Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows. At that time, the bellicose circles in the United States took steps which brought mankind to the brink of world thermonuclear war.The Caribbean crisis was one of the sharpest clashes between the forces of socialism and imperialism, the forces of peace and war in the entire post-war period. __ - Nikita Khrushchev, Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union 1963 Which U.S. action is Khrushchev referring to in this excerpt? A. Kennedy asked Congress to declare war on Cuba B. Congress authorized military strikes on strategic targets in Cuba C. Kennedy enacted a naval blockade around Cuba D. Kennedy sought United Nations approval for economic sanctions against Cuba

## Step 1<br />The problem is a comprehension question based on a historical excerpt. The excerpt is from Nikita Khrushchev, the Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1963. The excerpt refers to a significant event during the Cold War, the Caribbean crisis, which was a sharp clash between the forces of socialism and imperialism, and the forces of peace and war.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The question asks us to identify the U.S. action that Khrushchev is referring to in this excerpt. The options provided are:<br />A. Kennedy asked Congress to declare war on Cuba<br />B. Congress authorized military strikes on strategic targets in Cuba<br />C. Kennedy enacted a naval blockade around Cuba<br />D. Kennedy sought United Nations approval for economic sanctions against Cuba<br /><br />## Step 3<br />By analyzing the options, we can see that option C, "Kennedy enacted a naval blockade around Cuba", aligns with the context of the excerpt. The naval blockade, also known as the "Cuban Missile Crisis", was a significant event during the Cold War where the U.S. imposed a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the Soviet Union from delivering nuclear missiles to the island.