The Cuban Missile Crisis

Henry Brown wrote:Khrushchev fell from power in 1964, largely as a result of backing down in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The interesting thing is that he was kind of progressive for his time. I once saw an analysis that put forth the idea that Khrushchev wanted to introduce the same kind of ideas and reforms in the 1960s that Mikhail Gorbachev would put forth in the 1980s. Potentially, we could have had Glasnost in the 1960s instead of the 1980s. If this is true, the Cuban Missile Crisis basically extended the Cold War by 20 years.

cthia wrote:

Henry Brown wrote:Khrushchev fell from power in 1964, largely as a result of backing down in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The interesting thing is that he was kind of progressive for his time. I once saw an analysis that put forth the idea that Khrushchev wanted to introduce the same kind of ideas and reforms in the 1960s that Mikhail Gorbachev would put forth in the 1980s. Potentially, we could have had Glasnost in the 1960s instead of the 1980s. If this is true, the Cuban Missile Crisis basically extended the Cold War by 20 years.

I think it had more to do with his failed agricultural policy. There was a problem of feeding his people. It was so bad that he toured the U.S. and visited the corn belt.

He was actually lauded for the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a great plan had it worked. He lost the race against time. If the site had become operational, checkmate, fait accomplis.

That's why he was allowed to retire with a nice plot of land, etc.

cthia wrote:

cthia wrote:I think it had more to do with his failed agricultural policy. There was a problem of feeding his people. It was so bad that he toured the U.S. and visited the corn belt.

He was actually lauded for the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a great plan had it worked. He lost the race against time. If the site had become operational, checkmate, fait accomplis.

That's why he was allowed to retire with a nice plot of land, etc.

Besides, it was seen as a win for the Russians as well because they forced concessions out of the U.S. in the form of the removal of the missiles that were in Turkey. They were our first inferior and aging missiles and the U.S. had already considered removing them. Of course Khrushchev didn't know that, iirc.

The interesting thing is that the deal struck between the two was not to be made official, to save face. Khrushchev honored his agreement to keep silent. It is all revealed in part 2 of the documentary.