- “It is impossible to win a nuclear war, and both sides realized this, maybe for the first time.” (p. 283)
Lesson: No real victory can come from nuclear war.
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- “The question of superiority – you had an advantage that was sixteen or seventeen to one, and despite this fact, you could not use it. This is a very good lesson for both sides.” (p. 283)
Lesson: In a nuclear crisis, no side has an advantage that it can actually use; the question of superiority becomes irrelevant.
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- “Both sides must be prepared for compromise and negotiation, and they must be prepared to ignore such things as national prestige and superpower status. The main interest both sides have is preventing nuclear war.” (p. 283-284)
Lesson: In a nuclear confrontation, both sides must overlook their power and prestige, and be prepared to compromise for the sake of preventing nuclear war and destroying humanity.
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- “Main problem for humanity today is leaders who are not world leaders.” (p. 284)
Lesson: Political leaders must have a global outlook.
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- “The new thinking began after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Before it, the majority of our party members and our leadership believed the Americans wanted to destroy our system with an atomic war.” (p. 287)
Lesson: The crisis transformed Soviet thinking about the U.S.; prior to it the Soviets were convinced the U.S. would use nuclear weapons to put an end to communism.
Cited in James G. Blight and David Welch, On the Brink: Americans and Soviets reexamine the Cuban Missile Crisis (New York: Hill and Wang, 1989).
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