Did the U.S. already have ICBMs strategically placed and was that a factor in the U.S.S.R. decision to back down? Did the U.S. have to take down certain offensive weapons? Who gained the most out of the resolution?
The U.S. had the strategic advantage because they had ICBMs in Turkey. The Soviets responded to this by putting missiles in Cuba thus creating the Cuban missile crisis. The Soviets backed down because they reached a deal in which the missiles in Cuba would be removed and in exchange the U.S. would have to dismantle all nuclear armed missiles in Turkey and Italy and the U.S. would not invade Cuba. Therefore one would argue that the Soviets gained the most because they got what they wanted, the removal of missiles in Turkey. Also they got a little extra as the missiles in Italy would be removed as well and they would not have to worry about losing Cuba to an invasion. All in all it was a clever move by the Soviets because they pinned the U.S. in a defenseless position leaving no other option for them but to give in to Soviet demands.