The Cuban Missile Crisis as a Turning Point in U.S.–Soviet Relations: Diplomacy, Deterrence, and Cold War Engagement The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 has been widely regarded as the most perilous moment of the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to nuclear conflict. It constituted not merely a … Continue reading To what extent did the Cuban Missile Crisis function as a decisive turning point in shaping the trajectory of United States–Soviet Union relations, and how did it redefine the dynamics of Cold War diplomacy, deterrence, and superpower engagement?