1960s Interdisciplinary Project Script

During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 the !nited States faced the threat of a nuclear attac" fro# the
So$iet !nion creating a sense of fear and distress %ithin the hearts of the &#erican people' Si#ilarly the threat
of nuclear %ar still e(ists today as )orth *orea continues to threaten the !nited States and other countries %ith a
nuclear attac" of its o%n bringing bac" feelings of an(iety to &#ericans'
+he Cuban Missile Crisis %as a 1,-day confrontation in .ctober 1962 bet%een the So$iet !nion and
Cuba on one side and the !nited States on the other side' +he crisis is generally regarded as the #o#ent in
%hich the Cold /ar ca#e closest to turning into a nuclear conflict' It began %hen the !nited States had placed
nuclear #issiles in +ur"ey and Italy all ai#ed at Mosco%' In May 1962 the So$iet !nion responded by placing
So$iet nuclear #issiles in Cuba to deter any future in$asion atte#pt' +he !'S' %as able to secure clear
photographic e$idence of #ediu#-range and inter#ediate-range ballistic nuclear #issiles on the ground'+he
!nited States considered attac"ing Cuba $ia air and sea but decided on a #ilitary bloc"ade instead calling it a
01uarantine0 for legal and other reasons to "eep the So$iet !nion out' +his threat of nuclear %ar lead the !'S' to
raise its readiness le$el to D23C.) 2 during %hich ar#ed forces %ere prepared to deploy and engage in less
than 6 hours' +his is the highest confir#ed D23C.) in the history of the !'S' +he Confrontation e$entually
ended on .ctober 24 1962 %hen an agree#ent %as #et bet%een *ennedy and *hrushche$ the 3irst Secretary
of the Co##unist Party of the So$iet !nion' +he So$iets dis#antled their offensi$e %eapons in Cuba and
returned the# to their o%n nation and this %as $erified by the !nited States' +he bloc"ade by the !nited States
%as ended on )o$e#ber 20 of 1962'
In the present day the !nited States is still dealing %ith nuclear threats fro# outside countries specifically )orth
*orea' )orth *orea has been issuing nuclear threats against the !'S' and South *orea on #ultiple occasions
such as in &pril 201, and again in .ctober of 201,' /hether )orth *orean #issiles ha$e enough range to reach
the !nited States is still in 1uestion but ne% co##ercial satellite i#agery fro# &pril of 2015 sho%s that )orth
*orea is e(panding its #ain roc"et-launching site and testing engines of %hat is belie$ed to be its first road-
#obile intercontinental ballistic #issile' &ccording to the )e% 6or" +i#es )orth *orea has conducted three
nuclear tests since 2006 and is belie$ed to ha$e a si7able arsenal of short- and #ediu#-range #issiles and is
de$eloping longer-range #issiles' & recent assess#ent by the Pentagon8s Defense Intelligence &gency has
concluded %ith 9#oderate confidence: that the )orth no% "no%s ho% to #a"e a nuclear de$ice s#all enough to
be deli$ered by a ballistic #issile' +he !nited )ations Security Council has passed four resolutions since 2006
ai#ed at penali7ing )orth *orea for its nuclear %eapons progra#' In addition the !nited States %hich re#ains in
a technical state of %ar %ith )orth *orea has i#posed its o%n regi#en of strict econo#ic sanctions'
;oth the Cuban Missile Crisis and )orth *orea8s threat of a nuclear attac" ha$e resulted in an i##ediate
response fro# the !'S' During these tense situations our nation has reacted %ith a sense of fear and pressure
but has continually succeeded in pre$enting a nuclear conflict %ith other countries'