Summary of "JFK Cuban Missile Crisis Speech (10/22/1962)"
Summary
On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation to reveal the discovery of Soviet offensive missile installations in Cuba. He detailed that U.S. surveillance had confirmed the presence of medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles capable of striking major cities across the Western Hemisphere, including Washington D.C., the Panama Canal, and as far as Canada and Peru. Additionally, nuclear-capable jet bombers were being assembled in Cuba.
Kennedy condemned the Soviet actions as a direct threat to the peace and security of the Americas, violating the Rio Pact of 1947, U.S. laws, the United Nations charter, and prior Soviet assurances that their military aid to Cuba was purely defensive. He highlighted that Soviet public statements denying the deployment of offensive missiles were false and that the buildup had been planned for months in secrecy.
The President emphasized that the presence of these missiles represented a drastic and provocative shift in the strategic balance, introducing nuclear weapons outside Soviet territory for the first time. He underscored that such a threat could not be tolerated by the United States or the international community, as it endangered global peace and security. Kennedy concluded by asserting the necessity for America to respond firmly to maintain credibility and deter further aggression.
Presenter
- President John F. Kennedy (speech delivery)
Category
News and Commentary
