Which two major powers were directly involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The involvement of the US and the Soviet Union in the Cuban Missile Crisis is significant due to the geopolitical tensions during the Cold War. In October 1962, the crisis emerged when the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was placing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from US shores. This action escalated the existing tensions between the two superpowers and brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.

The US responded by implementing a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent further Soviet shipments of military equipment. The situation required strategic negotiations and communication between the leaders of both countries—President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev—to avoid escalating the conflict into armed confrontation.

The resolution of the crisis involved a secret agreement wherein the US would remove its missiles from Turkey and promise not to invade Cuba in exchange for the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. This critical moment in history exemplified the direct antagonism and the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons during the Cold War, highlighting the importance of diplomacy in ensuring global security.