First modification:
This October 16 marks the 60th anniversary of what was the most tense episode of the Cold War: the Cuban missile crisis. An event that touched the nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States after Moscow decided to deploy medium-range nuclear missiles on this Caribbean island. The tension was resolved after a verbal agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev 13 days after the start of the crisis.
The crisis began on Tuesday, October 16, 1962, when on the morning of that day former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was informed by his adviser, McGeorge Bundy, that in the previous days an American U-2 plane had taken several photos of what they looked like Soviet bases with medium-range missiles on the island of Cuba. A situation that seriously compromised US security.
The United States and Cuba had a tense relationship since the 1959 revolution
The United States had been for decades the main benefactor of the Cuban economy, especially through the importation of sugar. However, his relationship with this nation had deteriorated especially after the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959.
In 1961, the Cuban government managed to thwart an attempted invasion by opponents, encouraged by the United States, the so-called Bay of Pigs landing. And Castro had managed to dodge several attempts to end his life to remove him from power. Something that had increased the mistrust of the new revolutionary leaders towards the United States and that, inevitably, had brought them closer to their greatest rival: the Soviet Union.
The missiles installed by the USSR in Cuba had, at first, some reluctance on the part of the Cuban government, but they were finally installed. Their capacity was medium range, which led them to be able to be launched 2,000 kilometers, a distance that made American cities such as New Orleans, Atlanta or Washington vulnerable to atomic attacks. A real threat to America.
During the first days, the world was not aware of what was happening and up to a dozen advisers to President Kennedy debated during those first days what to do and how to respond.
The military advisers were inclined to carry out a surprise attack against the USSR and even a neutralizing nuclear response, but another sector opted for a diplomatic and negotiating strategy accompanied by harsh actions, such as the naval blockade.
The naval blockade of Cuba was the US response
John F. Kennedy did not address the nation until October 22, six days after he learned the news and after some media rumors about the situation.
In this speech he thus confirmed the existence of missiles: “In the last week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile bases are being prepared on the island of Cuba. The purpose of these bases can be no other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.”
The United States established a total blockade on the island of Cuba with the aim of preventing the USSR from carrying and installing more missiles on the island. Something that did not stop Moscow, which was willing to break the blockade to reach Cuba. This situation raised the tension in the face of a possible direct confrontation between the two superpowers.
For several days, neither side seemed willing to give in despite the diplomatic efforts of some people to prevent the disaster from consolidating.
The role of diplomacy was fundamental in resolving the crisis
Particularly noteworthy is the work of the journalist of the American network ABC John Scali, who held negotiations with an agent of the Soviet KGB and who warned of a possible invasion of the island, without permission from the Americans, which served for the Soviets to give reverse.
USSR leader Nikita Khrushchev addressed President Kennedy directly, proposing a way out of the crisis. The Soviet Union agreed to dismantle the missiles in exchange for the United States swearing never to invade Cuba and to dismantle the missiles it had in Turkey and Italy, which were just as dangerous for the USSR as those in Cuba were for the United States.
Cuban President Fidel Castro was left out of these negotiations, who harshly criticized Khrushchev for his role, assuring that the invasion could continue to be a danger to the island.
This episode closed on October 29, 1962 thanks to a verbal pact that could be developed thanks to the reciprocal trust of the two leaders. A moment that was about to see a nuclear war that would have endangered the future of humanity.
