Describe any six features of the erstwhile Soviet System.

OR

Describe briefly the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The erstwhile Soviet System opposed the idea of capitalism and followed the principles of socialism. It believed that the society must be based upon the principle of equality and wanted to abolish private properties. It believed in the institutions of the party and gave primary position to States. This system was focused around the Communist Party and did not let any outside parties or oppositions to intervene. Under the Soviet system, the State was in charge of controlling and planning the state and they also strived to remove unemployment in any form. They tried to ensure a standard of living for each individual. Any land or productive assets were owned directly by the Soviet state. Also, all the citizens in the Soviet State got basic necessities from the Government at subsidized rates.

OR

At the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the USSR was worried about USA who were planning to invade Cuba which was ruled by communists at that time and also remove the then President of Cuba, Fidel Castro. The decision to convert Cuba to a Russian base was taken by the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev which would be conducted by placing nuclear missiles there. The USA took this as a security threat after 3 weeks of the placement of missiles. The US President John F Kennedy feared a nuclear war with the USSR but also wanted to get the missiles and nuclear weapon removed from Cuba. Any Soviet ships that were going towards Cuba were ordered to be intercepted by the American warships as instructed by the US President. The clash that might have occurred would be massive and came to be known as the Cuban missile crisis. However, both the sides decided to avoid war and removed their ships and turned back.