makeasnek on Nostr: I am spitballing but I think it's because a survivable (submarine-based) second ...

I am spitballing but I think it's because a survivable (submarine-based) second strike capability wasn't considered a given at the time. Based on very cursory research, both the US and Soviet Union had just barely gotten subs to be able to carry nukes, and I am guessing those nukes weren't as capable and well-tested as traditional non-underwater nuke launching platforms. Once both the US and USSR had nukes they could station in the ocean wherever they wanted rather secretly, it became hard to detect them and rather pointless to try to evict them since they'd just move and find another nearby secret hiding spot. If anything, if you spotted an enemy nuclear sub, you'd want it to stay there since you now knew where 1/10th of their second strike capability was located and could use that information to your advantage. In other words, getting the soviets to move their nukes out of Cuba significantly reduced the amount of the US they could "hold at risk" at any point in time. Making them move their nuclear submarines around doesn't.