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Explore the tense background of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, stemming from Castro's revolution in Cuba and the subsequent power struggle between Kennedy and Khrushchev. Witness the escalation of tensions and the danger posed by missiles in Cuba.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962
Background: Revolution in Cuba • Castro’s socialist rebels take control of the island and dictator Fulgencio Batista leaves on Jan 1, 1959 • U.S. nervous about Castro, but he initially claims he is not a communist & does not care about the Cold War • Castro kills opponents, redistributes land (angering U.S. businesses), & declares Cuba officially atheist
Flair up of tensions • Castro continued to decry “US imperialism” in Latin America; US begins economic embargo in late 1950s • Forces Cuba to look for new markets for products, starts trading w/ Soviets • President Kennedy orders Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, but it fails horribly • USSR decides to send nuclear missiles to Cuba in 1962; US finds out, thus beginning crisis