[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.81,0:00:10.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not hard to imagine a world\Nwhere at any given moment,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.36,0:00:14.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you and everyone you know could be\Nwiped out without warning
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.50,0:00:17.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at the push of a button.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.25,0:00:21.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This was the reality for millions\Nof people during the 45-year period
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.12,0:00:22.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,after World War II,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.84,0:00:25.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now known as the Cold War.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.32,0:00:28.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As the United States and Soviet Union\Nfaced off across the globe,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.97,0:00:33.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,each knew that the other had nuclear\Nweapons capable of destroying it.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.87,0:00:37.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And destruction never loomed closer\Nthan during the 13 days
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.49,0:00:40.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.22,0:00:46.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1961, the U.S. unsuccessfully tried to\Noverthrow Cuba's new communist government.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.59,0:00:49.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That failed attempt was known\Nas the Bay of Pigs,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.70,0:00:53.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it convinced Cuba to seek help\Nfrom the U.S.S.R.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.50,0:00:57.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev\Nwas happy to comply
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.07,0:01:00.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by secretly deploying nuclear\Nmissiles to Cuba,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.46,0:01:02.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not only to protect the island,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.00,0:01:07.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but to counteract the threat from\NU.S. missiles in Italy and Turkey.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.48,0:01:10.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the time U.S. intelligence \Ndiscovered the plan,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.16,0:01:14.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the materials to create the missiles\Nwere already in place.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.09,0:01:17.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At an emergency meeting on\NOctober 16, 1962,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.98,0:01:21.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,military advisors urged an airstrike\Non missile sites
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.40,0:01:24.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and invasion of the island.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.04,0:01:27.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But President John F. Kennedy chose\Na more careful approach.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.50,0:01:30.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On October 22, he announced that the\Nthe U.S. Navy
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.55,0:01:33.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would intercept all shipments to Cuba.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.100,0:01:35.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was just one problem:
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.43,0:01:39.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a naval blockade was considered\Nan act of war.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.44,0:01:41.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Although the President called it\Na quarantine
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.99,0:01:44.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that did not block basic necessities,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.03,0:01:47.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Soviets didn't appreciate \Nthe distinction.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.58,0:01:49.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In an outraged letter to Kennedy,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.40,0:01:53.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Khrushchev wrote, "The violation \Nof freedom to use international waters
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.30,0:01:56.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and international airspace\Nis an act of aggression
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.68,0:02:02.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which pushes mankind toward the abyss\Nof world nuclear missile war."
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.64,0:02:07.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thus ensued the most intense\Nsix days of the Cold War.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.22,0:02:09.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While the U.S. demanded the removal\Nof the missiles,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.65,0:02:13.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Cuba and the U.S.S.R insisted\Nthey were only defensive.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.63,0:02:16.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And as the weapons continued\Nto be armed,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.76,0:02:20.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the U.S. prepared for a possible invasion.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.18,0:02:24.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,On October 27, a spy plane piloted\Nby Major Rudolph Anderson
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.44,0:02:27.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was shot down by a Soviet missile.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.30,0:02:32.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The same day, a nuclear-armed Soviet\Nsubmarine was hit by a small-depth charge
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.43,0:02:36.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from a U.S. Navy vessel trying\Nto signal it to come up.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.98,0:02:40.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The commanders on the sub,\Ntoo deep to communicate with the surface,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:40.31,0:02:45.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thought war had begun\Nand prepared to launch a nuclear torpedo.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.76,0:02:49.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That decision had to be made unanimously\Nby three officers.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.70,0:02:53.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The captain and political officer\Nboth authorized the launch,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.58,0:02:58.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but Vasili Arkhipov, \Nsecond in command, refused.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.07,0:03:01.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,His decision saved the day\Nand perhaps the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.77,0:03:03.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the crisis wasn't over.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.95,0:03:05.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For the first time in history,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.61,0:03:08.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the U.S. Military set itself\Nto DEFCON 2,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.90,0:03:12.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the defense readiness one step\Naway from nuclear war.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.84,0:03:15.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With hundreds of nuclear missiles\Nready to launch,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.23,0:03:20.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the metaphorical Doomsday Clock\Nstood at one minute to midnight.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:20.20,0:03:22.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But diplomacy carried on.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.28,0:03:25.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Washington, D.C., Attorney General\NRobert Kennedy
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.36,0:03:29.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,secretly met with Soviet Ambassador\NAnatoly Dobrynin.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.86,0:03:33.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After intense negotiation,\Nthey reached the following proposal.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.72,0:03:36.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The U.S. would remove their missiles\Nfrom Turkey and Italy
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.84,0:03:38.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and promise to never invade Cuba
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.90,0:03:43.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in exchange for the Soviet withdrawal\Nfrom Cuba under U.N. inspection.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.65,0:03:45.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once the meeting had concluded,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.64,0:03:48.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Dobrynin cabled Moscow saying \Ntime is of the essence
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.98,0:03:51.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we shouldn't miss the chance.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.45,0:03:53.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And at 9 a.m. the next day,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.14,0:03:54.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a message arrived from Khrushchev\N
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.87,0:03:58.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,announcing the Soviet missiles would be\Nremoved from Cuba.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.85,0:04:01.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The crisis was now over.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.24,0:04:04.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While criticized at the time by their\Nrespective governments
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.11,0:04:06.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for bargaining with the enemy,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.12,0:04:09.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,contemporary historical analysis\Nshows great admiration
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.43,0:04:14.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for Kennedy's and Khrushchev's ability\Nto diplomatically solve the crisis.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.05,0:04:17.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the disturbing lesson was that\Na slight communication error,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.25,0:04:21.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or split-second decision by a commander,\Ncould have thwarted all their efforts,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.90,0:04:27.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as it nearly did if not for \NVasili Arkhipov's courageous choice.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.36,0:04:31.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Cuban Missile Crisis revealed just how\Nfragile human politics are
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.31,0:04:35.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,compared to the terrifying power\Nthey can unleash.