Back this morning. We now have University VirginiaMiller Center president ial Recordings Program chair Mark Silverstone thank you for joining us on the 60th anniversary of the cuban missile crisis to be here to you. So lets start today about, you know, october 16th, 1962 is when president John F Kennedy was shown the photographs taken by u2 plane over what exactly did these pictures show . They revealed the existence of soviet Ballistic Missiles that were capable of carrying Nuclear Warheads. And that was a really thing, especially since president kennedy twice the previous month said that if soviets had decided to place offensive Weapons Systems in cuba, the gravest issues would arise. So kennedy had essentially laid down his red line twice. Once on september 4th, because there was chatter in washington. The soviets were bringing missiles into, cuba, and there were pictures that they were those missiles happened to be surface to air missiles. But what was dangerous were the Ballistic Missiles that could land on the United States. And there were two kinds that the soviets trying to bring in medium range Ballistic Missiles with, a radius of about 1100 miles or so, and intermedia range Ballistic Missiles, which would have covered almost the entire United States. And so when kennedy was shown pictures of these likely installations that were going up on the 16th of october, 1962, that was gravely concerning. And so he decided to gather together the senior officials in his defense state intelligence as well as others who he was particularly close to try to figure out what do about it. And fortunately, kennedy, he was able to keep this under wraps for roughly a week. So it was a tuesday when he found out kennedy would not go public with this until the following. When he delivered this televised address to the american people, laying out what the soviets had done, what he proposed to do about it, which was to impose a blockade of cuba in an effort to to get those missiles crated and then moved of off of of. Thats a thats a tough ask. And so for the next several days, from the 22nd, all the way up to the end of the crisis on october 28th, there was a lot of diplomatic wrangling, threats, bargaining, back channel diplomacy to try to figure out how to get the weapons off and, what to give khrushchev essential in return as a diplomatic bargain. So its a couple of things. First of all, were showing a map. This is on atomic archive dot com to show that range mentioned and so it does show that just a 1200 mile range from cuba could its almost like looks like a half or so of the united and then again that 2500 mile range missile gets everything but perhaps you Northern California in you know the upper Pacific Northwest and. So i just wanted to make sure people could what that range like but lets back a second the state of the cold war because all this is happening the cold war. Can you just kind of contextualize this crisis within the cold war . Sure. And within kennedys as well, which is significant. So the cold war been raging. There are debates that continue to go on about when the cold war began. But certainly since the 1940s, there was this contest ideological well as geographical between two systems, the capitalist open system largely and a much more close to authoritarian totalitarian system led by the soviet union. And over the course of the late 1940s and into the 1950s, both sides emerged as armed camps, particularly in western, where you had the north treaty organization. Natos represent most of the western democracies, and then the warsaw pact, headed by the soviet union along with its satellites in eastern europe, facing off against the cold war had, expanded throughout the 1950s around the world particularly asia. And when china became communist in 1949, that was seen as grave blow to the west that same year when the soviet union detonated its first atomic device that also a grave blow because the west no longer had a monopoly on atomic weapons. And during the course of the 1950s, both sides set out to try to their power territory territorially as well as as militarily. By the late 1950s, there was a real concern about missiles and is particularly true after launch of sputnik in october 1957, which that the soviets had this ballistic capability, a a missile could circle the globe, could land on the United States and the us didnt have that. And so beginning in october 1957, although it started befo that, there was a real push on to try to enhance the wests natos capabilities to counter that soviet offensive threat. And so deals are struck with a variety of european countries, particularly turkey and then italy, subsequent to place intermediate range Ballistic Missiles on the rim of the soviet union. So what we start to see are these two armed camps with missiles facing off against each other throughout the latter part of the fifties. And thats what kennedy is confronted with once he becomes president in 61. So thats kind of militarily whats going on, but specifically in the caribbean, fidel had deposed fulgencio batista, who had been the dictator in cuba in early 1959. And the next several months had made increasing ugly charge statements indicating. His displeasure with the United States, although there were some possibility that there might be a rapprochement at the Eisenhower Administration, became very concerned about what it saw a leftist turn the cuban revolution and during the part of the year and then into 1960 the Eisenhower Administration prepared plans to overthrow castro. Those dont get implemented during the Eisenhower Administration. So they fall on kennedys desk when he becomes president in january of 1961. And its one of the first things that kennedy has to has to deal with what to do about these plans, should he implement this program, if he does, should be implemented just as eisenhower proposed it, should he change it . And over the course of the next months, kennedy decides to change a little bit, which are affected its prospects a little. But the upshot is that there was an effort to try to depose in april of 1961 that we usually refer to as the bay of pigs debacle. Really . Right. Because he sent a bunch of exile cubans. Yeah. To go to cuba to try to overthrow. Exactly. Overthrow. Exactly. It was a plan that was essentially run by the cia, not by the defense department. It was a brilliant as people have referred to it, a zillion things went wrong. And we could we could get into that. But one of the the implication of that that failed failed coup is kennedy got a real black eye he took responsibility for it saying that he was the the chief executive of Us Government and it was his responsibility. But he was very upset. The variety of facets of his of his government, whh also implications for the way he would handle National SecurityAffairs Going further. But it set the stage for continuing u. S. Displeasure with castro for the next several years. And by the end of 1961, there a full blown sabotage. Beyond sabotage, a plan ultimately to to destabilize and to assassinate fidel castro, to overthrow that government. Castro knew about it. The soviets knew about it. And arguably, one of the reasons why those soviet Ballistic Missiles capable of carrying Nuclear Warheads went into cuba was to try to protect the cuban, because there was a real concern throughout late 61 into 62 that if the United States wasnt going to try it again and it might at least others who would try it again. So thats one of the reasons why we think they kind of bonded together. Russia and cuba. It russia and cuba. Yes. So let ask you, the group of advisors became a big part this cuban missile crisis. Right. Can you talk about the group . Whats its name was on it . Sure. So its referred to as xcom, the executive committee of the National Security council, which was kind of a Rump Organization of the National Security council, the most National Security officials in the Us Government. So you have secretary of defense robert mcnamara, secretary of state dean rusk of central intelligence, john mccone and you have deputies for several of them as well so you have george ball whos the number two at the state department . You have roswell kilpatrick. Whos the number at the defense department. You have others kind of coming in and out. The attorney general, robert f kennedy, was a member of that. And then kennedy brought in the president John F Kennedy brought in others were particularly important to him because they either expertise in soviet affairs or they were particularly sensitive to the president s mind and could help him explore his desires. So by i mean ted sorensen, who his counselor speechwriter had been with kennedy longer than anybody in the upper reaches of government had worked with kennedy. When kennedy became, a senator in in 52, 53. But you also have llewellyn thompson, who was the previous u. S. Ambassador to the soviet, who is now considered an ambassador at large. But he was the guy who kennedy turn to again and again as. Well, as another figure, Charles Boland chip boland, also a previous to the soviet union, to try to figure out what khrushchev was up to, why the devil would do this. And one of the features of the secret, this secret portion of the missile crisis. Right. We often referred to it as the 13 days of the crisis. Well, about six or seven of those days were were days that only the United States knew about the public. Cuban missile crisis lasts from the 22nd of october to the 28th. So about a week public, about a week. Right. And kennedy again and again is trying to. Why devil would he do this . I mean, its almost a an exact quote and kennedy fixes. One or a couple of reasons but primarily for him its about berlin that khrushchev is trying to put these missiles into cuba to leverage the united to sign a peace that would turn the sovereignty of berlin in and in west berlin. You still had the three occupying western powers left over from world two to get them out of there. And it had been a thorn khrushchevs side as well as a side of the east germans that rectified to an extent with the creation of the building of the berlin wall. And in august of 1961. But was still unsatisfactory. Khrushchev there were still all kinds hassles that that were going on visa issues, transit between the various sides. And khrushchev said, and again, particularly in 1962, starting in the summer 62, were going to settle this by november. So by hook or crook as yeah, this is going to this is to go to east germany and once once he sees that the missiles are in cuba and reflects all of the signals that hes getting khrushchev and berlin, he ps two and two together and says thats what it is hes changing the Nuclear Balance so that he can put the United States in a box and resolve east germany and throughout the rest of the show. Were going to be listening to recordings that the listener from the cuban missile in real time. But we will also be opening up the phone lines. I want to go ahead and give you the numbers so you can start dialing in with your thoughts about the cuban crisis or your questions for Mark Silverstone. The numbers, again, if youre on the eastern or central time, 202748 8000, if youre in mountain pacific time zones 202748 8000, one. And if you lived through it, if you remember the cuban missile crisis. Want you to call 202748 8002. So we talked about that xcom the group of advisors and i want to play some tape taking you in to the white house to hear of the deliberations in october. October 1962. But president kennedy and those advisors and again, these audio tapes are compiled by university of virginias Miller Center. For the black male threat. Not only over the operational or the fact that i had mentioned that our video in the firsthi is a comment on urban warfare or some that we have call about to over the earth a very very stng statement of what weapons are expressed by a political for freedom for for a lot of our prior approval for or very long career for u. S. Troops or for. Which they dont really. So that was the air force general, curtis lemay. And he said, youre in a pretty bad. So you know what role did general lemay play in the crisis and what was Kennedy Kennedys relationship with the joint chiefs of staff. So right. Lemay was the force chief of staff. And the clip that we all just heard comes from essentially the third day of the crisis, october 19, 1962, after kennedy as really kind of moved toward position of imposing blockade, it was largely a consensus position by then, although there would still be some wrangling for the next couple of days. But lemay and joint chiefs including the chairman of the joint chiefs maxwell taylor, were set against it. They thought as as we heard in the clip that that this is pretty weak response at another point in that conversation, lemay actually says that this is as bad as the appeasement at munich. And those are fighting words for jfk, whose father, Joseph Kennedy was the Us Ambassador to court of saint james during the 1930s. And and hitlers provocations and then assault in late 1930, 1940. And appeasement. And joe kennedy kind of got mixed together in popular conversation and. Its it is indicative of relationship that the challenging relationship i would say that kennedy had with the chiefs and the by by and large military relations were not at their best throughout the course of 1961, particularly of the bay of pigs. And what happened there, many thinking that kennedy should have essentially gone in and those cuban fighters who were valiantly trying to castro and claim country back and kennedy changed the way they would go. He wanted to downplay u. S. Responsibility for certainly any any indication that the united was supporting these refugees, even though the the evidence to that effect was was numerous and was flowing freely in the papers beforehand. So they were dumbfounded, really, that wouldnt do anything about it. And he took a real hit with the joint chiefs, not publicly. Publicly, his Approval Ratings went through the roof. They above 80 . But again, again, the chiefs thought that kennedy when push came to shove, would not act to defeat u. S. Net National Interests and was not only with cuba, it was with laos was the other major nationalist crisis kennedy faced in his presidency. When the chiefs, as well as outgoing president dwight eisenhower, were recommending that if things look really bad and it looked like the communists really were going to take over in laos, then the United States should act. Unilag morally, militarily to forestall that which eisenhower also had that military background that made him a little bit more. He was with the joint chiefs in wanting be a more aggressive. Absolutely kennedy had a military background to a lieutenant junior grade in the in the South Pacific in world war two. He understood what combat was all about and because his position he also had questions about the wisdom the brass above him so he had kind the Junior Officers skepticism some about those in charge and th h some skeptics about this whippersnapper young president and that lasted throughout the course of 1961 throughout a variety of additional concerns the the berlin wall being one of them. So by the time that we get to 1962 they have had several experiences which to them have kind of muddied the waters theyre not particularly comfortable with each other kennedy does not what he has seen in terms of plans for essentially a nuclear conflagration. If the soviets try to take berlin what as a result, what happens if theres a major escalation and single integrated Operational Plan from 1962 that essentially let everything go . I mean, fire all. And not only that, the soviets, but at the chinese as well. And kennedy was just beside himself. We call ourselves the human race after after hearing these plans. So he had some real questions. The military and the joint chiefs themselves. So were going to get some more recordings. But i want to take a some calls now. We have in baton rouge, louisiana. John, what do you remember about the cuban missile crisis . Yes. Thank you for taking my call. Appreciate it. And i want educate all the people that dont know in that era what happened. I do. I remember vaguely the missile crisis, kenneth. Cuba was the United States. We used to go there and gamble like, you know, cuba was our country until castro power. All right. Let castro took power. All hell broke loose and kennedy and castro got into and thats all it took. And then the russian like the United States, he took it back, you know, situation came to cuba, went against kennedy and brought all these missiles and all these things. Annow its the same things that happened in ukraine. We had bold man called castro there with slogan in those states raul when the United States same thing is happening in the ukraine right n russia russia is supposed to be united staty but think about whats g