| This thesis paper is a comprehensive examination of the collective experiences that evolved the political philosophies of U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, and Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev. These experiences dictated the potentially catastrophic gamble that was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The dramatic reorganization of the post-World War II world was so rapid that perceptions and the impact of outside influences were catalytic, leading to mistrust and heightened governmental anxiety about the introduction of nuclear weapons. The contention of this paper reveals that the relative inexperience of world leaders to strategize, or otherwise articulate the role of nuclear weaponry in their foreign policy, contributed greatly to the events in October of 1962. With this deeper historical context in mind, this thesis concludes with what role nuclear deterrence played in staving off what could have been World War III. |
