![]() ![]() ![]() The solution allowed both sides to "save face," and exhibited sophisticated diplomatic acumen on the part of both Kennedy and Khrushchev, the type of which experts fear is sorely lacking today in the face of rising nuclear tensions between the US and Russia.Not to mention, the size and nature of present day arsenals are much different than they were sixty years ago, when the US had 3,500 nuclear warheads and the Soviets about 500. However, the negotiators also struck a private agreement that the US would remove missiles from Turkey.The crisis ended on October 28, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announced the dismantling of Soviet missile installations, while keeping the deal on Turkish missiles a secret. Blockades prevent all trade and travel whereas the quarantine only prohibited offensive military equipment.This came after hours of difficult meetings between Kennedy and US security officials, many of whom pressed for more aggressive options.Nevertheless, in the ensuing days, Castro mobilized Cuba’s army, the Soviet missiles were placed on ready to launch, and their ships were soon at the so-called quarantine line.Meanwhile, American military forces were put on defense readiness condition 2, the highest in US history - just one away from DEFCON 1 - which signaled the outbreak of nuclear warfare.Lack of Leadership & Critical ThinkingIt was not until day eleven that back-channel talks began between presidential adviser Robert Kennedy and Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin, which culminated in a deal that publicly called for the US to vow not to invade Cuba in exchange for Moscow dismantling the nuclear sites. In consultations with senior officials, Kennedy was presented with two alternatives: a military invasion or a naval blockade.The missile buildup came after Cuban President Fidel Castro asked Moscow for deterrence assistance in the wake of the US failed Bay of Pigs invasion in April of 1961.October 22, the seventh day of the crisis, Kennedy announced the imposition of a naval "quarantine," choosing to avoid the word "blockade" which could be considered an act of war. On October 16, 1962, US President John Kennedy was shown surveillance photos of what he called "unmistakable evidence" the Soviets were building installations for medium-range nuclear-tipped missiles in Cuba, 90 miles off Florida’s coast. ![]()
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