Cuban missile crisis

  • quarantine

    president Kennedy decides to “quarantine” (blockade) Cuba using the U.S. Navy.
  • informing the public

    Kennedy informs the public that Cuba has nuclear missiles and that the U.S. will “quarantine” them until the missiles are removed.
  • accusations

    Khrushchev accuses the American quarantine as a violation of international law and states that the missiles are for defensive purposes only. American ambassador to the UN asks that the missiles be removed from Cuba and the Soviet ambassador veto’s the proposal. O.A.S. deems the Soviet Union as an aggressor and Cuba as a threat to security in the western hemisphere. Many Latin American countries agree.
  • taking affect

    The U.S. naval quarantine takes effect. The Soviet union threatens to sink any ships that attempted to prevent passage. U.S. nuclear forces enter DEFCON 2.
  • turning back

    over a dozen soviet ships turn back but missile preparations accelerated.
  • the first letter

    Castro orders all A.A. defenses shoot down any U.S. Aircraft. Khrushchev writes a letter to Kennedy asking him to avoid nuclear war, claiming that he would remove nuclear missiles from Cuba if the U.S. agrees not to invade Cuba.
  • alot happens

    Soviet forces shoot down a reconnaissance plane over Cuba killing the pilot. Khrushchev sends a second letter to Kennedy stating that they will remove missiles from Cuba if the U.S. removes missiles from Turkey. The U.S. begins considering the idea of removing missiles from turkey in exchange for Soviets withdrawal from Cuba. Kennedy responds to the first letter stating that they will not invade Cuba and that they will remove the quarantine if the Soviet Union removes all missiles from Cuba. Ken
  • peace at last

    Soviet Union decides to agree with U.S. demands diffusing the possibility of war.