Thirteen Days

Reflecting on the lessons learned from the crisis, Robert Kennedy observed that “the time that was available to the President and his advisors to work secretly, quietly, privately developing a course of action was essential” (85). Had the crisis been made public earlier, the committee would have had much less time to deliberate, analyze and argue about different options, which he felt would have significantly altered the course of events.

It was critical that the President was exposed to a range of perspectives and expertise from different individuals and government offices beyond the Cabinet level, including lesser officials with direct experience and specialized knowledge. To illustrate this point, Robert Kennedy offers an elaborate examination of how government departments and agencies have grown and evolved to manage an increasingly complex array of international relations and initiatives. President Kennedy “went to considerable lengths to ensure that he was not insulated from individuals because of rank or position” (89) and sought out “people who raised questions, who criticized, on whose judgment he could rely, regardless of their rank or viewpoint” (90).

The importance of providing a check on the military was another lesson derived from the Cuban crisis: “This experience pointed out for us all the importance of civilian direction and control and the importance of raising probing questions to military recommendations” (91). The military leaders’ pronounced tendency towards the use of force troubled the President, who thought, “they seemed to give so little consideration to the implications of the steps they suggested” (91).

The Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrated “how important it was to be respected around the world, how vital it was to have allies and friends,” something Robert Kennedy stressed was important to remember, writing five years later, as isolationist sentiments were growing in the United States (92). Robert Kennedy observes that, historically, the United States has not always had strong relationships with the Latin-American countries, but during the missile crisis, formal support from the Organization of American States provided the United States with a legal justification for the blockade. NATO’s immediate and unwavering support, the result of a strong relationship with the U.S., was essential as well. Many African countries supported the US in the crisis, despite a history of difficult relations, out their respect and admiration for President Kennedy.