How one man saved the Entire World

A Soviet B-59 submarine was hidden underwater in the Caribbean Sea, just a few kilometers away from America, fully prepared to launch an attack. At that moment, the US Navy discovered its presence and dropped small bombs underwater to force the submarine to surface.

The Soviet submarine had lost contact with its headquarters thousands of kilometers away. Its captain thought war had broken out, and that it was time to fire the nuclear torpedo missile.

This was a moment when tensions between the US and the Soviet Union were at their peak, and thousands of nuclear missiles from both countries were just one button away from launch. The captain of the Soviet submarine was about to press the nuclear launch button when something unexpected happened—something that saved the world from destruction.

This incident occurred during the 12 most dangerous days in history, when the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union was spiraling out of control.

After World War II, the world had already witnessed the horrific consequences of nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as America’s terrifying power. If there was any country that could challenge the US, it was the Soviet Union. Right after WWII, the Soviets also succeeded in developing nuclear technology. They conducted several nuclear tests, indirectly signaling to the US: “We are not Japan. We won’t sit quietly in case of an attack.”

This was the Cold War era. Both countries kept their nuclear weapons on high alert at all times—whether the attack came by land, air, or sea. The whole world knew: if either country launched a nuclear strike, the other would retaliate the same way—and the destruction would be far more terrifying than what Japan experienced. It was believed that nearly 70% of the human population could be wiped out.

To make the attacks even more effective, both American and Soviet bomber aircrafts constantly patrolled the skies, while their nuclear submarines lurked in international waters, hidden and waiting for a signal.

America also installed nuclear weapons in Turkey and Italy—both NATO allies and very close to the Soviet border. This gave America a stronger position, as it became easier to target the Soviet Union’s western region.

When the Soviets found out about this, they decided to install their own nuclear weapons closer to the US. The ideal location was Cuba, just 200 kilometers southeast of the US. At the time, Cuba had a pro-Communist government, which America couldn’t tolerate.

In America’s view, Cuba was a Soviet ally. The Soviet Union was the global center of communism, which meant all businesses were state-controlled and wealth was equally distributed. This system eliminated rich and poor classes. On the other hand, America supported capitalism—free markets and private profit.

America wanted to invade Cuba and install a capitalist system. However, Cuba’s president, Fidel Castro, had strong Soviet support—including weapons supply. But the Soviets had a bigger plan under the guise of building good relations.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev made a secret deal with Castro to install ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) in Cuba. In return, the Soviet Union would protect Cuba from any American attack. The real benefit? These missiles could now easily strike the South American region too.

This deal remained completely secret. The Soviets quietly began installing ICBMs in multiple locations across Cuba. However, rumors spread in the US, terrifying the public. People feared that Soviet nuclear missiles were being placed just 200 km away from Florida.

The White House denied all these rumors during the 1962 state elections, but to uncover the truth, the US Air Force used its U-2 spy planes. The planes captured clear photos of R-12 medium-range and R-14 intermediate-range ballistic missile facilities in Cuba.

These photos proved that the Soviet Union was tightening its grip near America's southeastern border. This news struck US President John F. Kennedy like lightning. Furious, he decided to launch an airstrike on Cuba. The plan: first destroy the Soviet ICBMs, then launch a full-force invasion—something America had long wanted to do.

But this move was a direct invitation to World War III. An attack on Soviet missiles in Cuba would be considered an attack on the Soviet Union itself, and would lead to a nuclear war—one that no one could stop.

When the Soviets learned of America's intentions, they prepared for retaliation. One part of their plan was the deployment of the B-59 nuclear submarine, the same one mentioned at the start of this video. It was ordered to hide deep in the Caribbean Sea, near Cuba.

The submarine crew had full authority to launch nuclear torpedoes without seeking Moscow’s permission if war broke out. The submarine had gone so deep to evade US detection that it had lost radio contact with Moscow.

Meanwhile, the US Navy suspected a Soviet sub was in the area. To signal it to surface and identify itself, they dropped small bombs in the water—signal depth charges, which could destroy a submarine if they exploded too close.

Inside the B-59, the captain—cut off from Moscow—believed that war had already begun. He prepared to fire the nuclear torpedo. Although the crew had full authority, pressing the nuclear button required unanimous agreement from all three officers on board.

Two of them agreed to launch the missile. But one officer, Executive Officer Vasili Arkhipov, refused. A heated debate broke out inside the submarine. Arkhipov argued that launching a nuclear weapon without confirmation of war was too risky.

The argument lasted several minutes, until they finally agreed to surface and attempt to reestablish contact with Moscow. While all this was happening inside the B-59, at the same time, urgent negotiations were taking place between American and Soviet leaders to de-escalate the crisis.

An agreement was reached: the Soviets would withdraw their nuclear missiles from Cuba, but only if America promised not to invade Cuba.

This was the public deal. But later it was revealed that America also secretly agreed to remove its missiles from Turkey and Italy.

The 12 days of escalating tension are now known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. During this time, both countries even sent their nuclear missiles into space—ready to strike or be detonated there if war didn’t occur.

Fortunately, the crisis was resolved. The missiles were detonated in space, and war was avoided.

When the B-59 surfaced, it reestablished contact with Moscow and received orders to return to the Soviet Union. Historians believe that Executive Officer Vasili Arkhipov is the man who saved the world. Had he not opposed the launch, a nuclear war might have erased humanity from the face of the Earth.