JFK Cuban Missile Crisis Speech (10/22/1962)
Summary
TLDRIn a 1962 broadcast, President Kennedy revealed the discovery of Soviet offensive missile sites in Cuba, capable of nuclear strikes on the Western Hemisphere. He detailed the threat to American cities and the Caribbean, highlighting the deception by Soviet officials who had assured defensive purposes only. The situation represented a deliberate provocation and a clear breach of assurances, posing a significant risk to peace and security in the Americas.
Takeaways
- 📡 The U.S. government was closely monitoring the Soviet military buildup in Cuba and had discovered offensive missile sites being prepared there.
- 🚀 The missile sites included medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking Washington D.C., the Panama Canal, and other cities within over 1,000 nautical miles.
- 🌎 Additional sites were preparing intermediate-range ballistic missiles with the capability to reach most major cities in the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and Peru.
- ✈️ Soviet jet bombers with nuclear capabilities were being assembled in Cuba alongside the construction of necessary air bases.
- 🚫 The presence of these offensive weapons in Cuba was a clear threat to the peace and security of the Americas and a violation of international agreements and assurances.
- 🗣️ President Kennedy emphasized that the U.S. had received repeated false assurances from the Soviet Union that the armaments in Cuba were solely for defensive purposes.
- 🔍 The U.S. had been clear about the distinction between defensive and offensive weapons, and the introduction of ground-to-ground missiles was a significant and unacceptable escalation.
- 🌟 The Soviet Union's public statements and assurances about the defensive nature of their assistance to Cuba were proven to be false by the evidence of offensive buildup.
- 💥 The strategic missile deployment in Cuba was a deliberate and provocative change in the status quo, which could not be accepted by the U.S.
- 🛡 The U.S. had never transferred strategic missiles to another nation under secrecy, and its history showed no desire to dominate or impose its system on others.
- 🌴 The sudden and clandestine decision to station strategic weapons in Cuba, known for its historical ties to the U.S., was a direct challenge to American and hemispheric policy.
Q & A
What significant event did President Kennedy address in his broadcast on October 22nd, 1962?
-President Kennedy addressed the discovery of Soviet military buildup on the island of Cuba, specifically the establishment of offensive missile sites capable of nuclear strike against the Western Hemisphere.
What was the immediate reaction of the U.S. government upon receiving preliminary information about the missile sites?
-Upon receiving the preliminary information, President Kennedy directed that surveillance of Cuba be stepped up to confirm and evaluate the evidence.
What types of missile sites were being prepared in Cuba according to the script?
-The script mentions two types of missile sites: medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking Washington DC and other southeastern U.S. cities, and additional sites for intermediate-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching most of the major cities in the Western Hemisphere.
How did the presence of these missile sites pose a threat to the security of the Americas?
-The missile sites posed a threat by providing a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere, which was a clear and deliberate defiance of international agreements and a direct challenge to the peace and security of the region.
What assurances did the Soviet Union give prior to the discovery of the missile sites, according to the script?
-The Soviet Union had repeatedly assured that the armaments and military equipment sent to Cuba were designed exclusively for defensive purposes and that there was no need for the Soviet Union to station strategic missiles on the territory of any other nation.
What were the specific cities or regions mentioned as potential targets of the medium-range ballistic missiles?
-The script specifically mentions Washington DC, the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, and cities in the southeastern part of the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean area as potential targets.
How did the Soviet Union's actions contradict their previous statements, as outlined in the script?
-The script outlines that the Soviet Union's actions contradicted their assurances of only providing defensive armaments to Cuba and having no need to station strategic missiles outside their territory.
What was the significance of the Soviet foreign minister Gromyko's statements to President Kennedy?
-Gromyko's statements were significant because they were later revealed to be false, as the evidence of the offensive buildup in Cuba was already in hand, contradicting his assurances of solely defensive assistance.
What was the historical context of the U.S. and Soviet Union's strategic nuclear weapon deployment prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis?
-The script indicates that both the U.S. and the Soviet Union had been careful in deploying their strategic nuclear weapons, maintaining a precarious status quo to ensure these weapons would not be used without a vital challenge.
How did the script describe the impact of the missile buildup on the perception of security in the United States and Latin America?
-The script describes that while American citizens had become adjusted to living under the threat of Soviet missiles, the nations of Latin America had never previously been subjected to such a potential nuclear threat, making the situation in Cuba particularly alarming.
What was the U.S. government's stance on the Soviet Union's actions in Cuba, as expressed in the script?
-The U.S. government's stance, as expressed in the script, was that the Soviet Union's actions were a deliberately provocative and unjustified change in the status quo, which could not be accepted by the United States.
Outlines
🚀 Crisis in Cuba: Soviet Missile Buildup
In his October 22nd, 1962, broadcast, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation about the escalating situation in Cuba. He reported on the discovery of offensive missile sites being prepared on the island, which posed a nuclear threat to the Western Hemisphere. Kennedy detailed the types of missiles found, including medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking Washington DC and other major cities within a 1,000 nautical mile range, and intermediate-range missiles with a longer reach. He also mentioned the assembly of jet bombers in Cuba. The president highlighted the deceitful nature of the Soviet Union's assurances that the armaments were solely for defense, which was contradicted by the evidence of an offensive buildup. This development was seen as a clear and deliberate threat to the peace and security of the Americas, in defiance of international agreements and the president's own warnings.
🌎 The Deception and the Threat: A Call for Action
The second paragraph of President Kennedy's speech further elaborates on the deception by the Soviet Union regarding their military assistance to Cuba. Despite assurances that the aid was for defense and that the Soviet Union had no intention of deploying offensive weapons, the evidence revealed a significant and swift buildup of strategic weapons in Cuba. Kennedy emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that the presence of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles represents a significant threat to peace, regardless of whether they have been fired. He contrasted the transparency of U.S. actions with the secretive nature of the Soviet buildup and underscored the importance of the U.S. and its allies not tolerating such provocative and unjustified changes to the status quo. The president's message underscored the need for a strong response to maintain trust in American courage and commitments.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cuba
💡Soviet Union
💡Missile Sites
💡Nuclear Strike Capability
💡Western Hemisphere
💡Ballistic Missiles
💡Surveillance
💡Strategic Base
💡Defensive Character
💡Joint Resolution
💡Status Quo
Highlights
Unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on Cuba.
The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.
Medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking Washington DC, the Panama Canal, Cape Canaveral, Mexico City, or any other city in the southeastern part of the United States.
Intermediate range ballistic missiles capable of traveling more than twice as far, posing a threat to most major cities in the Western Hemisphere.
Jet bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons are now being uncrated and assembled in Cuba.
This urgent transformation of Cuba into an important strategic base constitutes an explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas.
The Soviet Union's action contradicts the repeated assurances of Soviet spokesman regarding the defensive nature of the armaments in Cuba.
Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko falsely stated that Soviet assistance to Cuba pursued solely the purpose of contributing to the defense capabilities of Cuba.
The United States has never transferred strategic missiles to the territory of any other nation under a cloak of secrecy and deception.
American citizens have become adjusted to living daily on the bullseye of Soviet missiles located inside the USSR or in submarines.
The secret, swift, extraordinary buildup of communist missiles in Cuba is a deliberately provocative and unjustified change in the status quo.
This sudden clandestine decision to station strategic weapons for the first time outside of Soviet soil cannot be accepted by the United States.
The presence of these offensive weapons in Cuba is a flagrant and deliberate defiance of the Rio pact of 1947, the traditions of the nation and hemisphere, and the United Nations Charter.
The United States government feels obliged to report this new crisis to the American people in the fullest detail.
The Soviet Union has no need or desire to station strategic missiles on the territory of any other nation, as stated by the Soviet government, which turned out to be false.
The United States and the Soviet Union have deployed strategic nuclear weapons with great care, ensuring they would not be used in the absence of some vital challenge.
Nuclear weapons are so destructive and ballistic missiles are so swift that any substantially increased possibility of their use or any sudden change in their deployment may be regarded as a definite threat to peace.
The United States has no desire to dominate or conquer any other nation or impose our system upon its people, as demonstrated by our history since the end of World War II.
Transcripts
on October 22nd 1962 President John F
Kennedy broadcast a special message to
the nation from his office in the White
House here is President Kennedy as he
delivered that message bearing on recent
events in Cuba
good evening my fellow citizens this
government as promised has maintained
the closest surveillance of the Soviet
military buildup on the island of Cuba
within the past week unmistakable
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 upon receiving the first
preliminary hard information of this
nature last Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m.
I directed that our surveillance be
stepped up and having now confirmed and
completed our evaluation of the evidence
and our decision on a course of action
this government feels obliged to report
this new crisis to you in fullest detail
the characteristic of these new missile
sites indicate two distinct types of
installations several of them include
medium-range ballistic missiles capable
of carrying a nuclear warhead for a
distance of more than 1,000 nautical
miles each of these missiles in short is
capable of striking Washington DC the
Panama Canal cape canaveral mexico city
or any other city in the southeastern
part of the United States in Central
America or in the Caribbean area
additional sites not yet completed
appear to be designed for intermediate
range ballistic missiles capable of
traveling more than twice as far and
thus capable of striking most of the
major cities in the Western Hemisphere
ranging as far north as Hudson's Bay
Canada and as far south as Lima Peru
in addition jet bombers capable of
carrying nuclear weapons are now being
uncrated and assembled in Cuba while the
necessary air bases are being prepared
this urgent transformation of Cuba into
an important strategic base by the
presence of these large long-range and
clearly offensive weapons of sudden mass
destruction constitutes an explicit
threat to the peace and security of all
the Americas in flagrant and deliberate
defiance of the Rio pact of 1947 the
traditions of this nation and hemisphere
the joint resolution of the 87th
Congress the charter of the United
Nations and my own public warnings to
the Soviets on September 4 and 13 this
action also contradicts the repeated
assurances of Soviet spokesman both
publicly and privately delivered but the
arms buildup in Cuba would retain its
original defensive character and that
the Soviet Union had no need or desire
the station's strategic missiles on the
territory of any other nation the size
of this undertaking makes clear that it
has been planned for some months yet
only last month's month after I had made
clear the distinction between any
introduction of ground-to-ground
missiles and the existence of defensive
anti-aircraft missiles the Soviet
government publicly stated on September
11th that and I quote the armaments and
military equipment sent to Cuba are
designed exclusively for defensive
purposes unquote that there is and I
quote the Soviet government there is no
need for the Soviet government to shift
its weapons for a retaliatory blow to
any other country for instance Cuba
unquote and that and I quote the
government the Soviet Union has so
powerful rockets to carry these nuclear
warheads that there is no need to search
for sites for them beyond the boundaries
of the Soviet Union unquote that
statement was false only last Thursday
as evidence of this rapid offensive
build-up was already in my hand Soviet
foreign minister Gromyko told me in my
office that he
instructed to make it clear once again
as he said his government had already
done that Soviet assistance to Cuba and
I quote pursued solely the purpose of
contributing to the defense capabilities
of Cuba unquote that and I quote him
training by Soviet specialists of Cuban
Nationals in handling defensive
armaments Wars by no means offensive and
that if we were otherwise mr. Gromyko
went on the Soviet government would
never become involved in rendering such
assistance unquote that statement also
was false now in the United States of
America though the world community of
nations can tolerate deliberate
deception and offensive threats on the
part of any nation large or small we no
longer live in a world for only the
actual firing of weapons represents a
sufficient challenge to a nation's
security to constitute maximum peril
nuclear weapons are so destructive and
ballistic missiles are so Swift that any
substantially increased possibility of
their use or any sudden change in their
deployment may well be regarded as a
definite threat to peace for many years
both the Soviet Union and the United
States recognizing this fact have
deployed strategic nuclear weapons with
great care
never upsetting the precarious status
quo which ensured that these weapons
would not be used in the absence of some
vital challenge our own strategic
missiles have never been transferred to
the territory of any other nation under
a cloak of secrecy and deception and our
history unlike that of the Soviets since
we the end of World War two demonstrates
that we have no desire to dominate or
conquer any other nation or impose our
system upon its people nevertheless
American citizens have become adjusted
to living daily on the bullseye of
Soviet missiles
located inside the USSR or in submarines
in that sense missiles in Cuba add to an
already clear and present danger
although it should be noted the nations
of Latin America have never previously
been subjected to a potential nuclear
threat but this secret Swift
extraordinary buildup of communist
missiles in an area well known to have a
special and historical relationship to
the United States and the nations of the
Western Hemisphere in violation of
Soviet assurances and in defiance of
American and hemispheric policy this
sudden clandestine decision to stationed
strategic weapons for the first time
outside of Soviet soil is a deliberately
provocative and unjustified change in
the status quo which cannot be accepted
by this country if our courage and our
commitments are ever to be trusted again
by either friend or fall
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