Serhii Plokhy concludes that the crisis ended with a secret deal, but Fidel Castro was outraged, having advocated for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. Anastas Mikoyan was forced to negotiate the removal of tactical nukes while his wife was dying in Moscow

Serhii Plokhy concludes that the crisis ended with a secret deal, but Fidel Castro was outraged, having advocated for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. Anastas Mikoyan was forced to negotiate the removal of tactical nukes while his wife was dying in Moscow. The Soviet military felt deeply humiliated by the public withdrawal. Plokhy warns that modern threats like cyber warfare and a lack of fear among current leaders make the world more dangerous today than in 1962. He emphasizes the "human factor"—the risk of a subordinate acting independently—as the ultimate danger in nuclear brinkmanship. (8)
1959