Document 3 is a pretty reliable source. It is all the options that were discussed in the Excom of the Cuban missile crisis. It is a transcript of what was discussed
The Soviet Union wanted to both protect Cuba from the US (as Cuba was communist and the USSR wanted to keep it that way,) the US had a policy of containment though, they wouldn't do anything about communist Cuba, they would just make sure it didn't spread. The USSR also wanted to have an advantage over the US in terms of offensive weapons
Cuba is communist, as well as the USSR. Cuba is the closest communist …show more content…
The USSR would be obligated to strike the base that the US has in Turkey, then the US would be compelled to bomb the USSR, so on and so forth, until there is nothing left.
President Kennedy says that the reason the US must act against Cuba was that America was in danger. Most of America. During his announcement, he told the population that he would try all peaceful measures and only peaceful measures until it was necessary to use harsher methods of control.
The naval blockade was the least aggressive option that the US weighed; however, it stilled posed risks. If the Soviet Union didn't respond to the blockade, then the US would be forced into taking more aggressive measures.
Khrushchev's 2nd letter to President Kennedy (which was ignored) stated that the USSR would remove the missiles in Cuba if the United States (partnered with the United Nations,) would remove the missiles in Turkey. This didn't happen.
President Kennedy replied to the letters sent by Khrushchev by ignoring the second letter. He said that if the Soviet Union removed the missiles in Cuba, the US would stop the blockade against Cuba and a promise to not invade Cuba. So he basically wants everything to go back to