Fidel Castro & The Cuban Revolution

Aim: How did Fidel Castro come to power?&

What does Cuba look like today?

Cuba

• Cuba is only 90 miles away from the tip of Florida.

Cuban Revolution• 1950s-> The island nation of Cuba faced huge

problems in the economy.

• Mostly American companies owned the sugar plantations in Cuba.

• The dictator at this time was Fulgencio Batista who the Americans supported. His tactics were very harsh, leaving the people of Cuba generally poor and unemployed.

• Many lived in shacks and lacked health care.

The OAS• After WWII the United Sates wanted to keep

communism out of the Western Hemisphere.

• Joined the Organization of American States (OAS). Members pledged to promote democracy and human rights.

• Each nation promised to stay out of affair's of the others.

Fidel Castro• A young lawyer who led a revolt against Batista,

eventually overthrowing him. Know as the People’s Revolution.

• Castro set up a Communist government, making radical changes to the economy.

• Castro turned to the Soviet Union for economic and military help.

Cuban Missile Crisis-1962

• On October 14, 1962 an American U-2 spy plane flying over Cuba captured pictures of long range Soviet missiles in Cuba.

• This was a crisis like never before. These missiles could reach any point of the United States with nuclear warheads causing mass destruction.

• He also said that any attack on the US from Cuba would be considered an act of war from the Soviet Union.

United States Reaction

• The United States saw Cuba as a major threat and placed a travel embargo on Cuba. This nearly wrecked the island’s economy.

• Bay of Pigs Invasion: US government (CIA) helped train Cubans to revolt against Castro, but the people remained loyal to Castro and invasion failed.

Intervention• Intervention: involvement in Latin America.

• United States decides to interne in Latin America when Castro decided to start revolts in other lands.

• United States sent money, arms, and troops helped crush communist rebels. At times, the aid went to harsh, non-communist rulers. Many people spoke out against the United States policy.

Cuba Today

Gross annual income per person is around 5,890 dollars.

Cuba Today• Fidel Castro’s presidency ended in 2008 .

• His brother Raul Castro is the current president of communist Cuba.

• Recently President Obama met with Raul Castro and moved Cuba off the Terrorism watch list.

• Opening up relations between United States and Cuba.