The Cuban Missile Crisis: Re-examining a Moment of Extreme Danger

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Most Americans know the basic story of the Cuban Missile Crisis: In 1962, the Soviet Union secretly placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, the United States discovered them, and after a tense 13-day standoff, the Soviets backed down. The episode is often cited as a model of effective crisis management. However, Allen Pietrobon, historian and associate professor of global affairs at Trinity Washington University, argues that the crisis was less a triumph of leadership than a near-disaster averted largely by luck and fear. Pietrobon revisits the crisis through the actions of John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, and Nikita Khrushchev and explores how they brought their nations to the brink of catastrophe, who bears responsibility, and whether the United States truly won. By examining key close calls, he considers what the crisis can teach us about the risks of future nuclear conflicts. General Information View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom .