why did the united states respond to the missile deployment with blockade?

Answer 1

At 7 p.m. October 22, President Kennedy delivered a televised address announcing the discovery of the installations. He proclaimed that the United States would "...regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response..." He also placed a naval "quarantine" on Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of military weapons from arriving there.

Answer 2

Kennedy weighed 3 options.

1. Do nothing and except missiles that close to the United States, which the Cold War public would never accept. (Although it should be noted that US missile silos in Turkey were closer to the Soviet Union than the Cuban missiles were to the US.) More importantly indifference would have encouraged further Soviet encroachments.

2. Invade and risk war with a nuclear superpower.

3. Blockade, this was actually a brilliant stroke. Food, and medicine were allowed through but no military supplies. We were essentially giving the Soviets a time out. Of course it was risky. The Soviets might not have backed down. In the end however, the US made a statement. Soviet encroachment into our hemisphere would not be tolerated, and that our young inexperienced president (the Soviets felt Kennedy would be a light weight) was ready to stand against the Soviet Union.

Answer 3

President Kennedy avoided war by using the blockade.

Answer 4

If you refer to the situation in Cuba during the 1960s, it was due to ineptitude. They should have invaded Cuba

Answer 5

It was that or invasion which would have led to nuclear war. which would have made a hell of a mess.