03/10/2022
Vasily Arkhipov (1926 - 1998) was a Soviet Navy officer who casted the single vote to not launch a nuclear torpedo from a B-59 submarine in response to the U.S. dropping depth charges, despite being in international waters during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
The Soviet crew had no contact from Moscow for a few days and was not sure if World War 3 had erupted. The captain was sure that war had started on the surface and wanted to fire a nuclear torpedo. It also did not help that the submarine batteries were running low, causing the air conditioning to fail and increasing the heat above 113°F (45°C). Many of the crew members began to faint from carbon dioxide poisoning and low levels of oxygen, which also heavily impaired their decision making.
According to protocol, a nuclear launch needed the approval of only the captain and the political officer onboard. As luck would have it, Arkhipov was a flotilla commander who specifically chose to be onboard that fateful B-59 submarine. Flotilla commanders were usually not onboard nuclear submarines, but they were ranked high enough to change the two person vote to a three person vote. Arkhipov argued with the two senior officers and was finally able to convince them to surface and contact Moscow. His tenacity and decision ultimately averted a nuclear war and saved the world.
