sed Castros supporters to increase in large numbers. With a confirmed rule over Cuba, Castro declared the island a Communist nation. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev made the wrong assumption by thinking that the United States would not take any action when it supplied Cuba with nuclear war heads. Concern in the United States was growing when reports came that the Soviet Union was placing weapons in Cuba. Spy planes flying over Cuba confirmed the Soviet missiles. Photos came back showing that the missiles place on the island were capable of reaching large cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. The United States was now in a grave situation. President John F. Kennedy had no idea on what action to pursue. He knew that if he attempted to destroy the missiles in Cuba, he would risk setting off a global nuclear war resulting in mass destruction. He also knew that taking no action would also result in war. At the time the Soviet Union had control of East Berlin and was threatening to take over West Berlin even if it meant war. By doing nothing about the missiles in Cuba, the threat of war over Berlin would increase greatly. For Kennedy, doing nothing about the missiles would only increase the danger in another war-threatening crisis later in the year, this time over Berlin. Kennedys advisors thought it would be prudent to implement a blockade in Cuba. At the same time, the United States military began moving soldiers and equipment into position for a possible invasion of Cuba. Kennedy did not approve of an invasion because that would mean definite war. When he spoke of the blockade, he referred to it as a quarantine because international law says that a blockade was an act of war. In response the Soviet Union said it would remove their missiles if the United States removed their missiles from Turkey. The United States did not agree to this. Kennedy finally decided he would reply to Khrushchevs first message, to remo...
