Analyze Cold War 1945-91: Soviet-US conflict + nuclear arms race + Korean War + Cuban Missile Crisis + Berlin Wall + fall of USSR
Exercise Difficulty 3 ~7 min hist.g8.s.ex_56

Short Answer

Prompt

In 2-3 sentences explain why the Cuban Missile Crisis Oct 16-28 1962 was 'closest to nuclear war in human history' per Allison 1971 + Dobbs 2008. Cite Vasily Arkhipov's Oct 27 1962 single-vote refusal on Soviet submarine B-59.

How it's presented
mode text
Answer criteria
type short answer rubric
criteria
  1. Cites Allison 1971 OR Dobbs 2008
  2. Names Arkhipov 1962 single-vote
  3. Cites secret Bobby Kennedy-Dobrynin Oct 27 evening agreement
  4. Applies Q12 (9 nuclear states + ~12,500 warheads today)
Hints
  1. Arkhipov refused to launch nuclear torpedo Oct 27 1962.
  2. Q12: today's nuclear-state count + warhead count is unresolved.
Misconceptions to watch
  • Treating crisis as US-centered
  • Forgetting Castro's perspective