The Cuban Missile Crisis

October 16, 1962

Bobby Kennedy: Hey. Call me when you can. It's urgent.

Bobby Kennedy: Actually no. It can't wait.

Bobby Kennedy: The U-2 photos came back. The Soviets are building nuclear missile sites in Cuba.

JFK: You're sure?

Bobby Kennedy: Positive. Medium-range ballistic missiles. They can hit DC.‼️

McNamara: I've seen the photos. This is real.

JFK: How long until they're operational

McNamara: Two weeks. Maybe less.

JFK: Ok. Nobody talks about this outside this group. Nobody.

JFK: Get everyone into the Cabinet Room. I mean everyone.

October 18, 1962

McNamara: Joint Chiefs are recommending an airstrike on the missile sites

Bobby Kennedy: That's insane. That's a Pearl Harbor in reverse. We'd be the ones doing a surprise attack.

McNamara: LeMay says it's the only option

JFK: LeMay thinks every option is bombing something

Bobby Kennedy: 😂

JFK: I'm serious though. If we bomb Cuba, the Soviets take Berlin. Then what.

McNamara: Then we're in World War III

JFK: So we're not bombing Cuba.

JFK: What about a blockade

McNamara: Technically an act of war

Bobby Kennedy: Call it a "quarantine" and it's not

JFK: I like that👆

October 22, 1962

JFK: Going on TV tonight to tell the country. Quarantine starts tomorrow.

JFK: If Khrushchev has any sense he'll back down

Bobby Kennedy: And if he doesn't?

October 24, 1962

McNamara: Soviet ships approaching the blockade line

McNamara: They're not slowing down

Bobby Kennedy: God.

McNamara: Wait

McNamara: They're stopping.

McNamara: The Soviet ships are turning around.

Bobby Kennedy: Are you serious right now

McNamara: Dead serious. They're turning back.

Bobby Kennedy: I think I just aged ten years😂

JFK: It's not over yet. The missiles are still in Cuba.

October 26, 1962

Bobby Kennedy: Letter from Khrushchev just arrived. Long, rambling, kind of emotional actually

JFK: What's he saying

Bobby Kennedy: Basically: we're both holding a rope with a knot of war in the middle and neither of us should pull tighter

Bobby Kennedy: He's offering to remove the missiles if we promise not to invade Cuba

JFK: That's... actually reasonable?

October 27, 1962

McNamara: NEW letter from Khrushchev. Much harder tone. Now he wants us to remove our missiles from Turkey too.

Bobby Kennedy: Someone else wrote that letter. The first one was him.

JFK: Ignore the second letter. Reply to the first one.

Bobby Kennedy: Just... pretend it doesn't exist?

JFK: Exactly

Bobby Kennedy: That's either genius or insane

JFK: Those aren't mutually exclusive😂

JFK: But also. Bobby. Quietly tell the Soviet ambassador we'll pull the Turkey missiles in a few months. Just don't put it in writing.

Bobby Kennedy: A secret side deal

JFK: A quiet understanding between reasonable people😏

October 28, 1962

Bobby Kennedy: He accepted. Khrushchev is removing the missiles.

McNamara: Confirmed. It's over.

JFK: That was the closest any of us will ever come to the end of everything

JFK: Let's make sure it stays that way❤️

Bobby Kennedy: I need a drink

McNamara: I need twelve😂 😂