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Significant Milestone

The publication of documents from the Archive of the President of the Russian Federation (AP RF), as well as the catalog of materials exhibited at the Caribbean Crisis exhibition, has largely compensated for this gap.

This collection presents documents illuminating Soviet-American relations from the second half of 1963 to the beginning of 1964. The central theme of the publication is the reaction of Soviet leadership to the assassination of J.F. Kennedy, assistance to the Americans in its investigation, and the establishment of contacts with the new administration of President L. Johnson. In terms of historical significance, this period became a distinctive milestone in the Cold War that followed the end of World War II, a time when hope dawned for overcoming it and fostering genuine cooperation between the two global superpowers.

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The Caribbean Crisis became a turning point in the history of USSR-USA relations. Having found themselves on the brink of a deadly nuclear war, the leaders of both states realized that to preserve and survive, it was necessary to negotiate. Starting in December 1962, a dialogue resumed between Moscow and Washington on limiting the use of weapons of mass destruction, a process that had begun intermittently in the late 1950s. This led to the activation, in early 1963, at the level of experts and diplomats, of the process of preparing and signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water, later known as the Moscow Treaty. In parallel, at the initiative of the Soviet side, discussions began on concluding a Non-Aggression Pact between NATO and the Warsaw Pact Organization, and discussions continued on the German question and other issues.

In June 1963, J.F. Kennedy delivered his famous “Strategy of Peace” speech to the graduates of the American University in Washington. In it, the U.S. President publicly outlined the White House’s plans to limit nuclear weapons, devoting significant attention to the issues of peaceful coexistence with the USSR. He called for a reassessment of attitudes toward the Soviet Union, proposing “to pay tribute to the Russian people for their numerous achievements—in the fields of science and space, in economic and industrial growth, in culture, and in acts of courage.” He also reminded his audience that “no country in the history of wars has suffered more than the Russian country suffered during the Second World War.” Furthermore, Kennedy emphasized the need to pay greater attention to human rights.

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