The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world's superpowers, the United States and Soviet Union, to the brink of nuclear war as the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, posing a threat to the US. President Kennedy demanded the missiles' removal to protect American security. After tense negotiations, Soviet leader Khrushchev removed the missiles in Cuba, allowing the US to claim victory through diplomacy rather than war. The crisis demonstrated the importance of peaceful resolution to conflicts between superpowers.
1. World on the Brink
The Cuban Missile Crisis and the
threat of ultimate war
2. The crisis pitted the world’s
superpowers in a potential death
struggle. Cuban leader Fidel Castro
proved to be the centerpiece, but not
decisive.
3. Threats to the Western Hemisphere
Missiles in Cuba posed a potential threat to most of the United States.
President Kennedy could not accept such an adverse scenario to
American national security.
4. Successful Outcome
There were several potential outcomes
of the crisis. However, in the end,
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
backed down as the Kennedy
administration allowed him to save
face. Because of this outcome, the
Cuban Missile Crisis is considered a
triumph of negotiation in international
politics and is studied for its
alternatives to armed conflict.
Chart credit:
http://valpomath120.pbworks.com/w/page/1092783
6/Cuban%20Missile%20Crisis
