Look Who it Was Random video

Top 10 CRAZIEST Cuban Missile Crisis Facts!!

827 views · Published 4 May 2018 · 10:28 · Indexed 27 October 2026

Channel: Zero2Hero · 2018 · Education

Watch on YouTube

Top 10 CRAZIEST Cuban Missile Crisis Facts!!From and early prediction to a near nuclear holocaust…stay tuned to number 1 to find out how the Cuban Missile Crisis almost happened TWICE!

This top 10 brought to you by Zero2Hero!!

Don't forget to subscribe here! https://goo.gl/NXuChu

Click here to see these DISGUSTING Medieval Hygiene Practices You Won't Believe Existed!!! https://youtu.be/BbF_xIvxCDE

Number 10: Eisenhower Sorta Predicted It.
President Eisenhower had a great wealth of war experience, having served in the military, along with political knowledge as president of the United States. By the 1960's, Kennedy was in the White House and had to deal with the continuing cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. Even worse, the US neighbor to the south, Cuba, had recently turned Communist.
With the rise of Fidel Castro and Communist Cuba, the US helped a group of exiled Cubans to try and retake the country in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. This failed horribly in just 3 days, in part due to indecisive action from Kennedy. 
After this, Kennedy asked Eisenhower for advice in dealing with Cuba and the Soviets. Eisenhower questioned why Kennedy didn't do more for the invasion and he said he didn't want to escalate things to a worse degree. Eisenhower, though, replied that the lack of action shows the Soviets that the US can be pushovers and they will now certainly provoke us even more.
Within two years, the Cuban Missile Crisis would strike, proving Eisenhower right.
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was a tense 13 days for the United States. Soviet troops were bringing nuclear warheads to Cuba, a country that was close enough to launch the bombs and hit nearly any target in the states. Needless to say, this worried a lot of people.
Number 9: Kennedy Caught A Cold.
Okay…not really. But, when the crisis began, Kennedy was busy like any other president would be. Speeches to give, people to meet, and upcoming midterm elections had him on the road all over the country. Obviously he had to get back to DC as soon as possible, but with many prior commitments, it would raise suspicion to cancel them all without notice.
In hopes of not scaring the entire nation, Kennedy's staff told the press that he had caught a cold and had a fever and must return to DC. This way, no one would be suspicious of anything going on. Kennedy was able to return to the White House and begin handling the situation while the White House staff could figure out how to break the news to the nation.
Vice President Johnson did the same thing, reporting an illness and cutting a trip short to return to DC.
Number 8: A Soviet Helped The US.
Not everyone on the Commie side was happy to be on their decisions. A man named Colonel Oleg Penkovsky wasn’t in favor of what his leaders were doing, so he took matters into his own hands. With access to the manuals and other missile system information, he secretly got the info into the hands of the CIA.
This information turned out to be incredibly important. Between the manuals, the documents, and aerial photographs taken by the US Government, the White House was able to analyze the situation and help end the crisis much faster than they would have otherwise.
Unfortunately for Penkovsky, though, no one really knows what happened afterwards, as he was arrested by his own people. It is assumed that he was caught by his Soviet commanders and executed for treason.
Number 7: Kennedy Created EXCOMM For The Crisis.
When the Cuban Missile Crisis struck, the US really didn't have a dedicated team of military experts available to consult on such a situation. Until then, the President usually consulted a few trusted cabinet members or a lead military official and made decisions on his own. For such a unique situation, something else had to be done.
Kennedy immediately created the Executive Committee of the National Security Council. This team came together to discuss the many options available for dealing with the situation. The options they considered included a full-scale attack on Cuba, a strike on the bases which had nuclear weapons, and a blockade to stop more bombs from coming in. And, after two days, the blockade was chosen as the best option.
Years later, declassified tapes of their historic meetings have been made available to the public.
Number 6: Ready For War.
The US already had some animosity towards Cuba. They had recently helped Fidel Castro take power over the oppressive government that was in charge, only to see him become Communist. They attacked the Bay of Pigs with a team of Cuban exiles to win back the country, but it had failed within days. So, all things considered, the US didn't need much more reason to wage war.
When the missile crisis began, the US was already very much considering war. On October 24, 1962, with the US blockade in place, more Soviet ships threatened to go through and deliver more nukes to the island.

More from this channel