Cuban Missile Crisis
...itary board their ships, then a shot would be fired across their bow. If the ship still did not surrender, it would be destroyed. At the same time of the blockade, U.S. fighter aircraft began low-level intimidation and reconnaissance flights over Cuba. President Kennedy believed the military blockade by itself would not force the Soviet government to remove the missiles from Cuba, and that only an invasion or a nuclear deployment trade will succeed (May 354). Kennedy decided to apply pressure by increasing low-level flights over Cuba from twice per day to once every two hours. Finally unable to bear the harassment, Fidel Castro orders Cuban anti-aircraft forces to open fire on all U.S. aircraft flying over. On October 27, 1962, the CIA reported that five of the missile sites appeared to be operational (Stern 586). Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev publicly announced that if the United States removed its nuclear missiles from Turkey, the Soviet Union would remove its missiles from Cuba. The United States options were either a missile strike by air or negotiations with the Soviet Union, which seemed endless at the time. On October 22, 1962, the U.S. State Department decided to inform its NATO allies of the Cuban missile crisis, and the aggressive military options it planned to pursue. At this time a massive force of B-52 nuclear bombers hit the sky ensuring that one eighth of its force is airborne at all times. Also, 183 B-47 nuclear bombers dispersed to thirty-three civilian and military airfields, and 161 aircraft to sixteen bases in nine hours all being armed with nuclear weapons. At this time the United States has a total arsenal of 27,100 nuclear weapons, while the Soviet Union has only 3,100 nuclear weapons (Alterman 10). After this President Kennedy addressed the United States for the first time stating that the U.S. will not permit any offensive military equipment in Cuba. Kennedy said “Any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere is an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response against the Soviet Union” (May 291). On the following day despite Kennedy’s threats, Khrushchev writes to Kennedy: “I must say frankly that the measures indicated in your statement constitute a serious threat to peace and to the security of nations . . . We reaffirm that the armaments which are in Cuba, regardless of the classification to which they belong, are intended are intended solely for defensive purposes in order to secure the Republic of Cuba against the attack of an aggressor. I hope that the United States Government will display wisdom and renounce the actions pursued by you, which may lead to catastrophic consequences for world peace” (May 314). On October 24, 1962, Soviet ships en route to Cuba slow down towards the blockade sixteen of the nineteen ships turn around two stay where they are and one the oil tanker Bucharest continued straight for the blockade. Not knowing if this was the start of an escalated attack or not the aircraft carrier USS Essex and the destroyer USS Gearing attempt to intercept the oil tanker. Refusing to be boarded, the U.S. naval ships were ordered not to attack the tanker. Khrushchev responded to and agreed with the proposal of peace sent by the United Nations General Secretary, agreeing to suspend all arms shipments to Cuba. President Kennedy, on the other hand, refused to respond to the request to lift the military blockade. After the demands, the U.N. secretary sends another message to Khrushchev, supporting the U.S. military blockade and telling Khrushchev to keep his ships outside Cuba (Brugioni 282). Secretary of Defense McNamara argues that the missiles in Turkey be removed, but only as a prelude to a full invasion of Cuba. Kennedy ignores Khrushchev’s proposals for removing U.S. missiles in Turkey. Kennedy told the Soviet Union that if they did not remove their missiles, the United States would attack Cuba. Kennedy tells the Soviet Union that the missiles in Turkey are going nowhere and that the United States will not make any decisions. If the Soviet Union did not remove its missiles from Cuba by tomorrow then the United States would have to remove them. Kennedy explained that a short time after the crisis is over, the missiles in Turkey would be gone, but that time was running out. There were two things to be considered about of our invasion of Cuba first, we better have a government ready for Cuba, and second we need plans on how to respond to the Soviet Union in Europe. On October 29, 1962, Fidel Castro agreed to the request of the United Nations to stop building missile sites, as long as the United States also agrees to end its military blockade. A message from Khrushchev, broadcast on Radio Moscow, effectively ends the missile crisis. “The Soviet government, in addition to previously issued instructions on the cessation of further work at the building sites for the weapons, has issued a new order on the dismantling of the weapons which you describe as offensive, and their crating and return to the Soviet Union.” Fidel Castro who was not informed of the decision beforehand, was outraged. Khrushchev explained that not ending the crisis ...