1. Cold War Spreads
While much of the focus of the Cold War / preventing the spread of Communism was focused on Europe and Asia, there were also concerns regarding Africa and Central America
In 1960, 18 new nations were formed in Africa
Between 1943 and 1994, 125 countries became independent
Many of the new countries wanted nothing to do with the legacy of colonialism and tried to forge their own identities.
Some sought aid from Moscow, while other sought aid from Washington
These new countries became the economic and political battlegrounds for the cold war between the Soviets and the USA
Soviet philosophy = Communism / State control over life and the economy
American Philosophy = Democracy/Capitalism emphasizing free choices made by the individual

2. What Democracy has to Offer
Some believed that third-world countries needed Western-style capitalism and the economic/infrastructure improvements that come along with it
Improvements include:
Stable economy
Stable government
Low unemployment
Technological improvement
Improved health facilities
Improved educational facilities
Improved roads/bridges/ports
What to Avoid about Democracy
Some people believed that poor race relations and segregation in the USA gave Americans a competitive disadvantage in convincing third-world nations to follow the USA
Of course the USSR was much worse; consistently using brutal tactics to repress any type of dissent against the government
Ethnic favoritism was also rampant in the USSR, as Russians were treated far better than people from other parts of the USSR – for some reason, the book forgot to mention this

3. Cuba & Castro
In 1959 Cuban rebels, led by Fidel Castro, wanted to get rid of the US supported dictator Fulgencio Batista
Some Cubans had resented the USA dating back to the Platt Amendment after the Spanish-American War
When Castro signed a trade agreement with the USSR, the USA started to take measures to overthrow Castro
The USA dramatically cut purchases of Sugar from Cuba
Castro then seizes all American businesses in Cuba
Castro begins to get more and more aid from the USSR
Before leaving office, Eisenhower cuts diplomatic ties w/ Cuba and urges incoming President, JFK, to pursue plans to invade Cuba