Caribbean crisis

Caribbean crisis - an extremely tense standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba in October 1962. Cubans call it the "October crisis" (Spanish Crisis de Octubre), distributed in the U.S. called "The Cuban Missile Crisis" (born Cuban missile crisis).
The crisis was preceded in 1961 by placing the United States in Turkey's medium-range missiles "Jupiter", is directly threatened cities in the western part of the Soviet Union, reaching as far as Moscow and major industrial centers. In response, as adequate measures have been placed in Cuba, the Soviet medium-range missiles R-12.

The crisis began October 14, 1962, when the spy plane U-2 U.S. Air Force during a regular overflights of Cuba discovered near the village of San Cristobal Soviet medium-range missiles R-12. By the decision of U.S. President John F. Kennedy was a special Executive Committee, which discussed possible ways of solving problems. For some time the Executive Committee meetings were secret, but the October 22 Kennedy addressed the nation, announcing the presence in Cuba of Soviet "offensive weapon". Was introduced "quarantine" (blockade) of Cuba.
Initially, the Soviets denied the existence of the island of Soviet nuclear weapons, then - she assured Americans deterrent nature of placing missiles in Cuba. October 25 launch photos were shown at a meeting of the UN Security Council. In the executive committee seriously discussed solution to the problem of power and his supporters persuaded Kennedy as soon as possible to launch a massive bombing of Cuba. However, once circled the U-2 has shown that some missiles already installed and ready for launch, and that such actions would lead inevitably to war.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy proposed to dismantle the Soviet Union installed missiles and launch is still their way to Cuba ships in exchange for a U.S. guarantee not to invade Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro (sometimes stated that Kennedy also proposed to withdraw U.S. missiles from Turkey, but this requirement came from the Soviet leadership). Chairman of the Council of Ministers and first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev agreed, and on October 28 began the dismantling of missiles. The last Soviet rocket had left Cuba in a few weeks, and 20 November the blockade of Cuba was lifted. In light of the events of those years in the Soviet Union sometimes joked that the name of the island of Cuba stands for "Communism off the coast of America."
Caribbean crisis lasted 13 days [1]. He had a very important psychological and historical significance. Humanity is the first time in its history was on the verge of self-destruction. Resolution of the crisis was a turning point in the Cold War and the beginning of detente.