If we got too close,we would not be there to talk about that

Rating: Null/10 (3 September 2009)

Those "thirteen days" were the closest point that could easily lead to conventional and eventually nuclear war between USA and USSR and their allies.World was on the edge of unimaginable disaster and only political wisdom of John.F.Kennedy on one side and Nikita Khrushchev on the other saved us from nuclear obliteration. But the course of history could have been different if there was someone else on place of president of the United States instead of Kennedy. What would happen if president was Richard Nixon? Just two years before,on 1960 elections for president, Kennedy won over Nixon with a small difference. From todays point of view American nation made not just right choice of choosing Kennedy instead of Nixon,but also the choice that proved to be one that eventually saved modern civilization from nuclear destruction. Nobody knew that in 1960, but two years later it became so obvious. Would Nixon successfully resist the pressure from Pentagon to invade Cuba and order an aerial attack on Soviet nuclear missiles sites on that island if he was president in 1962 instead of Kennedy? We have lots of reasons to believe that he would not. They were two different men. And we all were lucky to have a right one as a president of the most powerful nation on planet in 1962. Off course Nixon became president later in 1968 and he brought American involvement in Vietnam war to an end,but we know how his presidency ended (Watergate scandal). Thirteen days in October 1962 were the most critical point in all Cold War period. Never before and never after that were Soviet Union and United States so close to engage militarily and they will probably never be in that situation again (relations between Russia and USA today are much more friendly). Soviets installed nuclear missiles on Cuba and much of US mainland came to their range. When U-2 spy aircraft discovered missile sites,White House was in panic. USA imposed sanctions against Cuba on October 22,1962 (sanctions still last today after 47 years) and president Kennedy made it clear-"Shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any other nation on Western hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States". Another 35 Soviet ships were on their way to Cuba to deliver more missiles,so US established naval blockade of Cuba with 40 war ships in Cuban waters. American B-52 strategic bombers carrying nuclear weapons were on alert ready to deliver their deadly payload. If Americans invaded Cuba Soviets would attack NATO garrisons in Berlin and start war in Europe. From conventional it could easily turn to nuclear war and nuclear exchange between two superpowers could bring our civilization to "stone age" for those who would survive. Hundreds of millions of human lives were at stake. And this is what this film is telling about with Bruce Greenwood as president Kennedy,Kevin Costner as his adviser Kenny O Donnell and other people. To make it worse one U-2 was shoot down over Cuba with pilot killed on October 27,1962 but situation did not run out of control. Both sides were ready for war,but luckily American and Soviet diplomats found compromise and crisis was solved. Americans agreed to end naval blockade of Cuba (but sanctions remained),to withdraw nuclear missiles from Turkey and obligated that they will not invade Cuba. Soviets agreed to send their ships home and to withdraw all nuclear missiles from Cuba. That deal was done by both sides and world was spared from nuclear conflict. In 1963 special telephone line was established between Washington and Moscow ("red line") so US and Soviet (later Russian) president could communicate in future crisis and it proved effective. Two leaders who prevented their countries from going in to war later became victims.Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and Khrushchev was superseded in 1964 and replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. Later in 1967 Khrushchev wrote-"I wanted to destroy capitalist world and Kennedy wanted to preserve it.I guess we both failed".Khrushchev died in 1971. This is historic movie and it should be watched by those who study modern history as something relevant as historic document. Wisdom and control of human ego prevented us from destroying our selves and it was valuable lesson we should never forget as Kennedy once said- "For in the final analysis,our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.We all breathe the same air.We all cherish our children s future.And we are all mortal."