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

Summary

In 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.