Originally published at: http://timeghost.tv/day-13-cuban-missile-crisis-the-end-to-end-all-things-and-almost-everything/
On Sunday, 28 October, 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis is supposed to end, but there are still two nuclear armed Soviet submarines in the waters around the island hunted by the US Navy. And what about Fidel Castro? Hosted by: Indy Neidell Written by: Spartacus Olsson Produced and Directed by: Astrid Deinhard Executive Producers: Bodo…
Extra History did a three video series on the Cuban missile crisis, but in their version of the events JFK seemed level-headed throughout the whole ordeal. It seemed that from your reporting and even listening to the recorded conversations JFK was playing both sides of his military advisors and yet also wanting to take a diplomatic route. Could you or others elaborate on why there is this disparency or if there was a reason JFK was doing this? (like if he wanted to look good for re-election or something.)
There were a few reasons why JFKs role has gone down that way.
First of all his public appearance during the crisis itself
- Midterms were coming up so he acted ‘extra cool’
- Reelection as you posited - during the crisis he expressed frustration many times at how this made him look towards the electorate
- The general responsibility of POTUS to not stir up extra panic made for a measured, but concise public response
Then there’s the way that the story was told to the public as long as the records were not declassified. The involved parties (both in the US and the USSR) spun the story as if they were acting decisively and coherently. Among other things, the book ‘Thirteen Days’ authored by RFK and written by Ted Sorensen was instrumental in shaping the historical reckoning of the story well into the 1990s (and to this day to some degree).
RFK and others went out of their way to omit the chaotic handling of the crisis, and painted themselves in a much more level headed color than they actually had been. Especially noteworthy is that RFK contributed to a narrative where the Kennedy brothers were doves from the start of the crisis. When JFK’s recordings, as well as the CIA and military records were declassified, we could hear and read for ourselves that RFKs narrative was not quite the truth.
It would seem that Extra History didn’t look beyond the causal history records - they didn’t go to the more extensive books written after the 1990s and the original documents. Our version of the story is A) consensus to be the best available interpretation amongst historians today B) not based on second hand research only, we went direct to the sources and used the original documents.
3 Likes
I want to say the set maker for the “daily” updates should get an award. Just look at the day 13 the funny looking unmade bed… smoking cig in the tray and who is that womans picture by his bed… does not look like Jackie … bet there are a few hidden gems in the set backdrop this series. And heck a new tie everyday?
2 Likes