essay #3

According to Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs, in May 1962 he had the idea of placing intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Cuba so they could have a lead of the United States in developing and deploying missiles. He also did it to protect Cuba from another United States invasion, such as the bad attempt at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. After getting Fidel Castro's approval, the Soviet Union worked fast and secretly to build missile places in Cuba. On October 16, President John Kennedy was shown pictures of Soviet missile placement under construction in Cuba. He sent naval soldiers on Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of military weapons from arriving there. During the crisis, the two sides sent many letters, both formal and "back channel." Khrushchev sent letters to Kennedy on October 23 and 24 saying the nature of the missiles in Cuba and the peaceful intentions of the Soviet Union. On October 26, Khrushchev sent Kennedy a long rambling letter seemingly proposing that the missile installations would be dismantled and personnel removed in exchange for United States assurances that it or its armies would not invade Cuba. On October 27, another letter to Kennedy arrived from Khrushchev, suggesting that missile installations in Cuba would be dismantled if the United States dismantled its missile installations in Turkey. The American administration decided to ignore this second letter and to accept the offer outlined in the letter of October 26. Khrushchev then announced on October 28 that he would dismantle the installations and return them to the Soviet Union, expressing his trust that the United States would not invade Cuba. Further negotiations were held to tweak the October 28 agreement, including a United States demand that Soviet light bombers also be removed from Cuba, and to specify the exact form and conditions of United States assurances not to invade Cuba. So yeah that was a bunch of bologna. It just sounded like they see sawed back and for it sounded like the SU did way more then they should have to get the US to get out of there. Really it sounds like it all could have been solved pretty easy. But whatever I suppose.