Civil Rights Movement Cold War & Cuba Civil Rights Movement

Cold War & Cuba: My Q’s How did the communist takeover in Cuba affect the relationship between Cuba & America? What was the Bay of Pigs invasion? Why is the Cuban Missile Crisis considered to be one of the most frightening events in American history?

Communist Takeover in Cuba In 1959, to the surprise of the world, Cuba—a Caribbean island ninety miles from Florida—turned communist when revolutionary Fidel Castro overthrew the existing government. Castro largely gained power because he promised to improve the conditions of Cuba’s huge poor population. Castro heavily criticized U.S. businesses for the economic problems of Cuba. Upset that Cuba was now communist and anti-American business, the U.S. broke off all diplomatic relations with the island.

Overthrowing Castro Despite the fact that the U.S. broke ties with Cuba, America hoped to implement a plan to overthrow Castro and restore relations with the island. Therefore, the CIA and John F. Kennedy collaborated to implement the Bay of Pigs invasion. According to this plan, a group of trained Cubans would attempt to invade and overthrow communist Cuba.

Fidel Castro

A Botched Invasion On April 17, 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion was ordered by JFK. It turned out to be a total disaster! The U.S.-trained Cuban troops were completely overwhelmed and captured. Because the invasion attempt was against many international agreements, it weakened the image of the U.S. & made JFK look like an incompetent leader.

Cuban Missile Crisis Upset with America’s attempt to overthrow their communist allies, the Soviet Union decided to support Cuba by installing long-range nuclear missiles. The United States soon found out & JFK knew he had to respond quickly. After continuous meetings with top advisers, JFK ordered all military forces to be prepared for devastating nuclear war.

Disaster Avoided JFK also decided to blockade Cuba from Soviet ships supplying them more weapons. With their eyes glued to news coverage, Americans grew tense as Soviet ships neared the American blockade. Everyone was relieved once the Soviet ships turned around at the last minute. With negotiations, the Soviet and American government ended the Missile Crisis. The Soviets agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for an ending of the blockade and the removal of American missiles in Turkey.

Aftereffects of the Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis was considered to be one of the most frightening events in American history since it seemed as if the whole world could be destroyed by nuclear war at any moment. A “hotline” was established between the American president and the Soviet leadership to avert future crises in the future. The Limited Test Ban Treaty was implement soon thereafter. This treaty banned nuclear testing above ground to prevent radioactive fallout. JFK drastically improved his perception as a leader and became an overnight hero for his strong stance against the Soviets.