Final answer:
The Cuban Missile Crisis was significant for the USA because it posed a direct threat of nuclear attack from Soviet missiles in Cuba and demonstrated the reach of US missiles in Turkey, influencing future diplomatic and arms control efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cuban Missile Crisis had significant meaning for the USA for several reasons. Primarily, it brought the world to the brink of nuclear war with the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. With Cuba only about 100 miles from American soil, the placement of these weapons by the Soviet Union drastically escalated tensions during the Cold War, as American territories were within range of these missiles. The Crisis also highlighted the geopolitical strategies of the era and the lengths superpowers were willing to go to assert dominance and protect their interests, which included the potential for direct confrontation.
While the USA had nuclear weapons in Turkey that could reach the Soviet Union, it was the impending threat of Soviet missiles in such close proximity to U.S. territory that caused grave concern for national security. This push and pull of power ultimately led both nations to realize the gravity of nuclear proliferation and contributed to subsequent efforts toward nuclear disarmament, such as the installation of the Washington-Moscow hotline and the signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963.
The answer to the student's question would be c. a,b is correct, because both: a. Because Soviet nuclear weaponry was in range of American territory and b. Because US nuclear weaponry was in range of Soviet territory are true statements that describe why the Cuban Missile Crisis was significant for the USA.