How Did Kennedy Solve the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The Cuban Missile Crisis, which took place from October 14 to October 28, 1962, was a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union that came closer to a nuclear conflict than any other event in human history. It all started when American spy planes revealed that the Soviet Union was building missile bases in Cuba, just 90 miles from the United States’ southern coast. What was President Kennedy’s course of action, and how did he resolve the crisis?
Rhetorical Options and Deliberation
President Kennedy, immediately upon receiving the news of the missile installations, conferred with his senior advisors in a series of emergency meetings. These advisors, known as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (EXCOMM), debated the potential responses to this threat, considering various diplomatic, economic, and military options. Key aspects of these deliberations were:
• Exploration of Diplomatic Opportunities: The president explored ways to peacefully resolve the conflict through diplomacy. This led to secret diplomatic communications, initiated by Kenneth B. O’Donnell, to Soviet diplomat Anatoli Dobrynin.
• Blockade or Military Strike: In parallel, EXCOMM outlined plans for a complete blockade of Cuba (Option III), amphibious invasion and airstrikes (Option VIII), and a prolonged diplomatic delay and gradual tightening of sanctions (Option X).
During this process, ExCom’s working groups drafted numerous proposals and analyses to present to Kennedy, with some suggesting military intervention in October 25 or 26, before additional evidence became available. They were later considered unnecessary:
ExComm Meeting with Kennedy on October 1
• Kennedy requested data on suggested airstrike and amphibious force levels (from Options VI, VII).
• Discussions touched upon Cuba’s population size (just under 7 million residents), agricultural self-sufficiency, and industrial scale.
Strategic Consultation
Meanwhile, a crucial diplomatic overture with the Russian Prime Minister, Nikita Khrushchev, did not progress in real terms due to various concerns around security guarantees for American trade, which Soviet leadership wanted.
Kennedy knew all eyes were upon him ( “ The President holds the keys in his lap, as long as Soviet Premier Khrushchev believes it.” ) and required strong advice when choosing from diverse plans amid increasing uncertainty about Cuban stability. It turned out in Kennedy’s deliberation, the advice provided him made significant value, guiding decision-based deliberations in crisis events**. Here lies:
• Tension relief, due to direct actions by ExComm’s
• This tension did, at last, stabilize under careful scrutiny as potential plans began falling off when there seemed too high
Kennedy considered diplomatic strategies (in some respects also seen to make Soviet moves seem quite slow-moving
- an effect they believed).
