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President Kennedy is told that the Cubans have ICBM's (InterContinental Ballistic Missile). He meets with his advisors to find out what to do.
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US Military is moved South to South Eastern Part of US so they can prepare for war. Photos from U-2 plane show that Vuba has 16-32 ICBM's
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President Kennedy is visited by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, who asserts that Soviet aid to Cuba is purely defensive and does not represent a threat to the United States. Kennedy, without revealing what he knows of the existence of the missiles, reads to Gromyko his public warning of September 4 that the "gravest consequences" would follow if significant Soviet offensive weapons were introduced into Cuba.
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JFK meets with the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, and the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss military options. After this JFK leaves for campaign trip while his advisors continue the debate
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President Kennedy returns suddenly to Washington and after five hours of discussion with top advisers on the additional misses and decides on the quarantine . Plans for deploying naval units are drawn and work is begun on a speech to notify the American people.
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President Kennedy orders a naval blockade of Cuba as soon as possible. The operation is reviewed and approved. Exchange of offensive weapons is prohibited.
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At 7:00 Kennedy addresses the American public, informing them about the crisis and his plans to implement a naval blockade around Cuba. US. military go into DEFCON 3.
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The OAS (Organization of American States) supports the decision to quarantine Cuba. Reconnaissance photos reveal that Soviet missiles are ready for launch for attack. McNamara, Kennedy review and discuss options of confrontation that won't lead to war.
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Soviet ships reach the quarantine line, but receive radio orders from Moscow to hold their positions. Detailed briefing on new reconnaissance photos from Cuba and discussion of the need to disperse planes at Florida bases in the event of attacks by MIGs based in Cuba. McNamara talks of a very dangerous situation since ships approaching the quarantine line are being shadowed by a Soviet submarine. U.S. military go into DEFCON 2, the highest in U.S. history to make sure Russia can't do anything.
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At a U.N. meeting, Adlai Stevenson (U.S.) confronts the Soviets. They have no response when asked if they possess the Cuban Missles.
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The US receives a letter from Khrushchev stating that the Soviets would remove their missiles if President Kennedy publicly guarantess the U.S. will not invade Cuba. The CIA reports that the construction of the missile sites is continuing and does not stop.
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While one U-2 spy plane accidentally flies into Russia, another is shot down over Cuba. US receives a second letter from Khrushchev stating that, in addition to a public promise not to invade Cuba, the U.S. removes its missiles from Turkey and Kennedy agrees.
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The crisis is over. In a speech aired on Radio Moscow, Khrushchev announces that he has agreed to remove the ICBM's from Cuba. President Kennedy continues to enforce the quarantine until a month after the removal of missiles in Cuba to make sure nothing happens.
