Date: October 15, 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis began

On this day, October 15, 1962, CIA specialists were convinced that photographs taken the day before from a reconnaissance aircraft showed the construction of launch sites for medium-range missiles. Such missiles could carry nuclear warheads and reach major American cities within 10 minutes. At midnight, the intelligence was reported to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Early on the morning of October 16, President Kennedy convened the National Security Council for a meeting.

This was the hottest episode of the Cold War. These were two weeks of a war of nerves, a demonstration of force, overt and secret negotiations, a blockade of Cuba by the American fleet and air force, outright lies of Soviet diplomats and a courageous search for a compromise. Both Kennedy and Khrushchev had enough will not to succumb to the excitement of the military, who called for a full-scale war. On October 28th it was all over and the world sighed. The Soviet military began dismantling the launch facilities and began preparing to send missiles back to the USSR (nuclear weapons were in Cuba for 106 days). The US has promised to remove nuclear missiles from Italy and Turkey. Having resolved the crisis, the two main peacemakers of the twentieth century soon left the scene - one was killed, the other was sent into retirement. In general, peacemaker politicians are often killed - this is how Anwar Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin or Burnahuddin Rabbani died.

The whole world benefited from the Cuban Missile Crisis. Perhaps only Fidel Castro's regime lost. He finally became the Soviet Union's junior and mute partner, missiles were withdrawn from Cuba without the consent of the Cuban government, and Fidel's hysterical calls for Khrushchev to use nuclear weapons in the event of a US attack were ignored.

Never since has the world been so close to nuclear disaster. Perhaps because the conclusions from the Cuban Missile Crisis were too obvious: nuclear war is not only possible in strategic plans, and it is easy to start; a nuclear war is possible, even if everyone is against this war - during such crises, political leaders are subject to severe pressure that is unthinkable in a normal situation; finally, nuclear war can be prevented - but for this the will to compromise must be stronger than the desire to demonstrate force.

Photo: baracuteycubano.blogspot.com