<P> The 1962 United States elections were under way , and the White House had denied charges that it was ignoring dangerous Soviet missiles 90 miles ( 140 km ) from Florida . The missile preparations were confirmed when an Air Force U-2 spy plane produced clear photographic evidence of medium - range ( SS - 4 ) and intermediate - range ( R - 14 ) ballistic missile facilities . The U.S. established a military blockade to prevent further missiles from reaching Cuba ; Oval Office tapes during the crisis revealed that Kennedy had also put the blockade in place as an attempt to provoke Soviet - backed forces in Berlin as well . It announced that they would not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba and demanded that the weapons already in Cuba be dismantled and returned to the Soviet Union . </P>
<P> The 1962 United States elections were under way , and the White House had denied charges that it was ignoring dangerous Soviet missiles 90 miles ( 140 km ) from Florida . The missile preparations were confirmed when an Air Force U-2 spy plane produced clear photographic evidence of medium - range ( SS - 4 ) and intermediate - range ( R - 14 ) ballistic missile facilities . The U.S. established a military blockade to prevent further missiles from reaching Cuba ; Oval Office tapes during the crisis revealed that Kennedy had also put the blockade in place as an attempt to provoke Soviet - backed forces in Berlin as well . It announced that they would not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba and demanded that the weapons already in Cuba be dismantled and returned to the Soviet Union . </P>
who ordered all soviet ships away from cuba on october 28 1962
who ordered all soviet ships away from cuba on october 28 1962
Kennedy
Kennedy