(HOST) Commentator Vic Henningsen reminds us that had things gone differently, few – if any of us – might be around today to recall the events of October 1962.
(HENNINGSEN) Forty-five years ago this evening, President John F. Kennedy announced startling news about Soviet activity on the island of Cuba.
(JFK) "[U]nmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western hemisphere."
So began a two-week long confrontation with the Soviet Union that threatened nuclear holocaust.
By 1962 Cold War tensions had reached a hair-trigger level. Convinced the U.S. intended to invade Cuba, Soviet premier Kruschchev sent troops to the island. In midsummer he began to arm it with offensive missiles that could strike targets 1100 miles away, including Washington D.C. Kennedy learned of the Soviet activity on October 15th but managed to keep it secret for a week while he and his advisors worked overtime to develop a response.
Though determined that the missiles must go, Kennedy rejected intense pressure from hard-liners to launch immediate air strikes followed by a full-scale invasion of Cuba.
Instead he chose a middle course, announcing a "quarantine" of Cuba – essentially a naval blockade – and formally warning Russia . . .
(JFK) "It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States…"
The world held its breath as Soviet ships bound for Cuba neared the quarantine line . . . and stopped.
But the crisis wasn’t over. When Soviets shot down an American U-2 over the island, hard liners again demanded immediate air strikes. This time Kennedy agreed, but opted to wait 24 hours – in the meantime turning up the heat on Khrushchev, both publicly and privately.
The Soviet premier backed down the next day – October 28th. But he did so only after Kennedy privately assured him that the U.S. would remove its own offensive missiles from Turkey – an arrangement not known to the public at the time. There’s more the public didn’t know at the time – and Kennedy didn’t either. Only after the Cold War ended did we learn that the Soviets had tactical missiles with nuclear warheads in Cuba – missiles that would have destroyed attacking American planes or an invasion fleet. The Soviets had 42,000 troops in Cuba – twice the American estimate. Their commander had authority to launch – not the Cubans and not higher ups in Moscow. Had Kennedy approved an invasion, and had he not postponed an air strike for a day, there would have been a nuclear exchange.
JFK resisted hard-line advice, but did so only at the last minute. It could easily have gone the other way, with devastating consequences.
Historians have called Kennedy wise – and he was. They’ve also called him lucky – and so were we.
Vic Henningsen is a teacher and historian.