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Introduction
By 1962, the Soviet Union was considerably behind the United States in the nuclear arms race. The Soviet Union had limited range missiles that were only capable of being launched against Europe, but the United States possessed missiles that were capable of striking anywhere within the entire Soviet Union. As it is often said, when it comes to national security, leaders sometimes make irrational decisions. In an effort to restore the balance of power Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev devised the idea of placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba (14 days in October). This deployment of weapons in Cuba would double the Soviet strategic arsenal and provide a credible deterrent to a potential U.S. attack against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was able to capitalize on Fidel Castro’s fear that the United States was out to overthrow his socialist government. For the United States, having a communist country in the Western Hemisphere was an embarrassment......

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Approximate Word Count: 6089
Approximate Pages: 25 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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