The Soviets: One Quota That Was Overfulfilled

Brezhnev's arms buildup gave Moscow an edge in some key areas

When John Kennedy demanded that Nikita Khrushchev remove Soviet missiles from Cuba in 1962, the American President was carrying a big stick: roughly a 10-to-1 superiority over the U.S.S.R. in nuclear weaponry. At the time, and for years afterward, it was commonly accepted in both Moscow and Washington that the overwhelming U.S. nuclear advantage had enabled Kennedy to go to the brink and force Khrushchev to back down. The episode humiliated the Soviet leadership and contributed to Khrushchev's downfall two years later....