On this day in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began as US President John F. Kennedy was shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. [1200×1020]
On this day in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began as US President John F. Kennedy was shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. [1200×1020]
I was just watching ‘Thirteen days’ last saturday, great movie. We were far too close to the the end of the world. It really amazed me how Khrushchev agree to dismantle everything for so little in return.
poontong on
I miss when we just had to worry about the threat of global thermonuclear war. Those were the days.
Asmallfly on
That was real? I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit.
DerekL1963 on
Often left out of discussion of the crisis is some key context – Khrushchev didn’t approve [Operation Anadyr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Anadyr) in a vacuum. From the Soviet point of view, they were surrounded with American missile and bomber bases, and of particular concern were the MRBMs and IRBMs stationed in Europe and the Mediterranean. These missiles had very short flight times and could strike Moscow and key Soviet cities with little warning – and the Soviets had no equivalent way to threaten the US.
Stationing missiles in Cuba was seen as a way to address that strategic imbalance.
4 Comments
I was just watching ‘Thirteen days’ last saturday, great movie. We were far too close to the the end of the world. It really amazed me how Khrushchev agree to dismantle everything for so little in return.
I miss when we just had to worry about the threat of global thermonuclear war. Those were the days.
That was real? I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit.
Often left out of discussion of the crisis is some key context – Khrushchev didn’t approve [Operation Anadyr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Anadyr) in a vacuum. From the Soviet point of view, they were surrounded with American missile and bomber bases, and of particular concern were the MRBMs and IRBMs stationed in Europe and the Mediterranean. These missiles had very short flight times and could strike Moscow and key Soviet cities with little warning – and the Soviets had no equivalent way to threaten the US.
Stationing missiles in Cuba was seen as a way to address that strategic imbalance.