“For thirteen days in October 1962 the world waited—seemingly on the brink of nuclear war—and hoped for a peaceful resolution to the Cuban Missile Crisis." -John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum “The Cuban Missile Crisis began when the U.S. discovered Soviet missile placement in Cuba which aimed to maintain the independence of the Cuban people after Kennedy endorsed the U.S. orchestration of an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1961." - George Washington University The U.S. did not believe the Soviets had the right to place missiles within firing range of its territory. |
A Soviet ship travels towards Cuba with nuclear-tipped missiles. Image courtesy of the Prelinger Archives.
“The crisis is regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to turning into a nuclear conflict and is also the first documented instance of mutual assured destruction being discussed as a determining factor in a major international arms agreement."
- Kenneth Abshner, Strategic Studies Institute, United States Army War College. |
The following timeline discusses notable events which occurred during the crisis.
Use the buttons on the left and right sides of the timeline to navigate.
Use the buttons on the left and right sides of the timeline to navigate.
Both the United States and the Soviet Union demonstrated their right to use brinkmanship as a means of accomplishing foreign policy objectives.
“However, the Cuban Missile Crisis did demonstrate the necessity for greater communication between the leaders of the two countries so as to prevent nuclear war. This common mission was a responsibility of both nations, and culminated in the development of the Moscow-Washington Hotline
in June 1963."
-U.S. Department of State
“However, the Cuban Missile Crisis did demonstrate the necessity for greater communication between the leaders of the two countries so as to prevent nuclear war. This common mission was a responsibility of both nations, and culminated in the development of the Moscow-Washington Hotline
in June 1963."
-U.S. Department of State
|
Melvyn Leffler, American historian, discusses the responsibility of communication between opponent states, an idea which led to the development of a Washingt0n-Moscow hotline. |