Cuban Missile Crisis

On October 22, John Fitzgerald Kennedy announced The Soviet Union was building secret missile bases in Cuba, a communist country only 90 miles directly south of Florida. After considering invading and destroying Cuba, Kennedy decided to use a more peaceful approach to this crisis. He demanded Russian Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev remove all bases in Cuba and ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba to stop any Russian ships from coming into Cuba to which Khrushchev responded by ordering his Soviet field commanders to launch all of their weapons if there was a US invasion. For seven days they were deadlocked, no one agreeing to the opposition’s demands. This is the story about that standoff.

October 18, 1962

JFK states after a meeting with his colleagues that they planned an air strike but opinions swayed to a naval quarantine. He identifies former secretary of state, Dean Acheson, as a supporter of the air strike, former secretary of defence, Robert Lovett, as a supporter of the quarantine and the former national security advisor, McGeorge Bundy, was throwing in the idea of “playing the Soviet game” and to take no military action. JFK assures all Americans he will not declare war but activate a blockade of Cuba.

October 19, 1962

Joint Chiefs chairman General Maxwell Taylor states that the JCS originally agreed on an air strike along with a naval quarantine. He expresses his concern about the political impact on their alliances. Also, he admits that not all of the sites would have been destroyed by the air strikes.

JFK comes to a conclusion that if an air strike was to be used, it would give the Soviet Union a clear path to take Berlin. He states that American allies would see America as “trigger happy Americans” who lost Berlin because they could not endure what happened in Cuba.

JFK states that an air strike would neutralise the missiles but would very likely force the Soviet Union to take Berlin.

Air Force chief of staff General Curtis LeMay argues a quarantine and the political talks without military action will lead to war. He states that the Soviets will take Berlin if they do not take action but will not take Berlin if action is taken.

October 20, 1962

JFK departs Chicago and arrives in Washington after his brother, Bobby Kennedy, convinced him that he must meet with EX-COMM to discuss the discovery of more Soviet missiles in Cuba.

October 21, 1962

After it is revealed that an air strike on the missile bases could result in more than 15000 deaths and that another U-2 flight had discovered bombers and cruise missile sites along the northern shores, JFK plans of a naval quarantine of Cuba. When asked questions about offensive weapons in Cuba, JFK asks the press not to report the story until the American people are addressed.

October 22, 1962

Despite pressure from senators to call an air strike, JFK states to the American people that a naval quarantine will be enforced.

October 23, 1962

There is a discussion between Kennedy and his colleagues about the need of hard photographic evidence to convince the public, in the US and Latin America, that the missile bases are real.

JFK predicts fighting and shooting in order to search a Soviet ship. He states that they might even need to sink a ship in a very difficult situation.

October 24, 1962

Soviet ships reach the quarantine line but receive radio orders to hold their positions.

JFK conclude that if the US invade Cuba in the next 10 days that some of the missile bases will fire and at least some will hit US targets. He considers evacuating cities for a few days before an invasion, but that idea is disbanded.

October 25, 1962

American ambassador, Adlai Stevenson, confronts the Soviets at the UN but they refuse to answer.

JFK says that the US could lift the quarantine if the UN guarantees that no new weapons would be introduced.

October 26, 1962

The US government receives a letter from Krushchev stating that the Soviets will remove the missiles if JFK publicly guarantees the US will not invade Cuba.

Fidel Castro sends a message to Krushchev recommending a first nuclear strike on the US in the event of an invasion.

October 27, 1962

A U-2 spy plane accidentally flies above Russia and another is shot down over Cuba.

October 28, 1962

In a speech aired on Radio Moscow, Krushchev announced the dismantling of Soviet missiles in Cuba and does not demand the removal of US missiles from Turkey.

The crisis is over.