JFK Cuban Missile Crisis Speech (10/22/1962)

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2 Oct 201108:15

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

00:00

🚀 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.

05:01

🌎 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

Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean and is central to the video's theme as it was the location of the Soviet military buildup in 1962. The script mentions 'Cuba' repeatedly, emphasizing its significance in the context of the missile crisis and the strategic threat it posed to the United States and the Western Hemisphere.

💡Soviet Union

The Soviet Union, referred to in the script as the entity responsible for the missile sites in Cuba, was one of the two superpowers during the Cold War. Its actions in Cuba, as described in the video, directly threatened the security of the United States and led to a 13-day confrontation known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

💡Missile Sites

Missile sites are installations designed to launch missiles, and they are a key concept in the script. The video discusses the discovery of these sites in Cuba, indicating the presence of offensive weapons capable of nuclear strikes against the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

💡Nuclear Strike Capability

Nuclear strike capability refers to the ability to launch a nuclear weapon with devastating effects. The script highlights the presence of such capabilities in Cuba, posing a direct threat to the United States and other nations, and escalating the tension of the Cold War era.

💡Western Hemisphere

The Western Hemisphere encompasses the Americas and parts of the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In the script, it is mentioned as the area that could be targeted by the missiles in Cuba, emphasizing the geographical scope of the potential threat.

💡Ballistic Missiles

Ballistic missiles are a type of missile that follows a set trajectory to deliver its payload over a distance. The script specifies medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles as part of the Soviet buildup in Cuba, indicating the range and potential targets of these weapons.

💡Surveillance

Surveillance in this context refers to the close monitoring and observation conducted by the U.S. government to detect the Soviet military activities in Cuba. The script mentions the intensification of surveillance efforts after preliminary information was received, leading to the confirmation of the missile sites.

💡Strategic Base

A strategic base is a location of significant military importance. The transformation of Cuba into such a base, as described in the script, indicates the Soviet Union's intent to project power and influence in the region, challenging the security of the United States and its allies.

💡Defensive Character

The term 'defensive character' is used in the script to describe the initial Soviet claims about the nature of the military equipment sent to Cuba. However, this was later contradicted by the evidence of offensive missile sites, revealing a deception on the part of the Soviet Union.

💡Joint Resolution

A joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires the approval of both houses of the U.S. Congress. The script refers to the joint resolution of the 87th Congress, indicating a unified response by the U.S. government to the crisis, reflecting the severity of the situation.

💡Status Quo

Status quo refers to the existing state of affairs or the current situation. The script describes the Soviet actions in Cuba as a deliberate and provocative change in the status quo, suggesting a significant shift in the balance of power during the Cold War.

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.