1. Revolution in Cuba by the early 1950s, U.S. corporations
controlled majority of Cuban businesses
most Cubans lived in poverty
Fulgencio Batista overthrew the
government and made himself dictator,
friendly to the United states
Fidel Castro led a successful revolt
against Batista in 1958
once in power he quickly demanded
control of American properties
Fidel Castro

2. Revolution in Cuba when U.S. refused to talk, Castro turned
to Soviet Union for economic help
Eisenhower ordered the CIA to train a
force of anti-Castro Cubans to overthrow
Castro seized all American businesses and
signed a trade agreement with Moscow
just before Eisenhower left office in 1961
upon leaving office Eisenhower urged
Kennedy to step up the training of the
secret anti-Castro forces

3. Bay of Pigs the CIA had been training the anti-
Castro group, La Brigada
President Kennedy ordered La
Brigada to land secretly, start an
uprising, and overthrow Castro
the plan failed miserably-boats ran
aground on reefs and members of
La Brigada killed or captured
Made United States look weak and
exposed a plot by the U.S. to over-
throw a neighbor’s government

4. Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy looked for other ways to unseat Castro
interrupted Cuban trade, ordered
more raids by exiles, plotted Castro’s
assassination- (all through the CIA)
Castro and Khrushchev were furious
in October of 1962 a U.S. spy plane
took photos of crews installing
Soviet missiles in Cuba
President John F. Kennedy

6. Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy’s advisors met for a week
to decide a course of action
negotiations were ruled out since it
would allow time for more missiles
to be put in place
invasion might start nuclear war
Kennedy decided on blockade of
Cuba to stop further delivery of
nuclear weapons….then quietly push
Khrushchev to remove the weapons

7. Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy sent 180 warships sailing to
Cuba, deployed B-52 bombers with
nuclear weapons, military forces
worldwide on alert
Soviets sent ships toward Cuba and
world held its breath, U-2 shot down
Khrushchev agreed to remove the
missiles if U.S. vowed to never attack
Cuba
Khrushchev demanded that the U.S.
remove missiles from Turkey (we ignored
this)

8. Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy agreed to the first demand
but ignored the second
He also ordered Khrushchev to get
the missiles out of Cuba – or the
United States would take them out
Khrushchev finally backed down -
the crisis ended

9. After the Crisis the standoff changed the character of the Cold War
both accepted each other’s power and
admitted the importance of negotiation
installed a hotline for communication
in event of future crisis
did nothing to slow the arms race, the
Soviets felt humiliated
stockpile of nuclear weapons continued