No Time to Talk
The Cuban Missile Crisis began on 14 October 1962 and escalated in rhetoric and danger until 28 October. For 13 days, beginning on the 15th when United States President John F. Kennedy was notified of the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile sites under construction in Cuba until 28 October when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove all ballistic missiles, the world swung wildly towards nuclear conflict.
There are few heroes and many villains in the Cuban Missile Crisis. This website displays research covering the time period of 14-28 October with an emphasis on examining the dangers of operating in a vacuum and the challenges of a compressed timeframe.
The leaders of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba gambled with millions of lives to garner advantages for one country over another. Both superpowers sought the edge in the Cold War fought on diplomatic battlefields. Neither superpower leader wanted war, but both recklessly allowed circumstances that could devolve into war to nearly gain control.
In light of these similarities and challenges, this research seeks to expose some of the trigger points for possible war as well as examine non-traditional approaches to the crisis. This research examines the gains sought and the pressured faced by both sides.
The analysis is presented in the context of time: When a key participant knew what is just as critical as how they responded. There was no room for error. There was no time to talk.
