Cuban Missle Crisis Essay Example

had fewer missiles than the Soviets during his presidential campaign, despite conflicting statements from the Pentagon. However, during the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, Kennedy informed Khrushchev that the U.S. actually possessed more missiles than the Soviet Union did. This revelation further alarmed Khrushchev because while Soviet missiles could only target Europe, U.S. missiles had capabilities to strike anywhere in Soviet territory. The imbalance raised concerns for Khrushchev as it meant a potential nuclear attack from the United States if they significantly lost in an arms race.
Khrushchev sought to counter America's advantage by proposing the installation of medium-range missiles in Cuba as a deterrent. Cuba's proximity to America made it an ideal location for such weapons, and Fidel Castro accepted the offer in order to protect his country and address previous issues. To avoid detection, offensive weapons were secretly shipped from the Soviet Union on civilian vessels starting in mid-July 1962. However, increased shipping activity raised suspicions in the US, leading to rumors circulating in Washington. On August 10, the CIA director wrote a letter to the President expressing belief that Soviets were placing missiles in Cuba. This was confirmed on August 29 when a reconnaissance flight observed SAM sites. To reassure Congress and the public, President Kennedy announced on September 4 that these Soviet missiles were defensive and posed no threat to the US. Under pressure from Congress, Kennedy ordered another U-2 flight over Cuba for October 9 but it was delayed until October 14.Upon analyzing the pictures from this flight, it was initially thought that there were more surface-to-air missile sites. However, further examination revealed six larger SS-4 nuclear missiles measuring

60 to 65 feet long. It became clear that the Soviets had intentionally deceived Kennedy. Promptly, Kennedy scheduled two meetings for the next morning. In the first meeting, he reviewed photographs showing that these missiles could reach major US cities such as New York, Washington DC,and Philadelphia with a range of 1,100 miles. At that time, the missiles were not operational and did not have nuclear warheads but it was expected they would become functional soon. In the subsequent meeting, Kennedy personally selected twelve trusted government officials to provide advice on the crisis forming what was known as EX-COMM: Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Taylor, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Secretary of Treasury Douglas Dillon,CIA Director John McCone , Attorney General Robert Kennedy , Undersecretary George Ball and Special Counsel Theodore SorensenDeputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric and Soviet Specialist Llewellyn Thompson attended a meeting with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. During the meeting, McNamara presented three potential actions for the US to take against Cuba and the Soviet Union. The first option involved diplomatic resolution between Castro and Khrushchev but was rejected by EX-COMM members. The second plan aimed to block Cuba to prevent more offensive missiles from entering, while the third plan involved military action including an air attack followed by an invasion.

EX-COMM mistakenly believed that there were no missile warheads in Cuba and wanted to prevent their arrival there. President Kennedy maintained secrecy by sticking to his planned schedule, ensuring that both the Soviets and the American public

remained unaware of the missiles in Cuba. There was concern that if their existence was discovered, it could lead to panic among the public or prompt the Soviets to hide or launch the missiles earlier than intended.

Despite this tense situation, Kennedy managed to maintain a lighthearted demeanor publicly and even made jokes. However, he became serious when he called for a meeting with EX-COMM in his car.During the discussions with EX-COMM, which included the Joint Chiefs of Staff advocating for an air strike (especially from the Air Force), plans were being made for a comprehensive air strike that would have completely destroyed Cuba if Kennedy had not rejected them before they were finalized. On October 17th, a U-2 flight revealed that Cuba had nuclear missiles of intermediate range (IRBMs) capable of reaching all parts of continental US except Washington and Oregon. On October 18th, Kennedy met with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrie Gromyko but chose not to confront him about the missiles due to uncertainty about Gromyko's knowledge. Later that evening, during a dinner in Gromyko's honor, an important meeting took place within EX-COMM where there was a majority consensus recommending a blockade strategy to be presented to the White House. While Kennedy appreciated the idea of implementing a blockade against Cuba, he struggled between choosing this course of action or opting for an air strike as an alternative solution. On October 20th, Kennedy held another meeting with EX-COMM to discuss his decision and favored the blockade as it allowed for minimal initial action and provided flexibility to increase pressure on Soviets if necessary. The following day, Kennedy ultimately decided to implement a blockade of Cuba.During

his national speech, he made a point of calling it a "quarantine" rather than a "blockade," emphasizing the distinction between the two terms. This was important because a blockade is considered an act of war according to international treaties, while a quarantine is simply an effort to prevent unwanted things from entering a specific area. Despite implementing what could be seen as a blockade, it was not perceived as an act of war by the international community.

Later that same day, a U-2 flight reported sightings of bombers, MiGs, and cruise missile sites being constructed on Cuba's northern shore. In response to this intelligence, approximately 300 Navy ships departed for Cuba shortly after Kennedy's address on October 22nd. The military readiness level was raised to DEFCON 3 with orders to prepare for potential missile launches.

At exactly 7:00 p.m., Kennedy began his speech while simultaneously there were already 20 planes carrying nuclear bombs in the air and ready to strike the USSR. In his speech, Kennedy outlined three steps: imposing a strict quarantine on all military equipment being transported to Cuba in order to halt offensive buildup; increasing surveillance on military construction; and establishing policy that any nuclear missile launched from Cuba towards any Western Hemisphere country would be viewed as an attack by the Soviet Union against the United States, triggering full retaliation against the Soviet Union.

This action greatly angered Khrushchev when he received a copy of Kennedy's speech.He was angered by his military's failure to hide the missiles and saw America's "quarantine" as an act of war regardless of its categorization. In response to Kennedy's speech, Khrushchev instructed the ships on their way to Cuba

to continue without interruption. Castro also reacted by mobilizing all of Cuba's military forces. On October 23rd, Kennedy commanded six Crusader jets to carry out a reconnaissance mission at a low altitude. Flying at only 350 feet and a speed of 350 knots, this mission took close-up photographs of the missile sites and exposed that the Soviets were testing these missiles for launching purposes. One pilot named William Ecker expressed that they truly comprehended what they were facing when they could read what was written on the side of those missiles.
That evening, with backing from the Western Hemisphere, Kennedy signed the Proclamation of Interdiction. By day’s end, US ships had positioned themselves along the quarantine line which was situated 800 miles away from Cuba. The quarantine was scheduled to commence at 10:00 a.m.on October 24th.At 10:25 a.m.the following day, EX-COMM received a message indicating that Soviet ships were turning back without protest.Khrushchev wasn't yet prepared to escalate the crisis and challenge the blockade; however, it didn't mean that it had concluded.On that same day,the military alert level was heightened to DEFCON 2,making itthe highest level ever in US history.This notification purposely remained uncoded so that it would convey to the Soviets how serious America regarded this situation. In response, Khrushchev sent another letter to the White House accusing President Kennedy of making threats and issuing an ultimatum regarding forceful actions if demands were not met. Due to these circumstances presented by Khrushchev's letter, it became impossible for the Soviet Government to instruct their vessel captains to follow orders from American naval forces who were blockading Cuba. On October 25th, Kennedy responded firmly stating that America

would not capitulate or retreat from its stand. Despite his desire to avoid war at all costs during this crisis period with Cuba, Kennedy still searched for alternatives in order find a resolution amidst mounting tensions between both nations involved in this conflict. One journalist named Walter Lippman suggested an exchange involving missiles that would allow both sides involved – Soviets removing their missiles from Cuba and Americans removing theirs from Turkey –to save face while resolving some aspects of this standoff. The suggestion to stop missile development was rejected by officials in both countries. President Kennedy believed that only an invasion or a trade, similar to Lippman's suggestion, would be effective. To increase pressure, he decided to increase the frequency of low-level flights over Cuba.On the 26th, Aleksandr Fomin, the KGB station chief in Washington, suggested a potential solution: dismantling Soviet bases under UN supervision in exchange for a promise from the US not to invade Cuba. Secretary of State Dean Rusk informed Fomin about the urgency and time constraints of the proposal. Later that evening, Khrushchev offered to declare that all Soviet ships bound for Cuba carried no weapons if the US agreed not to invade.

During a meeting between Robert Kennedy and Ambassador Dobrynin, they discussed exchanging Soviet missiles in Cuba for American missiles in Turkey. The crisis escalated on October 27 when a U-2 plane strayed into Soviet airspace but was guided back on course by rescue station operators after sending a distress call. However, MiG fighters were already launched by Soviets and F-102 fighters armed with nuclear air-to-air missiles were mobilized by Americans for protection. Fortunately, the U-2 successfully exited Soviet

airspace and avoided any engagement with opposing fighter groups.

Secretary of Defense McNamara expressed his concerns to President Kennedy regarding the potential misinterpretation of a reconnaissance flight by the Soviets as a precursor to a nuclear attack. However, Kennedy reassured him not to worry. Later that day, EX-COMM received news that a U-2 aircraft had been shot down over Cuba and crashed in the eastern jungle.It had been previously agreed by EX-COMM that if an American reconnaissance plane was downed, the Air Force would retaliate by bombing the responsible location. With this occurrence, the Joint Chiefs persisted even more strongly in seeking permission to bomb Cuba. General Taylor emphasized that it was crucial for the US to strike Cuba no later than Monday morning, October 29th. Instead of immediate action, Kennedy opted to wait for another plane to be shot down before authorizing destruction of the SAM site.

The subsequent event on that fateful day involved a low-level reconnaissance mission conducted by six F8U-1P Crusader jets. Two jets were forced to abort their mission due to mechanical issues while the remaining four continued and encountered fire from Cuban ground forces as they flew over missile sites. Fortunately, one of the planes was hit but managed to return safely.

On Sunday, October 28th, Khrushchev met with advisers outside of Moscow. During the meeting, a general arrived and delivered news that Kennedy would be addressing the nation at 5:00 pm. This news deeply concerned Khrushchev as he believed it could indicate an ongoing invasion. To prevent war, Khrushchev and his advisors hastily composed a letter that was urgently transported to the broadcast station. They hoped Kennedy would receive it before

5:00 pm. The letter expressed appreciation for Kennedy's message on October 27th and satisfaction with his responsibility for maintaining global peace.
The text discusses a new directive to dismantle offensive weapons and halt construction efforts at weapon sites, which effectively resolved the crisis when received on October 28th at 9:00 am. The response from EX-COMM members varied, with most feeling relief but some, particularly the Joint Chiefs, suspecting Khrushchev's announcement was a tactic for gaining more time. However, Kennedy believed the response was genuine. At 11:00 am, EX-COMM issued orders to stop all reconnaissance flights (May 630-635). Castro in Cuba became angry when he heard about the agreement on the radio before Khrushchev informed him. Hours later, still furious, Castro stated that a real solution should have included five more points: (1) ending the economic blockade against Cuba; (2) stopping all subversive activities from the United States against Cuba; (3) ceasing attacks on Cuba from US military bases in Puerto Rico; (4) halting aerial and naval reconnaissance flights in Cuban airspace and waters; (5) returning Guantanamo Naval Base to Cuba. Eventually, with UN help, Castro backed down and all parties reached an agreement. A UN inspection team was appointed to oversee removing the missiles and destroying missile bases in Cuba. The Soviet Navy then transported the missiles back to the USSR on ships' decks while American reconnaissance planes verified their removal. Nine months after the crisis ended, Kennedy and Khrushchev signed a treaty banning atmospheric nuclear testing.
This marked the start of what appeared to be a fresh period of collaboration and interaction. Nevertheless, President Kennedy was killed in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Just eleven

months later, communist hardliners ousted Premier Khrushchev (Brugioni 572-574). It is truly intriguing to ponder what might have occurred if these two individuals had stayed in authority.

Perhaps those who nearly led us into a nuclear war could have, by learning from that ordeal, steered us away from such a catastrophic incident.