Changes

The declassification and release in the 1980s of secret communications during the Cuban Missile Crisis shows that President Kennedy was willing to "blink" by trading the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey if the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba.<ref>http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/annals.htm</ref>  That deal remained a secret from most Americans, however, and contributed to the myth of Kennedy being a strong president who stood up for the United States.

The declassification and release in the 1980s of secret communications during the Cuban Missile Crisis shows that President Kennedy was willing to "blink" by trading the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey if the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba.<ref>http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/annals.htm</ref>  That deal remained a secret from most Americans, however, and contributed to the myth of Kennedy being a strong president who stood up for the United States.

The crisis developed in part because Khrushchev had disdain for Kennedy and felt he was a pushover.  Indeed, it was people behind Kennedy, including some of the military leaders at the time, who were stronger in their response to the crisis.  [[Robert F. Kennedy]] is thought to have been stronger than his brother [[John F. Kennedy]] in tailoring a response.

The crisis developed in part because Khrushchev had disdain for Kennedy and felt he was a pushover.  Indeed, it was people behind Kennedy, including some of the military leaders at the time, who were stronger in their response to the crisis.  The highest confirmed DEFCON ever declared -- Level 2 -- made this crisis the closest that the [[U.S.]] and the [[Soviet Union]] ever came to nuclear war. [[Robert F. Kennedy]] is thought to have been stronger than his brother [[John F. Kennedy]] in tailoring a response.

[[Image:Kennedygryomykont8.jpg|right|thumb|325px|President Kennedy meeting with Soviet Ambassador Andrei Gromyko at the White House.]]

[[Image:Kennedygryomykont8.jpg|right|thumb|325px|President Kennedy meeting with Soviet Ambassador Andrei Gromyko at the White House.]]