▁Soviet ▁Union ▁had ▁industrial ised ▁rapidly ▁under ▁Joseph ▁St alin ▁and , ▁following ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁rival ▁nuclear ▁super power ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁Soviet ▁Premier ▁Nik ita ▁K hr ush chev , ▁intent ▁on ▁se cur ing ▁strateg ic ▁par ity ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁cover t ly , ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁F idel ▁Castro , ▁sh ipped ▁nuclear ▁miss iles ▁to ▁Castro ' s ▁Cuba , ▁ 7 0 ▁miles ▁from ▁the ▁US ▁state ▁of ▁Florida . ▁US ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁block aded ▁( the ▁term ▁" qu ar ant ined " ▁being ▁used ▁because ▁a ▁block ade ▁is ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁war ), ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Cuba ▁and ▁negoti ated ▁the ▁Soviet ▁miss iles ' ▁removal ▁from ▁Cuba ▁( in ▁exchange ▁for ▁the ▁subsequent ▁removal ▁of ▁US ▁miss iles ▁from ▁Turkey ). ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁( 1 9 5 5 – 1 9 7 5 ): ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁the ▁en su ing ▁post war ▁period , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁had ▁greatly ▁expanded ▁its ▁military ▁capac ities ▁and ▁indust ries . ▁After ▁France , ▁supported ▁finan cially ▁by ▁the ▁US , ▁had ▁been ▁defeated ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁that ▁country ▁had ▁been ▁tempor arily ▁split ▁into ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Vietnam ▁under ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁Gene va ▁Acc ords ; ▁and ▁when ▁war ▁had ▁broken ▁out ▁between ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁following