On October 22, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced to the world that he had acquired intelligence proving the Soviet Union was building a secret missile base in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Hoping to avoid an armed invasion of Cuba, Kennedy instead opted for a naval quarantine of the island in order to prevent the Russians from equipping their bases with any additional missiles. He also demanded that Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev remove all weapons and bases from Cuba. In response to the blockade, Khrushchev authorized his field commanders to launch tactical nuclear weapons if attacked by U.S. forces. The two nations remained deadlocked for seven days before Khrushchev reconsidered and gave in to Kennedy's demands. The world breathed a collective sigh of relief at this news, glad to have avoided nuclear war. This incident became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis.