The Cuban Missile Crisis The World On The Edge Of Its Seat

â€Å"We’re eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked† (Dean Rusk). The Cuban Missile Crisis put the world on the edge of its seat, and was the closest humanity has ever gotten to full-scale nuclear war. Even though the event lasted a mere two weeks (from October 14-24, 1962), it played a significant role in international politics, and its effects can still be seen today. The Cuban Missile Crisis is significant to current international relations because it proved the importance of the need for information, and the importance of taking risks. The history of the Cuban Missile Crisis is traced from both post-World War II negotiations and the Cuban Revolution. After the end of World War II, the Yalta Conference marked a turning†¦show more content†¦embargo on Cuba. This decision was treacherous considering at that time, Castro’s propaganda seemed to display communist beliefs (â€Å"What Triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis?†). As a r esult of the embargo, Castro sought the aid of the Soviet Union to help their economic position (â€Å"What Triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis?†). Had the United States been more willing to discuss a compromise between Cuba and the U.S., the crisis may have never even occurred. Much of the information that is available today about the Cuban Missile Crisis was not available to the people who needed it the most. One of the most devastating issues during the crisis was obtaining the proper information in order for each leader to make apt decisions. On October 14, an American U2 spy plane photographed military bases in Cuba, which, after close examination, proved the existence of nuclear warheads (Schroeder, â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis†). However, these photographs lacked in providing the capability and range of the warheads. More intelligence revealed that there were three different types of nuclear missiles based in Cuba, ones that could reach a maximum distance of 630 na utical miles, 1020 nautical miles, and even 2200 nautical miles (â€Å"USSR Missile Ranges†). With such long distance missiles, the Soviets could hit nearly every city in the continental U.S.A. (â€Å"USSR Missile Ranges†). Despite having full knowledge of their missiles’ capabilities and locations,