President Kennedyâs dilemma
After talks with EX-Comm (his team of advisors), the US President Kennedy was faced with the the following options:
| Potential response | Pros | Cons |
| Do nothing | War is avoided â the USA is still stronger than the USSR - Kennedy looks peaceful. | The Soviets deploy nuclear missiles in Americaâs backyard. This would also be politically difficult, as Kennedy had promised he would be tough on communism. Allowing missiles in Cuba was therefore not an option. |
| Appeal to the United Nations | War is avoided â the US looks peaceful. | The US looks weak - missiles might still be delivered. |
| Blockade the island with US navy vessels | The delivery of missiles is halted. | Risk of a naval battle that could escalate into war â the US didnât know there were already launch sites or missiles on Cuba. |
| Invade Cuba | The US could destroy the launch sites and overthrow Communism. | The Soviets could seize Berlin in retaliation and the situation could easily escalate. |
| Surgical Air Strikes | Air strikes by the US Air Force could destroy the missile launch sites. | There was no guarantee of destroying all launch sites â risk escalation to nuclear war. |
| Do nothing | |
|---|---|
| Pros | War is avoided â the USA is still stronger than the USSR - Kennedy looks peaceful. |
| Cons | The Soviets deploy nuclear missiles in Americaâs backyard. This would also be politically difficult, as Kennedy had promised he would be tough on communism. Allowing missiles in Cuba was therefore not an option. |
| Appeal to the United Nations | |
|---|---|
| Pros | War is avoided â the US looks peaceful. |
| Cons | The US looks weak - missiles might still be delivered. |
| Blockade the island with US navy vessels | |
|---|---|
| Pros | The delivery of missiles is halted. |
| Cons | Risk of a naval battle that could escalate into war â the US didnât know there were already launch sites or missiles on Cuba. |
| Invade Cuba | |
|---|---|
| Pros | The US could destroy the launch sites and overthrow Communism. |
| Cons | The Soviets could seize Berlin in retaliation and the situation could easily escalate. |
| Surgical Air Strikes | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Air strikes by the US Air Force could destroy the missile launch sites. |
| Cons | There was no guarantee of destroying all launch sites â risk escalation to nuclear war. |
Kennedyâs response: the naval blockade of Cuba
Kennedyâs final decision was a US blockade of Cuba, which Kennedy called a âquarantine zoneâ, and which could stop further Soviet missiles coming to Cuba buying him time to negotiate with the Soviets.
Naval blockade timeline
| Date | Action |
| 22nd October | Kennedy imposes a naval blockade around Cuba, to stop the Soviet ships suspected of carrying nuclear missiles from reaching Cuba. |
| 23rd October | Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev saying that the Soviet ships will not stop at the blockade, but will force their way through. |
| 24th October | Despite Khrushchevâs âtough talk', the twenty ships approaching the blockade turn back (presumably to avoid direct confrontation with the US Navy). |
| 25th October | US spy planes report increased building work at the missile launch sites on Cuba. |
| 26th October | Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev promising to remove the launch sites if the USA agrees to lift the blockade and promises not to invade Cuba. |
| 27th October | A second letter from Khrushchev says the launch sites will only be removed if the US removes its missiles in Turkey. Kennedy opts to answer only the first fax while privately offering to consider the removal of missiles from Turkey. |
| 28th October | In a public message to President Kennedy broadcast on Moscow Radio, Khrushchev agrees to the removal of all missiles on Cuba and their return to the Soviet Union. |
| Date | 22nd October |
|---|---|
| Action | Kennedy imposes a naval blockade around Cuba, to stop the Soviet ships suspected of carrying nuclear missiles from reaching Cuba. |
| Date | 23rd October |
|---|---|
| Action | Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev saying that the Soviet ships will not stop at the blockade, but will force their way through. |
| Date | 24th October |
|---|---|
| Action | Despite Khrushchevâs âtough talk', the twenty ships approaching the blockade turn back (presumably to avoid direct confrontation with the US Navy). |
| Date | 25th October |
|---|---|
| Action | US spy planes report increased building work at the missile launch sites on Cuba. |
| Date | 26th October |
|---|---|
| Action | Kennedy receives a letter from Khrushchev promising to remove the launch sites if the USA agrees to lift the blockade and promises not to invade Cuba. |
| Date | 27th October |
|---|---|
| Action | A second letter from Khrushchev says the launch sites will only be removed if the US removes its missiles in Turkey. Kennedy opts to answer only the first fax while privately offering to consider the removal of missiles from Turkey. |
| Date | 28th October |
|---|---|
| Action | In a public message to President Kennedy broadcast on Moscow Radio, Khrushchev agrees to the removal of all missiles on Cuba and their return to the Soviet Union. |
John F Kennedy on the Cuban Missile Crisis
Consequences of Cuban Missile Crisis
Both sides claim victory
- Khrushchev claims he has saved Cuba, which remains A classless society where all property is owned publicly. and heavily armed, from invasion by the USA, and has negotiated a deal with the USA on their missiles in Turkey.
- Kennedy claims he has kept his election promise and stood up to the USSR and kept nuclear missiles out of Cuba. The perception was that America had won, as Russia visibly removed their missiles from Cuba, creating the impression they had backed down first.
- In order to ensure easier communication between Washington DC and Moscow in the event of future conflict, a hotline is installed giving a direct phone link between the The official residence of the President of the United States, located in Washington DC. and the The official residence of the President of the Soviet Union, located in Moscow..
- Both the USA and the USSR realise they have been on the brink of a highly destructive nuclear war and enter into talks. These talks eventually led to the 1963 Test Ban Treaty and lbegan the ending of nuclear weapons testing.
- In the long term, the crisis may have created a willingness on both sides to enter into the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) later in the 1960s. At SALT1 an agreement was reached not to build any more Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).