A Research of the Historiographical Approach to the Cuban Missile Crisis: Exploring the Impact of Irrational Factors on the Peaceful Ending

Abstract

With the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, a new nuclear crisis and violent geopolitical shocks seem to be looming worldwide. At this juncture, reviewing the historical lesson of the Cuban missile crisis appears imperative. The previous studies investigated the causes of the peaceful end of the Cuban missile crisis, but downplaying the role of irrational factors. Based on the analysis of relevant research approaches, numerous primary sources and case study, this paper is bent on the role of irrational factors including emotional variables, contingency and uncontrollable agents during this crisis. The result of this research reveals that irrational factors played a significant role in the peaceful resolution of the Cuban missile crisis. The favorable development of some irrational factors (e.g., the choice of frontline soldiers in the Soviet submarine incident) due to fortunate or contingency even became crucial in preventing this crisis from degenerating into a nuclear war. This paper can expand the scope of the studies of the Cuban Missile Crisis and provide guidance for preventing nuclear war and instability in the present era. Hence, it is of theoretical and practical value.