The event of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was the closest the world had ever come to nuclear war. Fifteen years after the start of the Cold War, the two superpowers continue to compete fiercely to increase their military strength. By 1962, the Soviet Union was hopelessly behind the United States in the nuclear arms race. Soviet missiles were just powerful enough to be launched against Europe, while American missiles were capable of hitting the entire Soviet Union. In late April 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev came up with the idea of ​​placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba, which would double the Soviet strategic arsenal and provide a real deterrent against a possible American attack on the Soviet Union. . The fate of millions of people literally depended on the ability of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev, to reach a compromise. The sources I have consulted strongly agree that it was President Kennedy who was very determined to prevent the world from experiencing another war. They also show that the crisis was not just a conflict over missiles; it was a conflict of contradictory philosophies, ideologies and power. John F. Kennedy, the new American president, and the Soviet premier met in Vienna to discuss the East-West confrontation, particularly the situation in Berlin over the Berlin Wall. They resolved nothing and Khrushchev left the June 1961 summit thinking Kennedy was a weak president. This could have been the moment when Khrushchev thought he could defeat Kennedy and, therefore, find his way to achieving world power. His first major task was therefore to create ties with Fidel Castro. Cuban President Fidel Castro was looking for a way to defend his nation against attack from the United States. those based in Cuba. Search in: Primary sources4. Thompson 1995, p. 248.5. “Political cartoon”. 1962. Google Images. This is a caricature showing the fight between Kennedy and Khrushchev. Search in: Primary sources6. The Washington Post article “The Soviets knew the date of the attack in Cuba.” Search in: Primary sources7. Letter: Khrushchev to Kennedy, October 26, 1962. Search in: Primary sources8. Letter: Khrushchev to Kennedy, October 28, 1962. Search in: Primary sources9. Letter: Kennedy to Khrushchev, October 27, 1962. Search in: Primary sources1. Tompson, William J. (1995), Khrushchev: A Political Life, St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-12365-52. Kellner, Douglas (1989). Ernesto "Che" Guevara (world leaders past and present). Chelsea House Publishers. pp. 112. ISBN 1555468357.3. http://history.utah.gov/historical_society/history_fair/documents/2008CubanMissilepaper.pdf