Meghan Brockmeyer

Mrs. Adams

World Civ, B1

3/16/09

Cuban Missile Crisis Response

When I first ventured into researching the Cuban Missile Crisis, I was sure it was

going to be extremely dull, when in fact it turned out to be a really interesting and fast-

passed event. The whole event started out of mere coincidence, when a U.S. spy plane

secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island

of Cuba. The admirable way in which JFK handled the situation was quite remarkable, as

he met secretly with his officials for days and then devised a naval blockade around Cuba

to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies (including newly

developed nuclear weapons), demanding the removal of the missiles and the destruction

of the site. The tension that reverberated around the word during those thirteen days in

October was so intense, as countries waited impatiently for the crisis to be resolved.

When the Soviets finally agreed to dismantle the missiles and the U.S. promised not to

invade Cuba, the whole issue was finally resolved.

Something I thought was particularly interesting about the Cuban Missile Crisis

was its involvement in the danger of nuclear weapons, a danger that was eminent during

the Cold War (and is still relevant now). The Cuban Missile Crisis was therefore

extremely significant in shaping how we handle potential nuclear warfare and weapons in

imposing foreign territory.