Cuban Missile Crisis

Seite 1

Significance

The crisis Brought the world at the closest it had ever been to a nuclear war which infect was not wished for from both the soviets or the American's. This was reflected in the lack of evidence showing Kennedy or kruschev taking irresponsible actions that could lead to a nuclear war. The failure of the treatment of Cuba shows crisis management that works and crisis management that however does not. This therefore shows how future crisis could be managed.

Kennedy was considered to be a weak president, this gathered from the harsh fact he was a young president and was accused of being "too soft on communism", the publics faith in Kennedy was questioned due to the "Bay of pigs invasion in 1961", Where already the US had seen failure. In addition to this, one of kennedys advisers shared a contemporary view of the Bay Of Pigs Invasion suggesting that the US look like 'Stupid ineffectual imperialists' , however due to the negative views and remarks placed on Kennedy, he had eased he tension of the cuban missile crisis, prevented a nuclear a war and was seen as a Hero. He managed to humiliate the USSR by using USAS superior military power and pressure the soviets to withdraw the missiles; leaving the Soviet Union in a desperate need to restore its international reputation.

A turning point

The immediate response in 1963 regarded a 'hotline' connecting the Kremlin and The White House, it is argued that this reflects symbolic value rather than a physical effective response. Pin-poiting that a lack of communication can cause a crisis.The end of the cuban missile crisis started a détente that ,after the 29th of October instigated, an end to the arms race between the two nation later in the decade, this is significant because the arms race was one of the most lethal elements of the Cold War. It also improved relations between kruschev and Kennedy, the two realised the extents each would go to when placed in a certain predicament, this also enabled a realisation from the superpowers of the effects the Cold War holds on societies surround them, now and for years to come. The cuban missile crisis also encouraged the 'Moscow test ban treaty' in October 1963, due to their not being any obligations to sign up, consequently China and France did not sign up.

Seite 2