"Nuclear catastrophe was hanging by a thread ... and we weren't counting days or hours, but minutes."
-Soviet General and Army Chief of Operations, Anatoly Gribkov
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The USSR felt endangered because of the fact, the United States had more nuclear missiles than the Soviet did. In late April 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev came up with the idea of placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba. Cuba had complied with the Soviet letting them build missiles there fearing that the United States may invade once again. The leader of Cuba felt endangered thus going to the Soviet for help. Both countries became allies and the Soviet began placing the missiles in Cuba. The Soviet had placed nuclear missiles ninety miles from the American coastline. After they were placed, the Crisis had began.
Later in October 1962, the United States had discovered the Soviet were placing nuclear - missiles toward the United States. Thinking the Soviet were going to attack, President Kennedy sent a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the missiles. Khrushchev sent Kennedy two letters about the Crisis. One letter stated that the missiles would be removed if the US promised not to invade Cuba. The other letter says if the United States had missiles in Turkey, close to the USSR, why shouldn't the Soviets have missiles in Cuba, close to the US? Once receiving the letters, Kennedy promised that the United States would not invade Cuba if the USSR takes the missiles out.
Crisis Is Over
The missile launching site.
On Oct 27th, USSR complied the United States and had taken missiles out two months later. The crisis had lasted 14 days. After they had sent the United States that they were agreeing, the Crisis was officially over. From the Cuban Missile Crisis, both sides learned that risking nuclear war in pursuit of political objectives was simply too dangerous. A year later, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed.