Essay About United States And Soviet Union

Compare and Contrast the Berlin Blockade and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Essay Preview: Compare and Contrast the Berlin Blockade and the Cuban Missile Crisis
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There are a vast array of similarities and differences when comparing and contrasting the Berlin Blockade and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States had been trying to make Germany a democracy since the end of World War II, but had faced much opposition from the Soviet Union, which wanted to make Germany communist. The United States and Germany ended up splitting the country and capitol city, Berlin, in half; half communist and half democratic. In Berlin City the people just kept moving from the communist side to the democratic side. As a result the Soviet Union constructed a wall, in 1961, to separate the sides so the United States would end up surrendering the land to the Soviet Union, but the United States did not give up that easily. The United States flew over the wall and dropped food and supplies to the people. The people survived for little more than a year with the United States giving supplies. The tensions the United States had with the Soviet Union increased when Cuba got involved. The United States had previously owned the majority of the high profiting companies in Cuba and the Cuban people were tired of being oppressed. The Cuban people wanted oil and the United States would not give any oil, so the Cuban people looked to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union helped Cuba, so Cuba allowed the Soviet Union to build nuclear missile bases on the island that would be able destroy the United States. The United States found out in 1962 and formed a blockade around the island that would not allow Soviet Union ships in to Cuba. The Soviet Union and the United States ended up signing a treaty, but not before the United States almost waged nuclear war on the Soviet Union.