S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy explains that Anastas Mikoyan emerged as a voice of reason, having opposed the missiles from the start. As the U.S. blockade began, Khrushchev ordered missile-carrying ships to turn back, though one ship with nuclear warheads was v
The Cuban Missile Crisis was not just a clash of superpowers but a high-stakes game of miscommunication and hidden risks, where the fate of the world hung on decisions made in ignorance. In a pivotal moment, Anastas Mikoyan—often overlooked but a seasoned diplomat and one of the few survivors of Lenin’s inner circle—emerged as the voice of reason, warning against deploying missiles to Cuba from the start. His concerns were ignored, but his calm presence at the Kremlin table helped steer Khrushchev toward de-escalation when the U.S. imposed a blockade. Remarkably, even as the Soviets turned back missile-carrying ships, one vessel with nuclear warheads was still ordered to proceed to Cuba. Meanwhile, the U.S. had no knowledge of Soviet submarines armed with nuclear torpedoes or tactical nukes on the island—critical details that could have triggered a nuclear exchange. President Kennedy, under immense pressure, believed he had no choice but to act, yet his decision was as much political as strategic, driven by the looming threat of impeachment. The crisis was not over when the world thought it was; it was only the beginning of a deeper, darker reality that neither side fully grasped. The episode reveals how both superpowers operated in near-total darkness, with delayed communications, incomplete intelligence, and deeply flawed assumptions.
Anastas Mikoyan opposed the deployment of Soviet missiles to Cuba from the beginning, warning of a strong U.S. response and possessing firsthand knowledge of American culture.
The U.S. blockade was known as a 'quarantine' but legally constituted an act of war, and Kennedy believed he had no choice due to political pressures, including the risk of impeachment.
Soviet ships carrying medium-range missiles were ordered to turn back, but one ship with nuclear warheads was still sent to Cuba, creating a hidden nuclear threat.
The U.S. had no knowledge of Soviet nuclear-armed submarines or tactical nuclear weapons on Cuba, creating a 'darkness' in intelligence that nearly led to escalation.
The Soviets blinked by turning back their ships nearly 24 hours before the U.S. realized it—yet the U.S. had already authorized attacks based on outdated information.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Crisis of Miscommunication
The episode opens with John Batchelor introducing the Cuban Missile Crisis, highlighting the lack of real-time communication and mutual misunderstanding between Kennedy and Khrushchev, setting the stage for a crisis built on ignorance.
Anastas Mikoyan: The Voice of Reason in the Kremlin
“He was against the idea of putting missiles on Cuba from the very beginning. He was trying to convince Khrushchev. Not to do that.”
The Hidden Arsenal: Nuclear Torpedoes and Tactical Weapons
“Washington would never learn, at least during the crisis, that those submarines were equipped with the nuclear-armed torpedoes.”
The Turning Point: Soviet Ships Turn Back
“The ship... which was called Alexandrovsk, and it had all the nuclear warheads for those missiles. They ordered that ship to go to Cuba as soon as possible.”
Kennedy’s Dilemma: No Choice, But Political Pressure
“I do not think there was a choice. There was no choice. I had to do this.”
“But Washington would never learn, at least during the crisis, that those submarines were equipped with the nuclear -armed torpedoes.”
“I do not think there was a choice. There was no choice. I had to do this.”
“And he was against the idea of putting missiles on Cuba from the very beginning. He was trying to convince Khrushchev. Not to do that.”
Host
Guest
Anastas Mikoyan
person
Nikita Khrushchev
person
Kennedy
person
John Batchelor
person
Serhii Plokhy
person
Hartford Public Schools
organization
Fidel Castro
person
Spectrum Internet
brand
Toyota
brand
Tsar Bomb
other
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy concludes that the crisis ended with a secret deal, but Fidel Castro was outraged, having advocated for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. Anastas Mikoyan was forced to negotiate the removal of tactical nukes while his wife was dying in Moscow
11m • 6/8/2026
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy explains that Khrushchev placed missiles in Cuba to counter the U.S. "missile gap" and the Jupiter missiles in Turkey. He chose General Issa Pliyev, a loyal cavalryman, to lead Operation Anadyr because of his experience with multi-force coor
13m • 6/8/2026
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy details that Khrushchev's decision was driven by the USSR having only five or six ICBMs capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. By deploying medium-range R-12 and R-14 missiles to Cuba, he sought to balance the threat from American Minutemen.
13m • 6/8/2026
S8 Ep979: Serhii Plokhy describes how by October 20, the Joint Chiefs, led by Curtis LeMay, were pushing for Oplan 312 (a full-scale invasion), accusing Kennedy of "appeasement." Kennedy feared an invasion would trigger a Soviet takeover of West Berlin. He successf
10m • 6/8/2026
S8 Ep946: STREAMING THE MAKING OF THE JBS, FEATURING BLISS AND VLAHOS. 5-29-2026 1890 TROJAN WAR.
58m • 5/30/2026
S8 Ep947: SCHEDULE THE JBS, 5-29-26. 457 THE AMBROSIAN ILIAD.R
58m • 5/30/2026
S8 Ep948: (1) James Tabor introduces the historical Mary through the city of Sepphoris, the urban capital of Galilee located just miles from Nazareth. Unlike the small village of Nazareth, Sepphoris was a bustling Roman "jewel" where Mary was born to parents Joachi
12m • 5/31/2026
S8 Ep948: (3) James Tabor analyzes the Protevangelium of James, a mid-second-century text that established the tradition of Mary's perpetual virginity and her upbringing as a "vestal-like" figure in the temple. He contrasts this theological portrait with the histor
12m • 5/31/2026
S8 Ep948: (5) James Tabor describes Mount Zion in Jerusalem as the world headquarters of the early movement. Archaeological evidence suggests the "Upper Room" sits atop a first-century foundation of a house-synagogue. In this space, Mary served as a matriarch and h
10m • 5/31/2026
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