1. Corruption, Castro, and the Cold War
Cuba
Corruption, Castro, and the Cold War

2. Cuba
1940s
Democratic
Tropical paradise
Open ties with U.S

3. Fulgencio Batista President in 1940 Ran again in 1952
Improved economy with war time trade with the U.S
Purified corrupt government
Ran again in 1952
Low chance of winning
Military started a coup and abolished their constitution, making Batista the dictator

4. Fidel Castro Born august 13, 1926 Went to University of Havana in 1945
Revolution
Rode to the Dominican Republic to over throw a dictatorship
Led Cuban Revolution

5. Cuban Revolution Fidel, his brother Raul, and 135 other armed Cubans
Attacked Moncada Military barracks
July
Intended to storm barracks, seize their wepons, and use it as a base to mount their revolution

6. Cuban Revolution Pt. 2 61 revolutionaries killed
Of the remaining 74 over half were captured and either jailed or executed, and the rest escaped
Castro himself was sentenced to 15 years in jail, but he was release on an amnesty after two years

7. Cuban Revolution Pt. 3
Four years after he was released he decided to try again
This time it succeeded
Batista had left
a divided military collapsed in upon itself
The constitution of the 1940s was reinstated

8. Castro’s Cuba
Brought Cuban economy and politics to new heights, at the expense of its citizens
Executions, imprisonments, and forced emigrations of opposition
Declared self a Marxist Leninist in 1961, otherwise known as communism
Began supporting Soviet Union in 1968

9. U.S. intervention Prime force against Communism Bay of pigs
Cuba just 90 miles off of the Florida Keys
Bay of pigs
A “covert” U.S. action against Cuba
Army of Cuban Defectors gathered
Trained, armed and given ships by the U.S.
Leaked out to the press, and multiple stories were run
Castro found out, mobilized troops, and crushed the attack
Horrible embarrassment to Kennedy

10. Cuban Missile Crisis Suspicious of their aid to soviets
U-2 aircraft flown over Cuba and photographed multiple missile sites
These pictures shown to Kennedy on October 16
Three sites:
2 medium range ballistic missile sites
Capable of firing up to 1,845 miles
1 intermediate range ballistic missile site
Capable of firing up to 3,400 miles

11. Range

12. Reaction
Declared any Missiles fired by Cuba would be considered a direct assault by the soviet union
Second U-2 reconnaissance plane flown over
Retaliation preparation
B-52 bombers
Entire U.S. nuclear arsenal deployed and prepped for counter attack

13. “Quarantine
Needed to set up a blockade to prevent the delivery of any weapons
Couldn’t, so called it a quarantine, but ran it like a blockade, and prevented anything but vital supplies from being shipped in

14. Diplomacy Met with Russia Final agreement reached October 30th
Russia asked for fair deal, they pull their weapons out if we do the same
Kennedy couldn’t give in publicly because it would make him look weak
Final agreement reached October 30th
Official version: Cuba is disarmed if we don’t attack them
Real version: we remove our missiles from Turkey as well