Overview of the events surrounding Cuba from the Cuban Revolution to the Bay of Pigs to the Cuban Missile Crisis

2. Would you support a dictator with ties to organized
crime, who oppresses civil rights for poor people, and
who ruthlessly uses his secret police force to keep
power?
Would you support a revolutionary who after turning
down a professional baseball contract with the New
York Yankees wants to free his people from the
dictator?

4. Cuba was a colony of Spain.
Cuba became independent after the Spanish-
American War in 1898.
After their independence, Cuba was ruled by
dictators, who were supported by the U.S. because
of the U.S. business interests in Cuba.
Many Cubans hated the dictators and the poor
conditions that existed in Cuba.

5. Fidel Castro organized a revolution against the
Cuban dictators.
For almost 10 years, Castro and his revolutionary
forces lived and fought against the dictator Batista
from the jungles of Cuba.
On New Years Eve of 1958, Castro’s forces
attacked Havana and forced Batista to leave Cuba.
Castro and his supporters entered Havana on New
Years Day and took over Cuba.

6.  Twenty-two Cuban exiles arrested for plotting the
assassination of President Fulgencio Batista are shown in
front of a government office in Mexico City June 26, 1956.
 Fidel Castro, prominent revolutionary, is standing and
indicated (arrow), and seated second from left is Ernesto
"Che" Guevara.

7. Cuban revolutionary
leader Fidel Castro
speaks to supporters
Jan. 8, 1959 at the
Batista military base
"Columbia," now
known as Ciudad
Libertad.

8. People burn tables and roulette wheels outside the Plaza Hotel casino in Old
Havana, Cuba in Jan. 1959 shortly after revolutionary leader Fidel Castro
gained power. On Jan. 1, 1959, Dictator Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba and
Castro's rebels took power.

10.  The new government, which was inexperienced, began
reshaping Cuba politically and economically.
 They chose a president who Castro kept a firm control
over.
 As Premier, Castro controlled all aspects of the new
government.
 He gave the lower economic classes equality and social
justice through educational and economic reform.
 Cuba was modeled on other Communist nations, which he
felt would benefit the masses of the poor Cuban
population.

11.  Conflict with the United States
came very soon.
 Castro “nationalized” (took
possession) hundreds of
millions of dollars of American-
owned properties and
companies.
 An angry U.S. government
responded by declaring a total
trade embargo and diplomatic
relations were ended by 1961
 When Castro announces his
support of Communism, the
CIA sponsored the Bay of Pigs
Invasion

12. Soviet Premier Nikita
Khrushchev and
Cuban President Fidel
Castro are surrounded
by police security as
they leave New York's
Hotel Theresa in
Harlem, New York
City, Sept. 20, 1960.

14.  About 1,500 Cuban exiles,
supported by the CIA, landed in
Cuba in the Bahia de Cochinos
(Bay of Pigs) on April 17, 1961.
 Wanted to spark a popular
uprising and oust the Fidel
Castro.
 Most rebels were quickly
captured or killed by the Cuban
armed forces.
 The Americans wanted to make
it seem like a Cuban run
invasion and so were not able to
support them too much.
 JFK is embarrassed, low point of
Cuban leader Fidel Castro, presidency.
lower right, sits inside a tank
near Playa Giron, Cuba

15.  Cuban exiles captured during
the Bay of Pigs invasion walk
past Cuban soldiers on April
19,1961
 The unidentified prisoner in the
foreground is followed by Jorge
King, known as "El Chino," who
was later executed by the Cuban
government.
 In December 1962 Cuba traded
1,113 captured rebels in exchange
for food and medicine raised by
private donations in the U.S.

17. A U2 spy plane spots
various nuclear missile
launch areas in Cuba
Placed there with help
from the USSR
Missiles are capable of
reaching Washington
JFK has his biggest crisis
as president
Act incorrectly and
nuclear war may start

19. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet ship Fizik Kurchatov
heads to Cuba, with six missiles on deck. Ultimately, faced with
President John F. Kennedy's firm stance and unwillingness to
bargain, the Soviets ordered their ships, loaded with military
equipment bound for Cuba, to change course, and they later agreed
to withdraw the missiles.

21. The SS-4 "Sandal" is an intermediate range
missile that can destroy targets up to 1000 km
from its launch site. This liquid fuelled, relatively
vulnerable and inaccurate missile, was first
deployed in 1959. The SS-5 "Skean"
followed it in 1961 and
has a similar sized
warhead but double
the range. Some 275
SS-4s remained until
1982 in the Soviet
Union's arsenal along
with a handful of SS-
5s. Both of these
missiles can carry a
wide variety of
warheads including
chemical, nuclear,
and conventional.

22. •U.S. president John F.
Kennedy and the
Executive Committee of
the National Security
Council (EXCOMM)
meet on October 29,
1962.
•The group was
convened at the
beginning of the Cuban
Missile Crisis to
determine how to
respond to intelligence
reports of the build-up of
Shown to the president's left are Soviet missiles in Cuba.
Secretary of State Dean Rusk and
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

23. The Soviet freighter,
Bonronec, sails an
Easterly course away
from Havana on Nov.
9, 1962.
The photo shows a
close-up of shrouded
cylindrical objects on
the afterdeck, which
appear to be mobile
missile launchers.

24. Kennedy pressured
Khrushchev to rid
Cuba of its missiles or
else nuclear war would
result
Khrushchev agreed at
the last moment
It was the closest the
world has come to
WWIII and total
annihilation

25. With Soviet help
Castro exported
Revolution to Latin
America in 60’s, 70’s,
and 80s

26. Unfortunately, Che
met his demise while
battling police in
Bolivia
Captured by the
government, he was
executed
Today he is still highly
regarded in many Latin
American Nations

27. Today an embargo is still in place
Fidel is still alive but has left his brother in charge
after falling sick
Many Cubans flee to the USA every day illegally