The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. The

United States armed forces were at their highest state of readiness and Soviet forces in Cuba were prepared to use nuclear weapons deployed on Cuban beaches to defend the island if it was invaded. However, histories opinion of the conflict is more that of praise and commendation because of the "bravery" of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. However, this extreme, 14 day, tension mounting conflict was really a contest of two men's egos. For example: during President Kennedy's presidential campaign, he had repeatedly spoken of a missile gap between the U.S. and Soviet Union, meaning that neither nation had the capabilities of striking each other from each ones mainland. Despite being briefed by the Pentagon that the U.S. had more missiles than the Soviets, Kennedy maintained his claim that the U.S. had less. After the 1960 election, Khrushchev began to test the new president, and in the summer of 1961 Khrushchev applied pressure to Berlin and eventually built a wall surroundi

For the United States, the crisis began on October 15, 1962 when reconnaissance photographs revealed Soviet missiles under construction in Cuba.. Kennedy immediately organized the EX-COMM, a group of his twelve most important advisors to handle the crisis. After seven days of guarded and intense debate within the government, Kennedy concluded to first impose a naval quarantine around Cuba, instead of attacking first. He wished to prevent the arrival of more Soviet offensive weapons on the island and used the non-war-based-word "quarantine" instead of "blockade" since the word blockade refers to a physical use of force to prevent passage during a time of war. On October 22, Kennedy announced the discovery of the missile installations to the public and his decision to quarantine the island. He also proclaimed that any nuclear missile launched from Cuba would be regarded as an attack on the United States by the Soviet Union and demanded that the Soviets remove all of their offensive weapons from Cuba.

Both men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, in their attempts and successes of dealing with the Crisis, are regaled as heros. History complements (for the most part), the efforts made by these two men to keep world peace stable and prevent the occurrence of a nuclear war. The United States was in an economically safe state while the sixties rolled on. Meanwhile, Russia's government were enjoying their new found post-Stalin socialism attributing great reliefs to the country. Meanwhile, the population enjoyed the material benefits that industrial development brought, and the productivity and output of the agricultural industry. However, the Crisis presented many problems to both men, and both nations. First, both men were at a prime time in their careers and did not want to do anything to tarnish their reputations, like back down from demands or pressures applied. Second, the nations were both in an safe economic state for the time being, and a nuclear war would shot each nation right in the foot. It is for these two reasons, that the outcome of the Crisis was so beneficial and yet, surprising at the same time. Since neither men were willing to put aside their own egos and negotiate, the Cuban Missile Crisis became a fourteen day trial and the closest that the world has ever come to nuclear war, instead of a day-or-two-long negotiation to prevent nuclear weaponry technology and

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Approximate Word count = 1634
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)