1. Bringing the U.S. to the brink of war with the Soviet Union in 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
Bringing the U.S. to the brink of war with the Soviet Union in 1962

2. Cuban Missile Crisis
As the U.S. built more nuclear weapons they ignored what was going on in Cuba
In 1959 Fidel Castro led a Communist revolution and became the new dictator of Cuba

3. Cuban Missile Crisis

4. Cuban Missile Crisis
Fidel Castro, like most Eastern European leaders, joins an alliance with the Soviet Union (Warsaw Pact)
In the 1950s, Communism spreads into Cuba, China, and Asia as America fails to contain it

5. Cuban Missile Crisis This results in a “Domino Theory”
If one nation in the world fell to Communism, the other nations would fall in a row like dominoes

6. Cuban Missile Crisis

7. Cuban Missile Crisis
President Kennedy despises Castro and wants to end Communism in Cuba and get it out of the Western Hemisphere
An opportunity presents itself in 1961
Bay of Pigs Invasion: Kennedy gives U.S. weapons to Cuban rebels to overthrow Castro and bring back Democracy. This was a major failure!

8. Cuban Missile Crisis

9. Cuban Missile Crisis
Naturally upset, and fearful of another possible U.S. invasion, Castro agrees to place Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba pointed at the U.S.
These missiles could hit every U.S. city except Seattle
How does the U.S. respond without starting a war?

10. Cuban Missile Crisis Naval Blockade!!
U.S. warships surround Cuba forbidding Soviet ships to enter and bring in any more missiles
Closest the U.S. got to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union

11. Cuban Missile Crisis Soviets back down!
All missiles were removed from Cuba, but Communism remains only 90 miles south of us
U.S. shows its might and regains some pride from the Bay of Pigs invasion attempt