236 A HISTORY OF AMERICA IN 100 MAPS
The deliberations within the administration
ranged widely. The Joint Chiefs of Staff pressed for a
preemptive strike to destroy the missiles, followed
by an invasion of Cuba. Others counseled restraint,
pushing for warnings to Cuba and the Soviet Union.
After several days of tense discussion, on October 22
Kennedy announced on radio and television that the
Soviets had installed missiles in Cuba. He increased
surveillance and declared an immediate blockade
of the island to search for any incoming offensive
military equipment. The next day, US ambassador
Adlai Stevenson presented the photographic evidence
shown on the previous page to the United Nations.
With support from the Organization of American
States, Kennedy publicly demanded that the Soviets
withdraw all weapons from Cuba. Privately, he worried
that such aggressive posturing might lead to war.
In the following days, the situation worsened.
Khrushchev sternly rejected Kennedy’s public
demands, while American reconnaissance
flights confirmed the readiness of the missile
sites. Kennedy waited, giving diplomacy more
time in a way that ultimately resolved the crisis.
Many who were connected to the Kennedy
administration have portrayed the president and
his brother as cool-headed leaders who overcame
the more hawkish advisers. Recently released White
House audio recordings suggest, however, that
Robert Kennedy was more hawk than dove, and that
the president was largely alone in resisting the call
to take a hard line with the Soviets. Moreover, the
stationing of missiles in Turkey no doubt influenced
Soviet actions in Cuba. Ultimately, the United States
removed the missiles in Turkey, while the Soviets
did the same in Cuba. President Kennedy may have
resolved this high-stakes conflict prudently, but it
was to some extent a crisis of his own making.