Vasily Arkhipov

A Soviet naval officer who averted nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis by refusing to launch a torpedo.

Vasily Arkhipov (1926–1998) was a Soviet submarine officer whose calm decision-making during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) prevented a catastrophic nuclear exchange. Serving aboard the B-59 submarine near Cuba, Arkhipov faced a critical dilemma when U.S. depth charges forced the sub to surface.

Unaware the charges were non-lethal warnings, the captain and political officer voted to fire a nuclear-tipped torpedo—a move requiring unanimity among senior officers. Arkhipov, alone, opposed the launch, arguing to surface and await orders from Moscow. His stance averted an attack that might have triggered U.S. retaliation and global thermonuclear war.

Declassified in 2002, this incident highlights Arkhipov's unsung heroism. Historians like Arthur Schlesinger Jr. credit him as the man who saved the world. Despite this, Arkhipov remained obscure in Russia until posthumous Western recognition.

His story underscores the fragility of Cold War diplomacy and the pivotal role of individual conscience in history. Documentaries like The Man Who Saved the World (2014) memorialize his legacy.