The Cuban Missile Crisis: To Armageddon and Beyond

Sixty years ago, the Cuban missile crisis was the moment of greatest danger in human history, with the risk of thermonuclear war threatening the survival of civilization. We have learned how President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev sought to avoid nuclear war, but we have also learned of incidents and events that suggest nuclear weapons might have been used by subordinate military commanders. Drawing lessons from sixty years ago faces significant challenges, as many received wisdoms about the crisis have been shown to be misleading. This book is an outstanding contribution to the literature on the crisis, and it will challenge readers to question what they had come to think was settled.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 18 October 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Sixty years have passed since the events of October 1962 brought the world dangerously close to nuclear catastrophe. The Cuban missile crisis is widely acknowledged as the moment of utmost peril in human history, teetering on the brink of extinction. Over these sixty years, our understanding of the events has undergone a profound transformation. While there are reasons for optimism, such as the revelation that President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev actively sought to prevent nuclear war, there are also concerning incidents and events that suggest the potential use of nuclear weapons by subordinate military commanders, often without the knowledge of their political leaders. The decision to employ nuclear weapons rested in the hands of often junior military commanders, some of whom were perilously close to crossing the nuclear threshold. It is important to note that this does not necessarily mean that the use of nuclear weapons would have led to an all-out war. However, the undeniable risk of thermonuclear war in such circumstances posed a grave threat to the survival of civilization. Hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people would have perished from immediate and short-term effects, while the long-term prospect of a Nuclear Winter foretold the virtual extinction of humanity.

Drawing lessons from sixty years ago presents significant challenges. If we approach the past with the sole intention of confirming our existing understanding, we risk drawing incorrect conclusions. Many of the prevailing wisdoms about the crisis have been proven misleading. What is remarkable is how, after forty, fifty, or even sixty years, new evidence has surfaced to challenge previously accepted explanations. It is now up to the reader to form their own judgments about the history of the crisis and the extent to which we owe our understanding to political leadership.

In conclusion, the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 remains a pivotal moment in human history, marking the closest the world has ever come to nuclear annihilation. Over the past sixty years, our knowledge and understanding of these events have evolved, but the threat of nuclear war remains ever-present. We must continue to learn from the past and work towards a world that is free from the fear and devastation of nuclear conflict.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526779786