The Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day political and military standoff took place in October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba was in fruition. But how did the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union evade this near-catastrophic escalation? In this episode, James is joined by presidential crisis historian Michael Dobbs. Michael takes us through the intense standoff and the happenings around it. From the roles played to evert nuclear war to the final decisions made by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and President John F. Kennedy. Just how close were we to a state of armageddon?


Micheal Dobbs, Author of One Minute To Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War.


If you’re enjoying this podcast and looking for more fascinating Warfare content then subscribe to our Modern Warfare Wednesdays newsletter here.


If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit.

To download, go to Android or Apple store