Which crisis in 1962 brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of war over Soviet missiles in Cuba?

• A. Bay of Pigs Invasion
• B. Berlin Crisis
• C. Cuban Missile Crisis
• D. Korean War

Answer: (C)

In 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union faced a dangerous standoff over Soviet missiles placed in Cuba, bringing them to the brink of war. Satellites and U-2 flights revealed the missiles, prompting President Kennedy to implement a naval quarantine and demand removal while signaling a willingness to use force if necessary. After tense diplomacy, the crisis eased when the Soviets agreed to dismantle the missiles in Cuba in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba and a secret deal to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. This event directly involves missiles in Cuba and a near-war confrontation, which is why it fits the scenario.

The other events don’t fit the description: the Bay of Pigs Invasion was a 1961 attempt to overthrow Castro, not about missiles in Cuba or a wartime standoff. The Berlin Crisis centered on access to West Berlin and the Berlin Wall in 1961, not military missiles in Cuba. The Korean War occurred earlier, from 1950 to 1953, in Korea and unrelated to Cuba.