over sixty Soviet ships were en route to Cuba, some of them already carrying military material. A U.S. U-2 flight on October 16 photographed a series of SAM (surface-to-air missile) sites being constructed. In a televised address on October 22, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced the discovery of the installations and proclaimed that any nuclear missile attack from Cuba would be regarded as an attack by the Soviet Union and would be responded to accordingly. Khrushchev sent letters to Kennedy on October 23 and 24 claiming the deterrent nature of the missiles in Cuba and the peaceful intentions of the Soviet Union. On October 26, the Soviets offered to withdraw the missiles in return for a U.S. guarantee not to invade Cuba or support any invasion. This deal was accepted and the crisis abated.
The missile crisis had a significant impact on the countries involved. While it led to a thaw in U.S.-Soviet relations, it significantly strained Cuban-Soviet relations. Castro was not consulted throughout the Kennedy-Khrushchev negotiations and the unilateral Soviet withdrawal of the missiles and bombers wounded Castro's pride and prestige.[5] It also began to establish Castro and his country as a perennial thorn to the side of their enemies, specifically the United States. Castro felt that the Kennedy Administration were solely responsible for the breakdown of th
[i]Just as it was sent to me. Any ideas wtf this is? Why was it sent? Anybody else get the same thing?[/i]
