Cuban missile crisis, 1962 in the fall of 1962, the united states and the soviet union came as close as they ever would to global nuclear war. Chapter 4 examines nikita khrushchevs decisionmaking in the cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile crisis download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. The huge strategic advantage also included the sophisticated polaris submarines with a devastating nuclear punch. The authors purpose for this book is to help people better understand what the cuban missile crisis was, which is told in a third person narrative. The cuban missile crisis is the term used in the west to describe the events of october 1962, described by robert kennedy as the world. This book explains the critical events, along with the experiences of those who execute presidential commands in times of national crisis. Coleman, a university of virginia professor specializing in nuclear. Belfer centers top 10 books on the cuban missile crisis belfer centers catalog of reading on nuclear danger today john f. The cuban missile crisis, also known as the october crisis of 1962 spanish. It was like having the soviet union in their back yard. 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.
New books on the cuban missile crisis the fourteenth day. The risk of catastrophe is now recognised by many to have been greater than realised by protagonists at the time or scholars subsequently. This unit is based around extended roleplay activities firstly from the soviet, then from the american, perspectives. He is currently on the staff of the united states holocaust memorial museum. Stern, worked as a historian at the kennedy library in boston from 1977 to. Oct 28, 2019 on october 27, 1962, u2 pilot rudolf anderson jr. October 1962 when the americans became aware that the soviet union was deploying nuclear weapons on the island of cuba. The records in this documents reader are drawn from the archives indexed microfiche collection, the cuban missile crisis, 1962. One of the more irritating claims made by members of the john f.
In graphic novel format, introduces the cuban missile crisis of 1962 separated by only about 100 miles 160 km of water, the united states felt threatened by soviet backed cuba in the 1960s. Cuban missile crisis for thirteen days in october 1962 the world waitedseemingly on the brink of nuclear warand hoped for a peaceful resolution to the cuban missile crisis. The cuban missile crisis edinburgh university press. Specifically, the model shows that his defiance of john f. In october 1962, at the height of the cold war, the united states and the soviet union came to the brink of nuclear conflict ove the deployment of soviet missiles. Kennedy announced the united states had discovered soviet missile bases in cuba. Cuban missile crisis, 1962, major cold war confrontation between the united states and the soviet union. Kennedy s account of the cuban missile crisis of 1962.
Reuters filereuters for days in october 1962, president john f. This country had more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles icbms compared to 78 icbms in the soviet arsenal. The new book is titled the cuban missile crisis in american memory. The cuban missile crisis was a sixday clash in october 1962 between the. Hoping to correct what he saw as a strategic imbalance with the united states, soviet premier nikita s. Michael dobbs has pored over previously untapped american, soviet and cuban sources to provide the most authoritative book yet on the cuban missile crisis. List of books and articles about cuban missile crisis online. Describes the events that precipitated the 1962 cuban missile crisis and analyzes the steps taken by president kennedy to avert the threat to the security of the western hemisphere. Launched by rash judgment and concluded through circumspect leadership, the cuban missile crisis acted as a catalyst for change during the cold war. The cuban missile crisis and the threat of nuclear war. The cuban missile crisis was a time of heightened confrontation between the soviet union, the united states, and cuba during the cold war. Based on an offtherecord interview with the president, and access to his top aides, the authors, charles bartlett and stewart alsop, described how the soviets had backed down. The cuban missile crisis, october 1962 office of the historian. The purpose is to present briefly the alternative perceptions of the united states and the soviet union during the crisis, comparing these perceptions with each other and with.
Subject guides cuban missile crisis libraries western. Jfk and the aftermath of the cuban missile crisis norton, 2012. 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. Kennedy and his advisers were stunned to learn that the soviet union was, without provocation. Thirtysix years after the cuban missile crisis, these declassified documents stand as testament to just how dangerously close the world came to nuclear destruction in 1962, and challenge the official history of the event as a model of crisis management. This conference, focusing on the socalled cuban missile crisis of 1962, was the fifth in a series attended by former u. In this spirit, professor scott has written a book of compelling interest. Kennedy john swift examines the events that led the world to the brink of nuclear catastrophe. Khrushchev began secretly deploying medium range ballistic missiles mrbm and intermediate range.
However, the soviet and the cuban leadership knew that the most dangerous weapons of the crisis tactical lunas and. Presenting the photographic evidence abroad originally classified secret and published by studies in intelligence in spring 1972, this account describes the experiences of sherman kent and other senior cia officers in briefing the leaders of britain, france, germany and canada on the reasons behind us actions in the cuban missile crisis. However, the soviet and the cuban leadership knew that the most dangerous weapons of. In response to the bay of pigs invasion and other american actions against cuba as well as to president kennedy s buildup in italy and turkey of u. In october 1962, humankind came close to the end of its history. Kennedys account of the cuban missile crisis of 1962.
Lang, offers a fresh exploration of the 1962 cuban missile crisis and plumbs its lessons on the continuing dangers of nuclear war. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more than a dozen categories. The cuban missile crisis remains one of the mostly intensely studied moments of. In october 1962, at the height of the cold war, the united states and the soviet union came to the brink of nuclear conflict ove the deployment of soviet missiles to cuba. At the time of the cuban missile crisis in october 1962, the united states had decisive nuclear superiority over the soviet union. Kennedy presidential library and museum the cuban missile crisis, october 1962. It was a proxy conflict around cuba it began when the soviet union ussr began building missile sites in cuba in 1962. The standard history of the cuban missile crisis, based on selective memoires by u. On december 8, 1962, the saturday evening post published a long article, in time of crisis, which established the official narrative on the cuban missile crisis.
He has taught at leading american universities, including princeton, the university of michigan, and georgetown. Reading lists cuban missile crisiscuban missile crisis. The tip of a soviet r12 ss4 mediumrange missile, now a museum piece, points into the havana sky the cuban missile crisis, 1962 a national security archive documents reader. A newsreel from october 1962 on the cuban missile crisis was shown. Above and beyond looks at cuban missile crisis through. Policy, and from hundreds of other documents subsequently obtained through the freedom of information act.
In russia, it is known as the caribbean crisis russian. The cuban missile crisis 1962three bbc world service documentaries. Even before the crisis fully abated, the kennedy administration set about creating a mystique and mythology around the facts and handling of the conflict. The cuban missile crisis in american memory by sheldon m. Thirtysix years after the cuban missile crisis, these declassified documents stand as testament to just. Oct 10, 2012 washington, dc, october 10, 2012 in november 1962, cuba was preparing to become the first nuclear power in latin americaat the time when the kennedy administration thought that the cuban missile crisis was long resolved and the soviet missiles were out. This book provides a lucid and uptodate introduction to the crisis, including. The threshold of nuclear war critical moments in american history series by alice george. The cuban missile crisis one of the most dramatic moments of the 20th century and a particularly exciting topic to teach and to study. For thirteen days in october of 1962, a truly perilous flirtation with nuclear war developed between the united states and ussr, as the superpowers argued over the installation of soviet nuclear weapons in cuba. It posits that the logic of affect offers a more comprehensive explanation of the soviet prime ministers choice behavior.
Cuban missile crisis, october 1962, major confrontation that brought the united states and the soviet union close to war over the presence of soviet nucleararmed missiles in cuba. Khrushchevs secret dispatch of nuclear missiles to fidel castros revolutionary cuba and us president john f. Cuban missile crisis simple english wikipedia, the free. The events of the cuban missile crisis could not be any better researched in one minute to midnight, a nonfiction book by michael dobbs. I think the book is intended for teens and up, although it is short. His previous books include the bestselling one minute to midnight on the cuban missile crisis, which was part of an acclaimed cold war trilogy. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Cuban missile crisis books bookstore online store atomic archive. Professionally converted for accurate flowingtext e book format reproduction, this report provides comparative perspectives of the cuban missile crisis of october 1962. In a tv address on october 22, 1962, president john kennedy 191763. Sep 14, 2012 most books on the cuban missile crisis tell the story through the perspective of memoirs of those who advised president kennedy, as he struggled to avoid world war iii. Kennedys demand to remove the missiles from cuba during the first two days of the crisis was shaped by his sense of. The book was released in 1969, a year after his assassination. Available in the national security archives microfiche collection, the cuban missile crisis, 1962.
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. Kennedy addresses the nation on the evening of monday, october 22, 1962, as the threat of soviet missiles in cuba nears its peak. As a reporter for the washington post and a foreign correspondent having covered the collapse of communism, dobbss careful attention to detail and knowledge of this event is evident throughout the book. Washington, dc, october 10, 2012 in november 1962, cuba was preparing to become the first nuclear power in latin americaat the time when the kennedy administration thought that the cuban missile crisis was long resolved and the soviet missiles were out. List of books and articles about cuban missile crisis. National security archivepublicationsdocuments readersthe. The cuban missile crisis involved a single discrete set of circumstances. The crisis was a defining moment in the presidency of john f. Thirteen days describes the meetings held by the executive committee excomm, the team assembled by us president john f.
Jun 17, 2018 many folks in greenville are familiar with the story of native son maj. Written like a thriller, one minute to midnight is an exhaustively researched account of what arthur schlesinger, jr. What follows are the major stories that accompanied those. In october 1962, an american u2 spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missile sites. E j carter provides an account of the cuban missile crisis of 1962, a cold war event in which the world was brought to the brink of nuclear war, and discusses some of the people who worked to find a peaceful. 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 crisis, and. During the thirteen days in october 1962 when the united states confronted the soviet union over its installation of missiles in cuba, few people shared the. Jun 01, 2017 the cuban missile crisis in pictures, 1962 u.
Based on secret transcripts of toplevel diplomacy undertaken by the numbertwo soviet leader, anastas mikoyan, to settle the cuban missile crisis in 1962, this book rewrites conventional history. Asw forces and soviet submarines during october and november 1962, only in recent months has the hidden history of soviet submarine operations during the crisis become more widely known. The cuban missile crisis at 55 national security archive. A cuban antiaircraft battery in october, 1962, during the cuban missile crisis. Pages can include considerable notesin pen or highlighterbut the notes cannot obscure the text. The resulting crisis was resolved when the united states faced down the soviets in a dramatic. Download citation cuban missile crisis 1962 the crisis began in mid. Most of what you know about the cuban missile crisis is wrong. President kennedy and secretary of defense mcnamara in an excomm meeting. This collection of formerly secret records includes correspondence between john f. Rudolf anderson, the u2 pilot shot down and killed during the cuban missile crisis in 1962. A summary of the cuban missile crisis would be that there was a day worrisome military and political standoff in october of 1962 due to the nucleararmed missiles in cuba, which ended when the united states allowed the soviet leader, nikita khrushchev, to remove the cuban missiles as long as the u. Kennedy speaks before reporters during a televised speech to the nation about the strategic blockade of cuba, and his warning to the soviet union about missile sanctions, during the cuban missile crisis, on october 24, 1962 in washington, dc. Cuban missile crisis, 1962 national security archive.
Kennedy cult holds that jfk heroically saved humanity from annihilation during the cuban missile crisis of october 1962. The cuban missile crisis was a tense daylong october 1628, 1962 confrontation between the united states and the soviet union triggered by americas discovery of nuclearcapable soviet ballistic missile deployment in cuba. For the student of crisis management, for which the cuban missile crisis is held to be a model example, this book is a goldmine of useful detail and context. Kennedy speaks before reporters during a televised speech to the nation about the strategic blockade of cuba, and his warning to the soviet union about missile sanctions, during the cuban missile crisis, on october 24, 1962. The cuban missile crisis was the moment during the cold war when the two superpowers. The cuban missile crisis of october 1962 was a direct and dangerous confrontation between the united states and the soviet union during the cold war and was the moment when the two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict.
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