The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was the moment the Cold War came closest to nuclear war. For thirteen days, the world stood on the brink of annihilation as the United States and the Soviet Union confronted each other over Soviet nuclear missiles deployed in Cuba. The resolution of the crisis — through a combination of firmness, restraint, and secret diplomacy — marked a turning point in the Cold War. The key question is: who "won" the crisis, and did it make the world safer or more dangerous?

Key Definition: The Cuban Missile Crisis (16–28 October 1962) was a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the deployment of Soviet medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba, 90 miles from the American coast.

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Background: Cuba and the Cold War

Fidel Castro's revolution overthrew the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista on 1 January 1959. Castro's turn towards the Soviet Union was driven by several factors: