Thirteen Days

In October 1962, U-2 aerial surveillance photos reveal that the Soviet Union is placing intermediate-range ballistic missiles carrying nuclear weapons in Cuba. U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his advisers must come up with a plan to prevent their activation. Kennedy wants to show that the United States will not allow a missile threat. The Joint Chiefs of Staff advise military strikes against the missile sites followed by an invasion of Cuba. Kennedy is reluctant to this because it would likely cause the Soviets to invade West Berlin, which could lead to an all-out war. The Kennedy administration tries to find a solution that will remove the missiles but avoid an act of war. They settle on what they publicly describe as a quarantine, announcing that the U.S. naval forces will stop all ships entering Cuban waters and inspect them to verify they are not carrying weapons. Through back-channel communication with Soviet "emissary" Aleksandr Fomin, the Soviets offer to remove the missiles in exchange for public assurances that the U.S. will never invade Cuba.