Which event highlighted tensions between the US and the Soviet Union, occurring just prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Bay of Pigs Invasion is the correct answer because it marked a significant moment of heightened tension between the United States and the Soviet Union immediately before the Cuban Missile Crisis. The invasion took place in April 1961, when a CIA-backed group of Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist regime in Cuba. This event resulted in a failure for the United States and embarrassed the Kennedy administration, showcasing the deepening conflict over Cuba and broader U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War.

The fallout from the Bay of Pigs Invasion intensified Soviet support for Cuba, which ultimately set the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. This crisis was a direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union regarding Soviet ballistic missiles stationed in Cuba, further escalating Cold War tensions.

Other events, like the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, contributed to the overall atmosphere of the Cold War but were not as immediately linked to the Cuban Missile Crisis as the Bay of Pigs Invasion was. The blockade occurred in 1948, and while it represented early tensions, it was not directly before the missile crisis. The Korean War occurred in the early 1950s and represented a broader conflict