The Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1962 the Cold War nearly became a nuclear war when the USSR placed missiles in Cuba, and the USA demanded their removal.
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In 1962 the Cold War nearly became a nuclear war when the USSR placed missiles in Cuba, and the USA demanded their removal.
- It lasted 13 days
- Kennedy ordered a naval blockade
- Khrushchev withdrew the missiles
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is The Cuban Missile Crisis?
Within History, which covers ancient civilisations, empires, revolutions, world wars and the making of the modern world, this topic explains The Cuban Missile Crisis. History topics connect events, people and ideas across time, so each one here gives a clear summary and a way to test your understanding.
Check that you can explain The Cuban Missile Crisis in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding The Cuban Missile Crisis helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
The Cuban Missile Crisis in detail
In October 1962, a US spy plane photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites being built in Cuba, 90 miles from the US coast. After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Cuba's leader Castro had turned to the USSR, and Khrushchev wanted to protect Cuba and to balance US missiles in Turkey.
President Kennedy chose a naval "quarantine" of Cuba rather than an invasion, and for 13 days the world feared nuclear war. A deal was reached: the USSR removed the missiles, and the USA promised not to invade Cuba and secretly removed missiles from Turkey. The crisis led to a "hot line" between Washington and Moscow and the Test Ban Treaty.
How the interactive helps you understand The Cuban Missile Crisis
Watch the timeline in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the timeline responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of The Cuban Missile Crisis.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain the causes and consequences of The Cuban Missile Crisis in a well-structured paragraph.
- Compare The Cuban Missile Crisis with another event to spot patterns of change and continuity.
- Build a timeline that shows when The Cuban Missile Crisis happened and what came before and after.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing events without explaining why they happened.
- Treating one source as the whole story when you study The Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about The Cuban Missile Crisis
What is The Cuban Missile Crisis?
In 1962 the Cold War nearly became a nuclear war when the USSR placed missiles in Cuba, and the USA demanded their removal.
What are the most important points about The Cuban Missile Crisis?
The main points are: It lasted 13 days; Kennedy ordered a naval blockade; Khrushchev withdrew the missiles.
Why is The Cuban Missile Crisis useful?
Understanding The Cuban Missile Crisis helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
How can I practise The Cuban Missile Crisis?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to The Cuban Missile Crisis?
Related topics in History include Decolonisation, Apartheid in South Africa, The United Nations.