Korea and cuba
By: Christina Davidson
Importance of Cuba and Korea in the Cold War
Cuba
In 1962, the Cold War came very close to erupting into a nuclear war and this crisis was termed the Cuban Missile Crisis in the United States. For USSR, Cuba was an ideal location to place intermediate range missile to intimidate the American government. American missiles were positioned to be able to reach the Soviet lands; however, USSR did not have the technology or a secure position to have their missile reach the United States. USSR's decision to place nuclear warheads came as a response to the United States's placement of two missiles, Jupiter and Thor, in Turkey. Cold War was a game of intimidation and fear; therefore, for USSR, having control over Cuba meant an ultimate threat to the United States's national security.
Confrontations of Soviet Union and USA forces
No one won the Cuban Missile Crisis, or more accurate everyone won the cuban Missile Crisis because a nuclear war was avoided.
The Korean War was relatively short but exceptionally bloody. Nearly 5 million people died. More than half of these–about 10 percent of Korea’s pre-war population–were civilians. (This rate of civilian casualties was higher than World War II’s and Vietnam’s.) Almost 40,000 Americans died in action in Korea, and more than 100,000 were wounded.