Introduction
After the World War II, the US disagreed with the Soviet Union over various issues. Especially, they did not like the Soviet’s control of the Eastern Europe, their control over atomic weapons, and their blocking of the Berlin.
In addition, the people’s republic of China had established a communist government in 1949 contrary to the US desires. North Korea invasion of South Korea in 1950 augmented the Cold War into a full blown world war did not go well with the US.
Thus, the US decided to confront communism in Iran, Guatemala, Lebanon, and in every other country that practiced it.
Cuban missiles
The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to a near nuclear confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union, who were the main superpower. Both countries adopted different political viewpoints that impeded resolution bargains.
The setting of the ballistic missiles in Cuba heightened between the superpowers even further. John F. Kennedy, the president of the US of those times, claimed that his country was behind the Soviet Union in terms of nuclear technology, while the Soviet’s premier, Nikita Khrushchev, claimed otherwise.
By 1962, the Russian premier maintained the same uncertainty on the nuclear potential of the US, who were a prime threat to the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, he was anxious that this position might provoke the US into launching an atomic missile into their territory.
Fidel Castro had his own different concern, about the intent of the US to have him deposed. The country’s intelligence unit had uncovered the US plan to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro, thereby, supporting this allegations.
These prompted Castro to accept the installations of missiles in Cuba in agreement to Khrushchev’s proposal and contractions of the nuclear base was established by July 1962. In August, there were rapid shipment of the same, which the US detected.
Kennedy was advised by John McCone, the CIA director, that the Soviet had planned to install medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. However, the president was advised that the installations were purely defensive.
Kennedy was made aware of the situation, and he quickly formed a group of twelve men to advice him on the issue, although he preferred to keep a low profile of his team of advisers.
He hoped to conceal this move to the soviet. On August 17, another U-2 revealed that there was intermediate range ballistic missile that was capable of striking almost any target in the US.
On August 18, 1962, Kennedy held a meeting with Andrei Gromyko in which Gromyko denied the existence of the missiles. On September 4, Kennedy complied with a recommendation to blockade Cuba.
Stalin
The 1941 invasion of the soviets by Germans, prompted Stalin to take command of the soviet army. In 1943 and 1945, he gave inflexible conditions to his friends. In 1945, at Potsdam, they had an agreement with President Truman to reconstruct Germany, which he later violated.
At the termination of the war, his main aim was to make his country more dominant in Europe, and imposed a communism structure of government on other countries. His policies always undermined the efforts of the United Nations to maintain lasting peace between nations. He almost caused the next war to be by blocking Berlin.
In 1956, three years after Stalin’s death, Nikita Khrushchev ordered the destruction of his effigy within a time span of three hours. Stalin was accused of slaughter among other crimes and majority of Soviets citizens denounced a claim of his being a savior of the country. The efforts to destroy his image were suspended, nevertheless.
North Koreas invasion of South Korea
After the withdrawal of the US and USSR armies in Korea region, each side set up a military force to defend its territory against foreign invasion.
It was by that time that North Koreans attacked South Koreans causing various uprisings in the 1940s. The South did not, however, succumb to defeat but its strength increased significantly.
The North had a surprise attack on the South when its military force was off guard, which led to a compression of an army force within weeks. The UN quickly intervened to remedy the situation by cutting the North’s supply chains leading to their retreat.
The UN armies attacked North Korea and threatened to put the country under conquest to pacify there aggression against their neighbor, South Korea.
The Chinese chose to defend North Korea against the UN by entering into war with the UN, which they won. However, the UN took another offensive step in 1951 succeeding to push back the Chinese.