CUBA

An island Ninety miles south of

Florida

Political problems United States took control

after the Spanish War when the Spanish control was taken out.

Then Cuba had many dictators.

American businesses went into Cuba and built many companies and casinos.

Became America’s rich and famous playground.

Prohibition in the U.S-they went to Cuba to buy alcohol and gamble.

American companies owned a large amount of land in Cuba.

Most of Cuba’s sugar cane crop was sold to America.

1950’s General Bulgencio Batista was ruler of Cuba. He was at first elected as President but then became power hungry and made himself a dictator.

People were unhappy-much poverty.

1959 Fidel Castro formed a an army-took over government.

Made himself the dictator. Because of poverty, poor

education and health care, many people welcomed Castro at first.

Castro kicked out all American’s

Many Cuban’s fled for their lives to America-refugees.

Castro aligned himself with the Soviet Union and became a communist country.

Castro declared all property belonging to Americans now belonged to the government.

All farms, factories, and businesses owned by Cubans also became government property.

Communism

Castro had people who supported Batista arrested.

Most were executed by a firing squad.

Some spent decades in prison.

Cuban newspapers, radio, and television were shut down.

Government-only source of news.

Churches were closed, and all church property was taken.

United States placed an embargo

on Cuba which is still in affect today. Embargo-nothing can be sold

or bought from Cuba.

Soviet Union took this chance to use Cuba as a puppet and get close to their enemy-the U.S ( Cold War)

Soviet Union supplied weapons and other goods to Cuba. Trained their military.

Good-hospitals and schools improved.

Women and blacks became better educated and had better jobs.

Bad-Christians were discriminated against.

Incomes were low. Became one of the poorest

countries.

Cuba tried to spread communism into Latin America.

Provided military training, money, and weapons.

Cuban Missile Crisis almost started a nuclear war.

Cuba gave Soviet Union permission to build a missile launching complex in Cuba facing the U.S. (we had missiles in Turkey facing the Soviet Union)

President John F. Kennedy demanded the missiles to be removed.

Soviets demanded we take our out of Turkey, promise to never attack Cuba again, or try to assassinate Castro.

Still do not have good relations with Cuba-still have embargo.