Cuban Missile Crisis-Individual, Realism What do the people of this nation remember most about the Cold War? Is it the fear, the terror and the absolute uncertainty of not knowing if tomorrow you won't wake up or worse, wake up in a nuclear hell? “The most terrifying moment of my life was October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I didn't know all the facts - we learned recently how close we were to war - but I knew enough to make me tremble” -Joseph Rotblat. In those days of October 1962, John F. Kennedy and the United States were preparing for a nuclear attack that no one was sure was going to happen. On the other hand, Nikita Khrushchev craved power after being dominated by the United States during the long years of the Cold War. Khrushchev wanted to take over nuclear power in the Western Hemisphere. With the help of Fidel Castro, Khrushchev could install nuclear weapons in Cuba. To analyze this crisis, I chose the individual level of analysis because it is very easy to take this approach when there are three major key players, as I mentioned above. Each of these men wielded unbearable power that could have changed the entire outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis if not used correctly. They were all the ones who had the greatest influence on how the crisis would end. Relations between countries can be compared to a puzzle. The relative power of a leader represents only one piece of the dynamic puzzle made up by all countries and respective leaders. I came to the conclusion that the individual level of analysis and the theory of realism of international relations combined and allowed me to describe the situations of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the best possible way. Powerful leaders such as President...... middle of paper ... power, they put everyone in society at risk.Work Cited1. Brugioni, Dino A. Eyeball to eyeball. New York: Random House, 1990.2. “Cuban Missile Crisis.” History.com. NP, 2010. Web. March 17. 2014. .3. Dobbs, Michael. One minute before midnight. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008.4. Historical news footage from the Cuban Missile Crisis. Smithsonian.com. Internet. March 17, 2014. .5. "Short films". The Armageddon Letters. Np, and Web. May 7, 2014.6. “The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962.” Office of the Historian of the United States Department of State. Historian's Office, October 31, 2013. Web. March 24. 2014. .