Today in history: The 1962 Cuban Missile crisis

[m_kishuri]

Today in history: The Cuban Missile crisis, 1962

"Nuclear catastrophe was hanging by a thread ... and we weren't counting days or hours, but minutes."

-Soviet General and Army Cheif of Operations, Anatoly Gribkov​

The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. The United States armed forces were at their highest state of readiness ever and Soviet field commanders in Cuba were prepared to use battlefield nuclear weapons to defend the island if it was invaded. Luckily, thanks to the bravery of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, war was averted.

BOTH UNDERESTIMATED THE IMPACT OF GENERAL NUCLEAR WAR.
EACH MISUNDERSTOOD AND UNDERESTMATED THE OTHER.
BOTH MAINTAINED CALM WHEN THEIR ADVISORS SOUGHT AACTIONS.


For the United States, the crisis began on October 15, 1962 when reconnaissance photographs revealed Soviet missiles under construction in Cuba. Early the next day, President John Kennedy was informed of the missile installations.

"Mr. President, there is now hard photographic evidence that the Russians have offensive missiles in Cuba."

-McGeorge Bundy, National Security Advisor​

Tensions finally began to ease on October 28 when Khrushchev announced that he would dismantle the installations and return the missiles to the Soviet Union, expressing his trust that the United States would not invade Cuba. Further negotiations were held to implement the October 28 agreement, including a United States demand that Soviet light bombers be removed from Cuba, and specifying the exact form and conditions of United States assurances not to invade Cuba.
The most important occurrence on the 26th was a letter from Khrushchev to Kennedy. The letter was clearly an impassioned appeal, written by Khrushchev himself, to resolve the crisis. Khrushchev proposed removing his missiles if Kennedy would publicly announce never to invade Cuba.
You and I should not now pull on the ends of the rope in which you have tied a knot of war, because the harder you and I pull, the tighter the knot will become. And a time may come when this knot is tied so

tight that the person who tied it is no longer capable of untying it, and then the knot will have to be cut. What that would mean I need not explain to you, because you yourself understand perfectly what dread forces our two countries possess.
I propose we, for our part, will declare that our ships bound for Cuba are not carrying any armaments. You will declare that the United States will not invade Cuba with its troops and will not support any other forces which might intend to invade Cuba. Then the necessity of the presence of our military specialists in Cuba will disappear.

On the Brink
"I thought I might never live to see another Saturday night."

- Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara​

Conclusion
"Having come so close to the edge, we must make it our business not to pass this way again."

-National Security Advisor, McGeorge Bundy​

14 Days in October: The Cuban Missile Crisis

UJUMBE: DON’T MESS WITH DIPLOMACY!!!!

 

[Sikonge]

Kama USA kipindi kile wangelifanya makosa, sasa hivi tungelikuwa tunaongelea habari nyingine.

Nilishaona Wazee (wakati huo ni vijana) wakishangilia kwenye meli za kivita za USA wakati Submarine za Russia zikiondoka. Walikuwa na hamu sana kuzishambulia maana wamekaa kama toto tundu.
Baada ya miaka mingi kuju kufahamu kuwa zile Submarine zilikuwa zimejaza silaha za neuclier, waliishiwa nguvu na kushukuru Mungu kuwapa busara na simile kutokuanza vita siku hizo. Wanakiri kabisa kuwa kama wangelianza basi leo hii miji kama Florida na Miami zingelikuwa zimejaa madhara kama yale ya Japan.

Sema tu kitisho cha Kennedy kilisaidia na hicho kizee kwenye picha kikaamua kuondoa majeshi. Nafikiri kutoka hapo, hawa jamaa wamekuja kuheshimiana hadi kesho. Hakuna anayeenda kumchokoza mwenziye na zaidi ni kuwa wanashirikiana ingawa kwenye Media wanaonyesha kama vile hawapatani.

 

[m_kishuri]

Nakubaliana na wewe kabisa Mr. Sikonge. Laiti kama Kennedy na President Khrushchev wangeamua kutunisha misuli yao, basi si florida peke yao, bali hata nchi nyingi za bara la Ulaya zingeonja joto ya jiwe. Kweli Diplomacy sio MCHEZO.

 

[Son of Alaska]

mbona historians wanasema nikita khruschev ali back down akijua fika kwamba aftermath ya hii vita USSR WOULD HAVE GONE 20 YEARS BACKWARDS

 

[m_kishuri]

Sidhani kwamba ni sahihi kusema kwamba Nikita Khrushchev aliback down, kwani makubaliano yao (Kennedy na Khruschev) yalileta mabadiliko makubwa kuhusu silaha za Nuclear ulimwenguni. Kwa mfano, baada ya USSR kuondoa makombora yao kule Cuba, Kennedy alikubali kuondoa baadhi ya silaha za marekani zilizokuwepo Italy na Turkey.
Lakini nadhani kubwa zaidi ilikuwa kuanzishwa kwa doctrine iliyokuwa ikijulikana kama Mutual Assured Destruction (M.A.D) ambayo iliwaayakinisha wote (USSR na USA) kwamba nguvu zao za kijeshi zinalingana (Nuclear Parity), na hivyo wakishambuliana hakuna atakayepona. Hii ndio iliyoepusha vita vya nyuklia duniani.

 

[Son of Alaska]

VILEVILE as a result of this confrontation ndipo ilianzishwa HOTLINE,wherby the two leaderscould communicate instantly to solve any impending trouble

 

[Sikonge]

Kuna Video inaonyesha balozi wa Russia huko UN akifanya fujo kama mtoto mdogo wakati wakijadili hii kesi ya Cuba. Russia walikuwa na uhakika kuwa kama zitaanza vita, basi USA itateketezwa vibaya sana. Wakati huo, Submarines za USA walikuwa hata hawajui kama Russia wenzao tayari wameshaziwekea silaha za Nyuklia. Walikuwa hata hawajui kama hilo linawezekana. Ila ni kweli kuwa huko Uturuki, walikuwa wamejaza silaha nzito sana ambazo pia zingeliweza kuleta madhara makubwa sana kwa Russia mara vita ikianza.

Baada ya hapo nafikiri walianzisha COLD WAR ambayo kwa juu walijifanya wanagombana ila kwa chini walikuwa wakitumia nchi masikiji kwa ajili ya kufanyia majaribio silaha zao na kuuza pia. Leo hii uchumi wa nchi nyingi za Eastern Europe uko matatani kwa sababu viwanda vyao vingi vya silaha, vimesimama uzalishaji au kufa. Kwa wale walisoma Urusi miaka ya Ukoministi, wanakumbuka watu kusafiri kwenda na kurudi Tanzania kwa nauli ya dola $200. Na ilikuwa inatokea mara nyingi sana watu kuambiwa wakae upande mmoja wa ndege ili kuleta balance maana chini ya ndege zilikuwa zimejaa AK za kina aina na risasi zake.

Nafikiri Wapelelezi wa Russia watakuwa walipata habari kuwa USA kama wakipigwa, basi na wao watajibu kwa silaha zao zilizopo Uturuki, Korea, Japan nk. Na kwa sababu USA ni kubwa, sanasana watapiga miji ya Kusini mwa USA na miji ya mbali itaanza kujipanga kuja kushambuilia CUBA na Russia kwa ujumla.