The Cuban Missile Crisis

Paper Summary:

The occurrences that surround the Cuban missile crisis certainly can be said to have highlighted the differences and similarities between the U.S.A and the Soviet Union. This papers compares these individual countries, focusing specifically on power and policy-making during this time, and ultimately evaluates their variation.

From the Paper:

"The power and control - within both the USA and the Soviet Union - over nuclear weapons during the Cuban missile crisis must be noted. If there was "unambiguous" evidence that a war had started, Strategic Air Command regional commanders were given the power to use nuclear weapons before receiving any instructions from the White House. This was exceptionally dangerous, as an unintended detonation of nuclear weapons could easily have been regarded as "unambiguous" under high alert situations. At Incirilik air base, sixteen F-100s, which were on fifteen-minute alert, were not commanded or required to wait for permission from the president before setting off any nuclear weapons. Perhaps the most dangerous situation, in which nuclear weapons could have been used before Washington could respond, was the Siberian U-2 incident. "

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