Disclaimer: This is going to be a 3 part post. I normally don’t tell history on this blog but this story must be told. This story tells how dangerous the weapons we possess are, and how a single button could end all life on Earth on a scale hitherto undreamt of.
It was October 14, 1962. The world seemed to be normal, until one U-2 spy plane belonging to the US captured something terrifying: Soviet nuclear missile sites under construction in Cuba. The US knew the Soviet Union was delivering something to Cuba, and they were no fools to believe it was mere grocery lists they were supplying, but the fact they sneaked missiles was totally out of the blue and took the US by surprise. The 928 pictures taken were rushed to the White House, where President John.F. Kennedy sat in disbelief. CIA agents analysed and deduced that these were MRBMS – medium-range ballistic missiles, and placing them in Cuba – merely 90 miles from American soil – meant nuclear weapons could reach and erase the trace of any major city in the United States within minutes. What had happened?
Despite fighting on the same side, the US and the Soviet Union had different ideas of government. The US preferred a capitalist government and the Soviets liked a communist government. Both were strong forces, and were trying to get other countries to support their ideologies. The CIA of the US trained Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro, the Prime Minister of Cuba. However, it backfired incredibly, and made Cuba turn their support fully to the Soviet Union. The Premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khruschev, saw Kennedy as inexperienced, and decided to take the aggressive route. What prompted him though?
Let’s find out tomorrow. Until then, Bye.
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