According to Robert Kennedy, the missile crisis ended peacefully because:

• President Kennedy chose a blockade over a military strike. Robert Kennedy argued that a blockade would give the Soviets time to think and avoid a direct confrontation. He also believed that it would show the world that the United States was acting cautiously and responsibly.
• Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was willing to back down. Khrushchev realized that a nuclear war would be devastating for both sides, and he was not prepared to risk it. He also faced domestic pressure from his own advisors, who warned him against pursuing a military conflict with the United States.
• Both sides were willing to compromise. Kennedy eventually agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey in exchange for the Soviet removal of missiles from Cuba. This compromise allowed both sides to save face and avoid a direct confrontation.

Once the crisis began, JFK’s advisors presented him with a number of options, including:

• A military strike against Cuba. This was the most extreme option, and it carried a high risk of escalating into a nuclear war.
• A naval blockade to prevent Soviet ships from delivering more missiles to Cuba. This was a less risky option, but it could have led to a prolonged standoff between the two superpowers.
• A diplomatic solution. This would involve negotiating with the Soviets to remove the missiles from Cuba. This was the most difficult option, but it was also the most desirable.

President Kennedy chose the blockade option because he believed it was the best way to avoid a military confrontation and to give the Soviets time to negotiate. He also believed that it would show the world that the United States was acting cautiously and responsibly.

Factors outside the U.S. that contributed to the outcome of the crisis included:

• The domestic situation in the Soviet Union. Khrushchev was facing pressure from his own advisors, who were warning him against pursuing a military conflict with the United States.
• The international community. There was widespread opposition to any military action in Cuba, and the United Nations was working to mediate a solution.
• The nuclear arms race. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had large stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and both sides knew that a nuclear war would be devastating.

Robert Kennedy saw the following as the key turning points in the crisis:

• President Kennedy’s decision to choose a blockade over a military strike. This decision avoided a direct confrontation between the two superpowers and gave the Soviets time to think.
• Khrushchev’s decision to back down. Khrushchev realized that a nuclear war would be devastating for both sides, and he was not prepared to risk it.
• The willingness of both sides to compromise. Kennedy agreed to remove US missiles from Turkey in exchange for the Soviet removal of missiles from Cuba. This compromise allowed both sides to save face and avoid a direct confrontation.

Robert Kennedy assessed his brother’s handling of the missile crisis as “brilliant.” He praised Kennedy’s calmness, his decisiveness, and his willingness to compromise. He also believed that Kennedy’s handling of the crisis had strengthened the United States’ position in the world.

Whether Robert Kennedy was unbiased in his assessment of his brother’s handling of the missile crisis is a matter of opinion. Some historians argue that he was too close to Kennedy to be objective. Others argue that he was a shrewd and experienced politician who was well-positioned to assess his brother’s performance.

Conclusion

According to Robert Kennedy, the Cuban Missile Crisis ended peacefully because President Kennedy chose a blockade over a military strike, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was willing to back down, and both sides were willing to compromise. Kennedy also credited his brother’s calmness, decisiveness, and willingness to compromise with helping to resolve the crisis peacefully.

It is important to note that Robert Kennedy was a close advisor to his brother and a strong supporter of his policies. Therefore, it is possible that his assessment of JFK’s handling of the missile crisis was not entirely unbiased. However, Kennedy was also a shrewd and experienced politician, and he was well-positioned to assess his brother’s performance.

Additional Notes

In addition to the factors mentioned above, there were a number of other factors that contributed to the peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis. These included:

• The role of back-channel diplomacy. Both the United States and the Soviet Union used back-channel diplomacy to communicate with each other during the crisis. This allowed them to avoid inflammatory public statements and to explore possible solutions without risking a direct confrontation.
• The role of luck. Some historians argue that the Cuban Missile Crisis ended peacefully because both sides were lucky. For example, Khrushchev’s decision to back down may have been influenced by the fact that he was unaware of the full extent of the US nuclear arsenal