TED-ED: The history of the Cuban Missile Crisis - Matthew A. Jordan

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a pivotal moment during the Cold War, marked by the US and USSR's nuclear standoff. After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, leading to a tense confrontation. President Kennedy opted for a naval blockade, which was seen as an act of war by the Soviets. The crisis peaked with near-nuclear launches, but diplomacy prevailed. Secret negotiations led to the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba in exchange for the US removing its missiles from Turkey and Italy. The crisis highlighted the fragility of human politics against nuclear power.

What event convinced Cuba to seek assistance from the Soviet Union?

• The signing of the Warsaw Pact

• The Cuban Missile Crisis

• The Bay of Pigs invasion

• The Cuban Revolution

What was the U.S. military's initial recommendation upon discovering the missiles in Cuba?

• To ignore the threat

• To conduct an airstrike and invade Cuba

• To impose a naval blockade

• To negotiate with the Soviet Union

What was the main concern with the U.S. naval blockade of Cuba?

• It was ineffective

• It was not supported by the United Nations

• It was seen as an act of war

• It was too costly

Who played a crucial role in preventing a nuclear launch from a Soviet submarine?

• Nikita Khrushchev

• John F. Kennedy

• Vasili Arkhipov

• Robert Kennedy

What was the outcome of the negotiations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union?

• The Soviet Union kept their missiles in Cuba

• The U.S. imposed stricter sanctions on Cuba

• The U.S. agreed to invade Cuba

• The U.S. removed missiles from Turkey and Italy