangerous passage of the cold war, the most dangerous moment of the cuban missile crisis was the evening of saturday, 27 october 1962, when the resolution of the crisiswar or peace appeared to hang in the balance. These documents are from the foreign relations of the united states series, which i have recommended to many of you for your papers. This is a two column report, a retelling of the subject events. Second, he would deliver an ultimatum that the existing missiles be. During the cuban missile crisis nuclear weapons in cuba were aimed at the us, and at the same time nuclear weapons in the us were aimed at cuba. Dod, transcripts, secret, notes taken from transcripts of meetings of the joint chiefs of staff, octobernovember 1962. 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. Great britain, dispatch, confidential, british ambassador in cuba to foreign office, the cuban crisis chapters i and ii, november 10, 1962 with minutes. Cuban missile crisis and aftermath city university of. Cia documents on the cuban missile crisis, 1962 declassified version, 1992, by united states central intelligence agency, ed. In contemporary times, literary and cinematic interpretations of the cuban missile crisis have still excluded a cuban perspective in their material. Weather, was not placed on alert as it should have been by those who were responsible of doing so, had the crisis been a real one.
Cuban missile crisis the closest the world ever came to a nuclear war 1962 the players. Navy shadows the second soviet fclass submarine to surface, after repeated rounds of signaling depth charges on 27 october. Forty years ago, a standoff between the worlds two superpowers over soviet nuclear missile bases on the island of cuba threatened to plunge the world into a. Teachers guide dear teacher, this brief guide to the cuban missile crisis can be used in three ways. We were in our third year, none of us 15 yet, and we were walking in the valley of the. What if president kennedy had not been assassinated in 1963. Cuban missile crisis in 1960s may raise a serious political question in retrospect i.
Public programsforum transcriptson the brink the cuban missile crisis. This lesson should come towards the end of a unit on the holocaust, once students have already developed an understanding of the events of the holocaust as well as its contributing factors. Unpublished documents produced by the european union. What if watergate were still just an upscale address. Second holocaust had it not been for the downing of the u2, the cuban missile crisis of october 1962 might never have come about. Oct, 2012 media caption how the second missile crisis unfolded. Key issues nuclear weapons history cold war cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile war was the most devastating war in world history. It won the sidewise award for alternate history that year. It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from cuba agains t any nation in the western hemisphere as an attack by the soviet union on the united states, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the soviet union. Kennedy, nuclear devastation of the globe was avoided. Because of the actions of soviet premier nikita khrushchev and u. Contrary to popular belief, the cuban missile crisis did not end with the agreement between the us and soviet union in october, 1962. For others, the most vivid images may be from the film thirteen days, starring kevin costner.
Nikita khrushchev, the cuban missile crisis, and the aftermath. While participants and historians of the crisis never tire of recalling its details and its dangers, the majority of the generation that lived. Select the photograph above to view an indepth report on the cuban missile crisis. The united states refused to allow this and, after thirteen tense days and many secret negotiations, the soviet union agreed to remove the missiles. Map used during the secret meetings on the cuban missile crisis shows the full range of the soviet ballistic missiles deployed in cuba source. The cuban missile crisis occurred in 1962 when the soviet union began to install nuclear missiles in cuba. Why we should still study the cuban missile crisis united states. The cuban missile crisis was one of the major climaxes of the cold war, bringing the world the closest it has ever been to a nuclear war. Far from ignoring the second khrushchev letter, president kennedy ordered. The years preceding the cuban missile crisis are particularly relevant to the crisis itself, for several events directly influenced key decisionmaking processes during the crisis. Nikita khrushchev, the cuban missile crisis, and the aftermath jason roeschley the cuban missile crisis of october 1962 was one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. Eisenhowers reluctant adventurism to use a favorite marxist word plunged us into the most dangerous period of the cold war. New books on the cuban missile crisis the fourteenth day. During the late 70s and early 80s a russian soldier was given word that the united states had launched a missile on russia.
Fidel castro and the communist party take over in 1959 bay of pigs invasion1961 now back to. This site offers scanned documents, some handwritten, concerning nsas. Army, and intelligence gathering in occupied japan, in researching. The cuban missile crisis belfer center for science and. Teachers who have additional time to devote to this subject might want to show their students the 2000 hollywood film thirteen days, which is a dramatization of the cuban missile crisis. The crime of the bystander in the holocaust a civilization is not destroyed by wicked people. The collection in this volume includes many of cias most important documents on the cuban missile crisis. This very interesting article, in adobe pdf format will open in a new window. Cuban documents on the cuban missile crisis wilson center. What others are saying the berlin wall, cuban missile crisis, 1962 history 12 1962 cuban missile crisis close to a nuclear war people fleeing to west brain drain khrushchev wants kennedy to pull out of berlin kennedy increase strength khrushchev puts wall between west and east said they put up a wall to. From the bay of pigs to the cuban missile crisis, reyects the. Learning from the missile crisis history smithsonian. Oct 29, 2002 the cuban missile crisis may have been a game of brinksmanship between the kremlin and the white house but it terrified ordinary people.
Explore the inside story of the 1962 cuban missile crisis two years in the making, cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile crisis in the international system for the analyst of international politics, the cuban missile crisis was a marvelously useful event. 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. Putnams sons in 2003, isbn 0399150919, and this book as well as its two predecessors, what if. Taylor may have overstated, but he reminded us that this was the closest we have come to extinguishing human civilisation. Many sites are destroyed before they can launch a second missile. Second, the size and character of the soviet deployment went. For others, the most vivid images may be from the film thirteen days, starring kevin. In accordance with section 504 of the rehabilitation act. With the push of a button on either side, a nuclear. Lessons drawn from the cuban missile crisis, or interpretations of it, continue to. Cwihp marks the 50th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis by releasing cwihp bulletin 1718, with over 500 newly declassified and translated documents from international sources. The pentagon, opposed to any film that might undermine public enthusiasm for nuclear weapons, refused to cooperate. The estimated number of north american deaths was upwards of 200 million.
From the bay of pigs to the cuban missile crisis uci history project. The authors narrative regarding the holocaust is a simple report of a portion of the fact that reads more like a book report. The cuban missile crisis database of k12 resources. Learning from the missile crisis history smithsonian magazine. Cia special national intelligence estimate, major consequences of certain u. True test of a leader how well does he perform in a crisis cuban missile 2. Three men go to war reveals how three human beings grappled with the most dangerous. Media caption how the second missile crisis unfolded. Kennedy, was a confrontation between the two giant atomic nations, the us and the ussr, which brought the world to the abyss of nuclear destruction. The cuban missile crisis may have been a game of brinksmanship between the kremlin and the white house but it terrified ordinary people. Cuban missile crisis soviet union, cuba and the united states ebook written by scott s. Indeed, on the fever chart of these fortyfive years. Cuban missile crisis soviet union, cuba and the united states.
The cuban missile crisis ended on october 28, 1962. Part of the excellent bbc learning zone series that supports the modern world gcse syllabus. A few mig17s scramble from cuban airfields, but are shot down in rapid succession by the f4 phantoms that maintain a constant presence over cuban airfields. The cuban missile crisis and coexistence new york, 1963, part i. What happened was that a certain cloud came into russia and the machine thought it was a missile. An example of this can be noted with the collaborative efforts executed by cuba and the soviet union during the 1962 missile crisis. Although the idea to bring missiles into cuba originated in the. 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. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read on the brink of nuclear war. On october 18, kennedy met with soviet minister of foreign affairs, andrei gromyko, who claimed the weapons were for defensive purposes only. It is an alternate history where the cuban missile crisis escalated to a fullscale war, the soviet union is devastated, and the united states has been reduced to a thirdrate power, relying on the united kingdom for aid. Please read the selected documents below, from the internal deliberations of the administration during the crisis. The memorandum indicates it was prepared for discussion on october 17.