Soviet Union was very much behind the United States in the arms race or the Cold War. Soviet missiles were only powerful enough to be launched against Europe but U.S. missiles were capable of striking the entire Soviet Union. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev decided upon the idea of placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba, he eventually put his idea into action. Positioning the missiles in Cuba would double the Soviet strategic arsenal and provide prevention of potential U.S. attack against the Soviet Union. Fidel Castro allowed Khrushchev to position his missiles in Cuba because Fidel Castro was looking for a way to defend his island nation from an attack by the U.S. Ever since the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, Castro felt a second attack was inevitable. On October 15 the United States learned of the secret missile bases in Cuba through reconnaissance photos and President Kennedy was immediately informed. President Kennedy saw this as a threat to the United States and to world peace and immediately took action. On October 22, 1962 President Kennedy address the nation and the world. He informed the nation that these missiles were capable of striking the eastern two thirds of the United States as well as much of Latin America. President John F. Kennedy called on Premier Khrushchev to halt and eliminate this provocative threat to world peace in order to establish a better relationship between the two nations.
             Upon learning of this threat facing the nation President Kennedy immediately organized the ExComm, a group of his twelve most important advisors to handle the crisis. After seven days of guarded and intense debate within the upper echelons of government, Kennedy concluded to impose a naval quarantine around Cuba. He wanted to prevent the arrival of more Soviet offensive weapons on the island. By this time tension was growing on both sides. The Soviet Union was insisting that the weapons were defensive but the ...