Download Cuban Missile Crisis - Social Studies 30-1

The closest the world has come to nuclear war was the
Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. The Soviets
installed nuclear missile launch sites in Cuba, just 90
miles off the coast of the United States. U.S. armed
forces were at their highest state of readiness. Soviet
field commanders in Cuba were authorized to use
tactical nuclear weapons if invaded by the U.S. The fate
of millions literally hinged upon the ability of two men,
President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita
Khrushchev, to reach a compromise.
* April 17 1961, Americans attempt to invade Cuba to
overthrow the Castro government; the failed Bay of Pigs
invasion.
* Soviet felt threatened by the U.S. missiles in Turkey, so
in April 1962, Khrushchev decided to place intermediaterange missiles in Cuba.
* Castro accepted Khrushchev’s offer, and the Soviet
Union began its buildup of offensive weapons in Cuba in
mid-July.
* Soviets transport their weapons in civilian ships to
Cuba, deny presence of offensive weapons in Cuba.
 Site of the
Invasion
Discovery
Day 1: Monday, October 15
United States U-2 jet photographs missile sites in Cuba.
Day 2: Tuesday, October 16
President Kennedy is shown the pictures. Military
advisors discuss two options; air strikes and blockade.
EX-COMM assembled.
President Kennedy created a group of advisors known as
the Executive Committee of the United States National
Security Council on October 16. This hand-picked group of
19 men helped Kennedy through the crisis.
Maintaining Secrecy
Day 3: Wednesday, October 17
U.S. military discovers that the missiles could
reach as far as Washington state. Both the Soviets
and the American public are unaware that the
military knew of the missiles in Cuba.
Day 4: Thursday, October 18
Soviets completely deny that they have nuclear
missiles in Cuba. EX-COMM proposes a blockade
around Cuba, Kennedy remains undecided.
Day 5: Friday, October 19
Course of action against Cuba still undecided.
Decision
Day 6: Saturday, October 20
Kennedy cancels a campaign trip because of an “upper respiratory
infection” to discuss the crisis with EX-COMM.
Day 7: Sunday, October 21
Kennedy decides on a naval blockade around Cuba. In his speech
he would use the word “quarantine” instead of “blockade”, as a
blockade is defined under national treaties as an act of war. U-2
flight that day revealed bombers and MiGs being rapidly assembled
and cruise missile site being built on Cuba’s northern shore.
Kennedy Goes Public
Day 8: Monday, October 22
Kennedy addresses the nation. As he
made his speech, jet fighters took off
from Florida and headed towards
Cuba.
Earlier Kennedy had sent Khrushchev
a copy of his speech. Khrushchev was
infuriated by what was, no matter what
the Americans called it, an act of war.
Castro’s response to Kennedy’s speech
was to mobilize all of Cuba’s military
forces.
Eyeball to Eyeball
Day 9: Tuesday, October 23
Kennedy orders a low level reconnaissance mission to
examine the sites closer.
Day 10: Wednesday, October 24
Soviet ships stop at the quarantine line, military alert raised
to DEFCON 2 (Defense Condition Two).
The Ends of a Rope
Day 11: Thursday, October 25
Pictures shown at the United Nations proved that there
were missiles in Cuba. The evidence was unmistakable.
Day 12: Friday October 26
A Soviet ship is boarded by U.S. quarantine forces. The
ship is cleared to carry on to Cuba because there were
no bombs on the ship.
Hints of a resolution begin to surface.
On the Brink
Day 13: Saturday,October 27
The worst day of the crisis. One U-2 was shot down, another
flew off course over Russia,and a low-level reconnaissance
mission was shot at over Cuba.
The only casualty of the crisis was the U-2 that was shot
down.
Americans and Soviets prepare for nuclear war.
The Crisis Ends
Day 14: Sunday, October 28
Soviets agree to move missiles out of Cuba if the United
States makes a public statement not to invade Cuba.
“In order to eliminate as rapidly as possible the
conflict which endangers the cause of peace... in
addition to earlier instructions on the
discontinuation of further work on weapons
constructions sites... given a new order to
dismantle the arms which you described as
offensive, and to crate and return them to the
Soviet Union.” - Khrushchev to Kennedy
We must now devote urgent attention to the problem of
disarmament, as it relates to the whole world and also
to critical areas... we should give priority to questions
relating to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, on
earth and in outer space, and to the great effort for a
nuclear test ban... also work hard to see if wider
measures of disarmament can be agreed and put into
operation at an early date. - Kennedy to Khrushchev
Results of the Conflict
Nine months after the crisis ended, Kennedy and
Khrushchev signed an agreement to ban nuclear testing
in the atmosphere.
Triggers efforts to stabilize relationship, with hotlines
between the Kremlin and the White House, to prevent
mix-ups caused by poor communications.
Unfortunately on November 22, Kennedy was
assassinated, and eleven months later Khrushchev was
overthrown by Communist hard liners.
One can't help but wonder what would have happened if these
two men had stayed in power. Perhaps the same two people
who brought us so close to nuclear war, now changed by that
experience, could have brought us far from it.