The Cuban Missile Crisis, which occurred in October 1962, ended with a diplomatic resolution between the United States and the Soviet Union. The crisis was triggered by the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. mainland.
The resolution involved several key steps:
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Negotiations and Compromise: President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev engaged in a series of back-and-forth communications. Tensions were high, but both leaders sought to avoid nuclear conflict.
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Public and Secret Agreements: On October 28, Khrushchev announced that he would remove the missiles from Cuba in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba. This was a publicly stated agreement. However, there were also secret negotiations in which it was agreed that the U.S. would remove its Jupiter missiles from Turkey, near the Soviet border.
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Inspection and Withdrawal: The U.S. established a naval quarantine around Cuba to prevent further shipments of military equipment. Over the following weeks, the Soviet Union began dismantling the missile sites and shipping the missiles back to the USSR.
The resolution of the crisis marked a de-escalation of Cold War tensions and highlighted the importance of diplomacy in nuclear crisis management. It also led to the establishment of a direct communication line between Washington and Moscow, known as the "Hotline," to facilitate faster communication in future crises.