USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was a direct and dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and was the moment when the two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict.

Detailed explanation-2: -Many nuclear historians agree that 27 October 1962, known as “Black Saturday”, was the closest the world came to nuclear catastrophe, as US forces enforced a blockade of Cuba to stop deliveries of Soviet missiles.

Detailed explanation-3: -When the USSR began constructing ballistic missile sites in Cuba in the early 1960s, Cuba became the location of the most heated confrontation of the Cold War between the US and USSR. Since then, it has not been known to possess a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons program.

Detailed explanation-4: -A crucial moment in the unfolding crisis arrived on October 24, when Soviet ships bound for Cuba neared the line of U.S. vessels enforcing the blockade. An attempt by the Soviets to breach the blockade would likely have sparked a military confrontation that could have quickly escalated to a nuclear exchange.

Detailed explanation-5: -The first consignment of Soviet R-12 missiles arrived on the night of September 8, followed by a second on September 16. The R-12 was a medium-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying a thermonuclear warhead.