Which crisis involved Soviet missiles on Cuba and brought the United States close to war?

Which crisis involved Soviet missiles on Cuba and brought the United States close to war?

• A. Cuban Missile Crisis
• B. Bay of Pigs
• C. Korean War
• D. Interstate Highway Act

Answer: (A)

Brinkmanship—the willingness to push a dangerous confrontation to the edge of war to force a concession—is what this item highlights. In this crisis, Soviet missiles were placed in Cuba, just miles from U.S. shores. The United States responded with a naval quarantine and firm demands for removal, leading to a tense standoff that brought the country to the brink of war. After intense diplomacy, the missiles were removed in exchange for guarantees not to invade Cuba and a secret deal to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. This event is the clearest example of a Cold War crisis involving nuclear-armed missiles on a nearby island and the risk of escalating into war. The other events are different: the Bay of Pigs was a failed invasion of Cuba, the Korean War was a conflict on the Korean peninsula, and the Interstate Highway Act dealt with domestic infrastructure, not an international crisis.

Brinkmanship—the willingness to push a dangerous confrontation to the edge of war to force a concession—is what this item highlights. In this crisis, Soviet missiles were placed in Cuba, just miles from U.S. shores. The United States responded with a naval quarantine and firm demands for removal, leading to a tense standoff that brought the country to the brink of war. After intense diplomacy, the missiles were removed in exchange for guarantees not to invade Cuba and a secret deal to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. This event is the clearest example of a Cold War crisis involving nuclear-armed missiles on a nearby island and the risk of escalating into war. The other events are different: the Bay of Pigs was a failed invasion of Cuba, the Korean War was a conflict on the Korean peninsula, and the Interstate Highway Act dealt with domestic infrastructure, not an international crisis.