John F. Kennedy

Kennedy's Role in the Cuban Missile Crisis

During the spring and summer of 1962, the Russians were dramatically increasing their military presence in Cuba. In September of the same year, the Soviet Union decided to send ballistic missiles in Cuba. They hope to improve their strategic position and prevent an invasion of Cuba, their only ally in the Americas.

The president learned of the missiles' arrival in October 16, 1962 when he was shown air surveillance photos showing not yet operational SS-4 medium-range ballistic missiles. The president hurriedly convened a select group of senior advisers, the Executive Committee of National Security Council (Excom)The meeting was divided, yet despite their different opinions, all the men, believed that the missiles in Cuba had to go.

Only weeks before, Kennedy had warned Soviet Premier Khrushchev against putting missiles in Cuba. The warning said that if offensive ground missiles or an offensive military base of significant capacity were place on Cuba, the US would have to do whatever must be done to protect its safety. Unfortunately, Khrushchev had already begun a such operation.

Kennedy felt that his credibility and that of the nation were on the line by this. The Cold War had caught up with Kennedy and Khrushchev; a nuclear war was at our doorstep.

The president met in secret with ExCom for six days, discussing the possibilities. During those six days the president's position changed. By October 22, Kennedy resolved not to bomb Cuba. Instead, a blockade, called a "quarantine" would be set up around Cuba.

That night, the president appeared on Television and informed the American people about the crisis. The American people watched as he spoke. "This secret, swift, and extraordinary buildup of Communist missiles, in an are well known to have a special and historical relationship to the United States, ......is a deliberately provocative and unjustified change in the status quo which cannot be accepted by this country, if our courage and our commitments are ever to be trusted by either friend or foe.....We will not prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouths-but neither will we shrink from that risk at any time it must be faced."

The world held its breath the next few days. Yet the war did not come. Soviet ships did not fight when intercepted but rather turned back. Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the promise that the United States would never invade Cuba. By this, both leaders were able to claim victory.

In Russia, however, hard-liners in the Kremlin were not pleased about the Missile Crisis. A year later Khrushchev fell from power. President Kennedy, on the other hand, fared much better. American newspapers and television reports painted him in heroic hues and claimed he had won an uncompromised victory.