Shortly after the Cuba's break from the United States, the first Secretary of the Communist Party of Russia, Nikita Khrushchev, began to arm Cuba in the June of 1961. Not only was Russia supplying Cuba with ships and troops, but also “MiG-15s and -19s, the first weapons in a buildup in Cuba that included Soviet fighters, bombers, radar, anti-aircraft batteries, and eventually the nuclear missiles” (Lima). During a U-2 spy plane flyover in the August of 1962, the United States had captured photographs of Russian presence in Cuba, but only to the extent of troops and minor weaponry. Nuclear missiles were eventually placed in Eastern Cuba, located 90 miles from the Florida keys with the ability to destroy the eastern side of the United states in a matter of minutes. Once again, the United States had flown a U-2 spy Plane over Cuba on October 14th, 1962, this time having “photographed a Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missile being assembled for installation” (Cuban Missile Crisis-History.com).
It wasn't until October 16th, 1962 that President John F. Kennedy and his advisors had learned of the photographed missiles and had to privately discussed the United State's response. The president decided, after about 6 days of negotiation, to set up a naval blockade around Cuba and block off the import on nuclear weaponry to the island followed by a demand for deconstruction of the nuclear missiles and launch sites. In his famous October 22nd, 1962 address, President Kennedy stated “This nation is prepared to present its case against the Soviet threat to peace, and our own proposals for a peaceful world, at any time and in any forum” (Kennedy) displaying the United States' firmness in its demands and willingness to defend peace against Russia.
Meanwhile, these thirteen days were possibly the most terrifying to many americans who feared the possibility of nuclear war ending mankind on their minds. While most feared for no missile launch at all, others hoped that if a missile were to hit the country, it would strike somewhere other than where they live. One survivor says “And then the adults in the house started wondering, well, maybe they'll hit New York first” (Childhood Memories Of The Cuban Missile Crisis). In addition, the Cuban Missile crisis laid the gateway to many protests and rallies against nuclear warfare because“Americans saw for the first time that they were vulnerable and it was very scary for them” (How Did the Cuban Missile Crisis Affect Americans?).
Watch here to see some firsthand accounts of what it was like during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the fear behind Kennedy's October 22nd speech!
Perhaps the most tense moment of the Cuban Missile Crisis was the shooting down of a U-2 spy Plane flying over Cuba on October 26th, 1962. With the obvious culprit being Russia amidst a time where nuclear weapons were pointed at each other, action needed to be taken. Kennedy had no choice but to put the United States into DefCon 2, which is the highest risk level in United States history as of 2018. This therefore forced both Nations into cooperative negotiations as both well understood the devastation that could come from simply hitting a button over a misunderstanding.