Final answer:
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day standoff in 1962 triggered by the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy ultimately responded with a naval blockade to pressure the Soviet Union into removing the missiles, demonstrating the executive authority of the U.S. president in foreign policy matters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The question refers to the Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union that occurred in October 1962 over the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. Reconnaissance imagery revealed that the Soviets had installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, which posed a significant threat due to the close proximity to the U.S. coast. The crisis lasted 13 tense days, during which the United States, led by President John F. Kennedy, considered various responses to this act of aggression.
After analyzing the reconnaissance imagery, President Kennedy and the National Security Council had several options. They could order an invasion of Cuba, instigate a diplomatic negotiation, or implement a naval blockade. Due to the high risk of escalation into a nuclear war, President Kennedy chose to enact a naval blockade, which is often described as a 'quarantine' of Cuba. This move allowed the U.S. to pressure the Soviet Union without immediate military confrontation. Eventually, the Soviets agreed to remove their missiles from Cuba, in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and later secretly removing its missiles from Turkey.
The power to decide the U.S. response came from President Kennedy's executive authority as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and his role in directing U.S. foreign policy. The Cuban Missile Crisis is one of the most famous foreign policy emergencies of the Cold War era and highlights the delicate balance of international relations during that time.