In October 1962 American reconnaissance discovered Soviet nuclear missile sites under construction in Cuba, triggering a thirteen-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. President Kennedy imposed a naval 'quarantine' of the island while demanding the missiles' removal, as the two nuclear-armed superpowers stood at the edge of war. The crisis was resolved when the USSR agreed to withdraw the missiles in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba and the quiet removal of American missiles from Turkey. It unfolded under intense secrecy and time pressure.
It was the closest the Cold War came to direct nuclear conflict, sharpening awareness of the risks of escalation. Its resolution led to direct crisis-communication channels such as the Moscow-Washington hotline and gave momentum to arms-control diplomacy.
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