ASSIGNMENT

Thirteen Days is Robert Kennedy’s personal account of the

Cuban missile crisis.
As the Attorney General of the United States and President’s Kennedy’s
brother and most trusted confidant, Robert Kennedy played a
significant role in that critical period. The first-person narrative is
organized into titled sections, rather than chapters, and proceeds
chronologically, describing the meetings, conversations, developments,
and decisions that shaped the American response to the crisis. 
The chronicle begins on the morning of Tuesday, October 16, when
Robert Kennedy first learns that Russia has been installing nuclear
weapons in Cuba. Later that morning, President Kennedy convenes a
meeting of top aides, cabinet members and other government officials
to advise him on the crisis and charges them with identifying a course
of action. This group would meet nearly non-stop throughout the crisis.
The members of the committee all participated equally, in rigorous
discussion and sometimes heated arguments, as they analyzed
potential approaches to the problem. There was a limited period of
time to respond before the Cuban missiles would be ready for launch.
Secrecy was essential to their endeavor. They needed to determine a
strategy before the press alerted the public to the crisis or the Russians
discovered that the U.S. government knew about the missiles.
Acutely aware that the Soviets were continuing to build the missile sites
as they deliberated, the group struggled to come to a decision. The
possibility of establishing a blockade around Cuba was proposed, while
some argued for a military strike. No consensus or agreement
emerged. Each alternative had flaws and limitations. Robert Kennedy
supported the blockade, primarily for moral reasons, as even a limited
air strike would inevitably kill large numbers of innocent civilians. The
threat of a military confrontation escalating into a nuclear conflict was a
significant risk.
A majority of the committee emerged in favor of a blockade on
Thursday evening.

But when the President began questioning their recommendation, the

consensus collapsed. They split into two groups and developed a
detailed outline for implementing a blockade of Cuba and initiating
military action. The President decided in favor of a blockade. Military
preparations were also undertaken immediately, in the event that the
blockade proved ineffective or provoked a Soviet response.

The diplomatic process of informing American allies and gaining their

support began. On Monday night, President Kennedy gave a televised
speech to inform the country of the events in Cuba and the reasons for
the blockade. From that point on, the world was watching. After the
Organization of American States voted to support the U.S., providing
legal justification for the action, President Kennedy authorized the
blockade to begin the following morning. There was meticulous
planning for any foreseeable eventuality that might be encountered in
the blockade.

The committee devised specific procedures to manage the complicated

issue of Russian ships approaching the blockade, while also trying to
avoid triggering a military confrontation. Russian vessels were
continuing towards Cuba, and the U.S. would either have to intercept
them or end the blockade. There was a temporary reprieve as the
Russian ships stopped short of the blockade line and some turned
around; however, soon after, the other ships continued towards Cuba.
The subject of which ships to let through and which ships to board was
fiercely debated.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis were having little effect, as

surveillance film revealed continuing progress on the missile sites.
Plans were developed for an invasion of Cuba. The President was
concerned that the Soviets and the Americans were on course for a war
that neither wanted, and one he was determined to prevent.
On Friday evening, the White House received a personal letter from
Chairman Khrushchev, stating that he was willing to work with
President Kennedy to de-escalate tensions and prevent a war.
Khrushchev suggested that if America ended the blockade and pledged
not to attack Cuba, Russia would withdraw the missiles. This was the
first real indication that the crisis might be peacefully resolved. The
following day, the President received a different, official communication
from Khrushchev with a less-politically-viable proposal. Again, there
was no consensus in the committee as to how America should respond.
As they debated various options, news arrived that an Air Force pilot
was killed when his surveillance plane was shot down over Cuba. The
initial response from the committee was for military action. However,
President Kennedy urged caution and a thorough examination of all
potential consequences. Robert Kennedy proposed answering the offer
made in the preceding, more personal letter from Khrushchev.

Robert Kennedy met with the Soviet Ambassador, but neither he nor
the President felt encouraged by the meeting. In anticipation of a
military strike, the President activated the Air Force Reserve. The
President had done all he could to avoid a conflict, and it was now up to
Khrushchev to respond. By Saturday evening, military engagement with
the Soviet Union appeared to be imminent. Sunday morning at 10 am,
Robert Kennedy learned that the Soviets had agreed to remove the
Cuban missiles. The crisis was effectively over.

In the final two sections of his book, Robert Kennedy reflects on the
lessons learned from the missile crisis. He stresses the importance of
time for the committee to deliberate in secret. He felt that it was critical
to expose the President to a range of perspectives and expertise.
President Kennedy’s effort to understand the situation from the Soviet
perspective was an essential component of attaining a peaceful
resolution of the crisis, as was providing a check on the military. He also
cites the importance of having the support of allies and other countries.