Short Paper; Cuban Missile Crisis

On October the 16th, 1962 an American spy-plane reported to the white house that USSR
was bringing nuclear missiles to Cuba. This announcement led to the well-known Cuban
missile crisis. In this text, the event is analysed according to the realism’s theory of
international relations.

Firstly, the realism theory expresses the involvement of different states. In this case, there
were two states involved. Namely: the United States of America (USA) and the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Secondly, the theory speaks about a perpetual conflict between two countries, and there is a
perpetual conflict between USA and USSR. It started at the end of the second World War.
USA had a capitalist point of view of the world, whilst USSR had a communist point of view.
Those two sights are radically opposed; thus, it gave birth to a perpetual conflict which
started with the Cold War. This conflict is that one that gave birth to the Cuban’s Missiles
crisis.

Lastly, the theory of realism says that the main actors are aiming to maximise their powers
and interests. Indeed, after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, USA unsuccessfully tried to
overthrow the new communist government. This failed attempt called “Bay of Pigs”,
convinced Cuba to seek help from the USSR. It was in USSR’s interests to send nuclear
missiles to Cuba, which is an island near to USA. Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro insisted
to USA’s ask for the missiles’ removal that they were only defensive. The missiles were not
only set there to protect Cuba, but also to counteract the threat from USA’s missiles in Italy
and Türkiye (ex Turkey).

In conclusion, the Cuban missiles’ crisis is an event that can be analysed according to the
point of view of realism since it involves several concepts of this theory of international
relations.