How did the US react to the Cuba missiles?

Answer 1

Intelligence information gathered by both the US intelligence services and by the USAF using high-altitude U2 spy 'planes, identified that the Soviet Union was in the process of buolding launch bases for surface-to-air missiles in Cuba that would have easily enabled it to target all areas of the USA and Canada. President John F.Kennedy called a summit meeting with Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev to debate the issue, in which Kennedy offered to withdraw America's ageing fleet of Atlas ICBM's from Turkey in exchange for the USSR abandoning it's missile prgramme in Cuba, but Kruschev refused and the meeting ended without agreement.

Kennedy was a young President who was surrounded by a lot of hardline, and indeed somewhat unhinged, Generals who wanted to use the situation as an excuse for launching a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the USSR. However the Presidential advisory team, which included Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Defence Secretary Robert MacNamara, counselled a more defensive position and recommended that the US Navy mount a naval blockade of Cuba, with an ultimatum to Kruschev that any Soviet military vessels that attempted to run the blockade would be regarded as acting belligerently, and be attacked and sunk. The tensest moments of the crisis occurred between 22nd -24th October 1962, when a Soviet fleet set off from Russian waters carrying what were known to be nuclear missiles or components of them. It was known that these Soviet merchant vessels were escorted by Russian battleships, and that any attempt by the USSR to run the blockade would result in a major naval engagement between the Superpowers that would inevitably escalate into WW3. The USAF was placed on a DEFCOM II state of alert, with intercontinental nuclear-laden B-52G bombers ready to take off and launch pre-emptive strikes against the Soviet Union- the highest state of nuclear alert that the US has been in so far. US Military reserves were called up, and the nation's infrastrucuture readied itself for nuclear war.

Panic buying of non-perishable foodstuffs, fuel and survivial equipment occurred in towns and cities across the US- in a few cases the National Guard had to be called out to prevent looting, and a few people were indeed shot dead whilst trying to burgle shops and stores. Others committed suicide rather than perish horribly in the awful lingering death a nuclear apocalypse would bring. In the UK, Britain's fleet of nuclear-armed Vulcan intercontinental bombers were placed on alert, and Kennedy was constantly on the 'phone to British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan for advice and guidance as to what to do. In some cases he was in tears, saying that he didn't know for how much longer he could control the US Chiefs of Staff and relying heavily upon MacMillan for help in the situation as an elder statesman. Jackie Kennedy and her children were offered sanctuary in a nuclear bunker but she declined, saying that the Kennedy family would stick together no matter what. It took two days for the Soviet fleet to get within range of Cuba- non-suspicious Eastern Bloc vessels, such as simple cargo vessels or fuel tankers, were allowed through, but definitely nothing military. In the end, with just 3 and a half hours to go before the missile-carrying Soviet fleet hove into view of the American blockade, Kruschev ordered the ships to turn round and head for home. The crisis was aborted- but not completely over.

On 27th October, an American U2 spy 'plane was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft battery over Havana with the death of it's two crewmen. The war-mad generals in the Pentagon reacted to this with fury and nearly acted on their own initiative in ordering a counter-attack against the Russians, but Kennedy strictly forbade it, saying that it was not worth plunging the world into the abyss over the loss of one 'plane. He was by now afraid that his own civil administration could be in jeopardy, worrying that there could be a US military coup against his Government that would place him under house arrest, suspend civilian Government and place the nation under military rule in order to go to war with the USSR. Thankfully, this did not take place.

It later became apparent that the Soviet missiles aboard the Russian ships were not equipped with nuclear warheads, and also that the US Atlas missiles in Turkey were so old as to make them virtually obsolete as a genuine threat. History has to judge who (if anyone at all) was the victor in the situation- some say that it was Kennedy for standing up to his bellicose military and for adopting a defensive rather than an offensive position, others say that it was Kruschev, who never had any intention of starting a war in the first place and was merely testing Kennedy's nerve because he was such a young President. Still more give all credit to Harold MacMillan for the sanguine advice and guidance he gave to the White House. But one thing is certain- we are all very lucky to be alive today, for few of us would be now if the situation had resulted in war.