Complicated and tension-filled negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union finally result in a plan to end the two-week-old Cuban Missile Crisis. A frightening period in which nuclear holocaust seemed imminent began to come to an end.
Since President John F. Kennedy’s October 22 address warning the Soviets to cease their reckless program to put nuclear weapons in Cuba and announcing a naval “quarantine” against additional weapons shipments into Cuba, the world held its breath waiting to see whether the two superpowers would come to blows. U.S. armed forces went on alert and the Strategic Air Command went to a Stage 4 alert (one step away from nuclear attack). On October 24, millions waited to see whether Soviet ships bound for Cuba carrying additional missiles would try to break the U.S. naval blockade around the island. At the last minute, the vessels turned around and returned to the Soviet Union.
On October 26, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev responded to the quarantine by sending a long and rather disjointed letter to Kennedy offering a deal: Soviet ships bound for Cuba would “not carry any kind of armaments” if the United States vowed never to invade Cuba. He pleaded, “let us show good sense,” and appealed to Kennedy to “weigh well what the aggressive, piratical actions, which you have declared the U.S.A. intends to carry out in international waters, would lead to.”
He followed this with another letter the next day offering to remove the missiles from Cuba if the United States would remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey. Kennedy and his officials debated the proper U.S. response to these offers. Attorney General Robert Kennedy ultimately devised an acceptable plan: take up Khrushchev’s first offer and ignore the second letter.
Although the United States had been considering the removal of the missiles from Turkey for some time, agreeing to the Soviet demand for their removal might give the appearance of weakness. Nevertheless, behind the scenes, Russian diplomats were informed that the missiles in Turkey would be removed after the Soviet missiles in Cuba were taken away. This information was accompanied by a threat: If the Cuban missiles were not removed in two days, the United States would resort to military action. It was now Khrushchev’s turn to consider an offer to end the standoff.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
“The Best Enemies Money Can Buy”
The Cold War and Vietnam was staged and managed at the highest levels.
We know this now as it’s been declassified and the cat is out of the bag.
We never came close to serious blows, let alone nuclear blows with the USSR, except as a 70 year PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATION to rob and enslave humanity.
Fuck you History.com
It was during the crisis that my mother came to pick me up from school early. She already had my elementary school younger brother with her. I asked her why and she told me dad had given her the order and it was serious business, so do not ask questions. I was in 8th grade. I would miss football practice and the last classes of the day.
Dad was a SAC Wing Commander. While living in Puerto Rico ’55-58 commanding the last wing of B-36’s flying, his crew won the top gun competition for bombers against an all B52 Air Force. He likely had flown often over Cuba doing mock bombing runs and doing photo reconnaissance with the huge nose cameras. While there we took a family cruise on a supply ship to the Panama Canal zone that stopped off in Gitmo. I could see the mountains where Fidel was hiding out.
Eglin AFB’s B52’s were in range of potential Cuban missiles and I had watched Nikita bang his shoe on the desk top. So yes, it was serious. In the coming years I always paid attention to opinions about what happened. Soon after the event, JFK came up in a discussion of adults at our house. Dad was triggered. Sorta like a Jane Fonda mention would cause decades later. And one other time a bit later, his reaction in an adult conversation, was more muted but still he expressed anger at his commander in chief.
A narrative that makes sense to me is this. That JFK blinked. And looked weak against what was deemed an existential threat.
And eventually the narrative came around to “ it was a good thing he did – the right thing to do”.
1974-76 I traveled from Karamürsel to the Black Sea coast. I sometimes saw the radar operators stationed there, where the nukes once were planted, as patients in my dental chair. Among the conspiracy ideas I have heard is that we never removed them. I have even heard some missiles remained in Cuba.
Time changes things and perspectives. The history lesson post rings familiar bells.
I was 10 and in 3rd grade in Louisville, KY; a big industrial town. Dupont, Dow, Rohn & Haas, ASRC, and a sure target for a nuke or two.
I recall they started making us practice a new drill at school where when they sounded an airhorn, we lined up against the hallway wall, bent over, and practiced kissing our asses goodbye.
I also remember a day at the peak of the crisis when all the Radio stations had to go off-air so they could test the CONELRAD system. Only stations at 640 and 1240 were broadcasting, and it was all gov test for at least a few hours that day.
Kennedy’s backchannel to Nikita was what saved us from a nuclear war.