Which event during the Cold War brought the United States and the Soviet Union close to war in 1962 due to missiles in Cuba?

Which event during the Cold War brought the United States and the Soviet Union close to war in 1962 due to missiles in Cuba?

• A. Colony
• B. Cuban Missile Crisis
• C. Containment
• D. Cattle Drives

Answer: (B)

This question tests a moment when the Cold War threat of nuclear war became almost real due to weapons in Cuba. In October 1962, U.S. spy planes found Soviet missiles in Cuba, within range of much of the United States, triggering a tense standoff. The United States responded with a naval blockade and a demand for the missiles’ removal, while the Soviet Union insisted they were protecting Cuba from invasion. After intense negotiations, an agreement was reached: the Soviets would withdraw their missiles from Cuba, the United States would publicly pledge not to invade Cuba, and a secret nod led to the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey in time. This crisis is the defining moment when the two superpowers teetered on the brink of war over missiles in Cuba, making it the correct description of the event. Other options refer to unrelated concepts (a colony, a general policy, or something as mundane as cattle drives) and do not describe this nuclear-standoff episode.

This question tests a moment when the Cold War threat of nuclear war became almost real due to weapons in Cuba. In October 1962, U.S. spy planes found Soviet missiles in Cuba, within range of much of the United States, triggering a tense standoff. The United States responded with a naval blockade and a demand for the missiles’ removal, while the Soviet Union insisted they were protecting Cuba from invasion. After intense negotiations, an agreement was reached: the Soviets would withdraw their missiles from Cuba, the United States would publicly pledge not to invade Cuba, and a secret nod led to the withdrawal of U.S. missiles from Turkey in time. This crisis is the defining moment when the two superpowers teetered on the brink of war over missiles in Cuba, making it the correct description of the event. Other options refer to unrelated concepts (a colony, a general policy, or something as mundane as cattle drives) and do not describe this nuclear-standoff episode.