The Cuban Missile

The Cuban Missile

1. Batista Regime

   • Batista was the dictator of Cuba. He was very Anti-commuinist and so was supported by the American government.
   • He did not treat his people fairly and was very corrupt.
   • He siezed power through the use of a military coup

2. The Cuban Revolution

   • The revolution was led by Fidel Castro.
     • Castro
       • Castro was raised in Cuba, to a middle class family. He had a good education and became a student activist, because he hated the way his people were treated. He was arrested.
         • He returned from prison and started a military strike against Batista with cuban revoloutionaries. He eventually overthrew Batista and became the new leader of Cuba.
           • Castro was very charismatic, strong and benevolent leader
     • They used guerilla warfare and won over the peasent farmers who were most hit by the cruel dictatorship
       • It started in 1959 and ended in 1962.
       • Many opposers to Castro were either exiled, executed or imprisoned.
         • Castro's liberation didnt go over so well in America...

3. The USA

   • The US at first decided to acknowledge Castro as the new leader but relations quickly became worse.
     • This was because the Cuban exiles pressured America, demanding something was done...
     • ...as well as Castros nationalizing of American owned buisness and giving them to his peasent farmer supporters.
   • The CIA
     • under Eisenhower, the CIA tried many attempts at killing or humiliating Castro such as..,
       • Making an explosive cigar to kill him.
       • Placing hair removal cream on his beard to make him appear weak
       • Poisoning a conch cell so that Castro would die when sea diving (it was a hobby of his)
       • Spraying aerosol LSD to make it appear that Castro had lost his mind and thus end up in his removal
   • America decided they didnt like Castro and so cut off Cuba from Amertican trade.
     • In 1996 John F. Kennedy cut off diplomatic relations Cuba and plans were made to invade Cuba.