Explain the Importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis for the development of the Cold War

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day period in October 1962, where nuclear war seemed imminent. It was important as it demonstrated the problems that could be caused by nuclear weapons and introduced the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction.This was the understanding that if too many countries used their nuclear weapons, everyone would lose as it would lead to global damage. This also led to a détente period in the Cold War as both sides had to reconsider the amount of damage they could do to each other. It briefly forced both the USA and USSR to attempt to peacefully coexist with each other. The Cuban Missile Crisis led to better communication between the two states that included a hotline being established between the White House and the Kremlin, this allowed the leaders of the two countries to improve relations. The relationship was also improved as both countries felt they had achieved something. Kennedy managed to convince the soviets to withdraw their missiles and promise not to attack Cuba. And Khruschev was able to protect the communist regime in Cuba from a US invasion. A final reason why the Cuban Missile Crisis was important is that it introduced the concept of Brinkmanship to world politics, this is that, if you take your enemy to the brink of destruction, there will be compromise - this is a concept that continued to inform US foreign policy decades later when the Cold War resumed.