Cuban Missile Crisis
October 16–29, 1962. A 13-day nuclear standoff between the United States and Soviet Union, triggered when the US discovered Soviet ballistic missiles being installed in Cuba. The closest the Cold War came to nuclear war.
What Happened
The US imposed a naval blockade of Cuba. For 13 days, Soviet ships carrying further missiles headed toward the blockade line. Kennedy and Khrushchev negotiated through back channels. Resolution: the USSR removed missiles from Cuba in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba and a secret agreement to remove US Jupiter missiles from Turkey.
Significance
- Deterrence under pressure: Both sides had nuclear weapons and both were rational — yet they came within hours of nuclear exchange through a combination of intelligence failures, bureaucratic momentum, and communication gaps. A Soviet submarine (B-59) nearly launched a nuclear torpedo when out of contact with Moscow; the decision required unanimous agreement among three officers, and one (Vasili Arkhipov) refused.
- Schelling point dynamics: The resolution required each side to find a face-saving schelling-point — a settlement neither could publicly admit but both could accept.
- Post-crisis reforms: Led directly to the Moscow-Washington hotline (“red phone”) and the Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963).