Fidel Castro led a successful revolution in 1959 against the corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. Castro established a communist government in Cuba and seized private property, angering the United States. The US imposed an economic embargo on Cuba and cut off trade. Cuba then allied with the Soviet Union, leading to heightened tensions during the Cold War, including the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba brought the US and USSR to the brink of nuclear war. The embargo on Cuba remains in place today.

1. The Cuban Revolution

2. Cuba
 Cuba is an island
nation located 90
miles south of
Florida. For this
reason, the US
has always been
interested in what
happens in Cuba.

3. Changes for Cuba
 Spanish-American War of 1898 led to
changes for Spain.
 The U.S. declared war on Spain to help
people gain freedom from Spanish rule.
 The U.S. wanted to protect American
businesses in the sugarcane plantations.
 The U.S. won the war and Spain gave up
Puerto Rico and Cuba.
 Puerto Rico is a territory under the U.S.
(dependency)

4. Changes for Cuba
 Cuba became independent from Spain, but
remained under U.S. control until 1902.
 The U.S. established a new government
 The U.S. set up a military base on
Guantanamo Bay, which is still in operation
today.
 For the next 50 years, Cuba had a series of
leaders.
 Some were elected and some took over as
dictators.

5. Fulgencio Batista
 Even though the
country of Cuba was
very wealthy, most of
the people were
extremely poor.
 Cubans were
continually angry with
their government.
 In the late 1950’s the
leader was Fulgencio
Batista.

6. 

The USA liked Batista
because American
businesses traded a
lot with Cuba. We
bought most of
Cuba’s sugar cane.
Also, Americans
owned a lot of land in
Cuba.


Cubans hated Batista
because he was a
dictator, so he had no
controls on his power.
Education and health
care were very bad,
and a lot of people in
Cuba were poor.

7. Summarizing Questions:

Who was Fulgencio Batista?

Who liked Batista? Why did they like him?

Who disliked Batista? Why didn’t they like him?

8. Fidel Castro
 In the late 1950s, a young lawyer named
Fidel Castro led a group of rebels against
the corrupt government of dictator
Fulgencio Batista.
 This is known as the Cuban Revolution
 The rebels defeated Batista’s army, and
took over the government early in 1959.

9. Fidel Castro
 Because so many
people hated Batista, it
was easy for Castro to
find supporters.
 Fidel Castro came to
power during the Cold
War.
 This was a period of
conflict between two
superpowers- The U.S.
and the Soviet Union.

10. Communist Cuba
 Castro admired Josef
Stalin and started
making a communist
government, where he
controlled everything
and all property was
taken by the
government.

11. Castro took American
property, as well as
farms, factories, and businesses owned by
Cubans.
 Castro had anyone who disagreed with him executed by
firing squad or they were imprisoned.
 Newspapers, radio, and TV were shut down.
 Churches were closed and their land and property taken
by Castro.


12. Frenemies?!?!

The United States placed an
embargo on Cuban goods,
meaning that Cuban sugar was not sold.
 Meanwhile, the Soviet Union became
friends with Cuba. They
bought sugar, sold weapons,
helped with education, and
trained the Cuban army.

13. Good and Bad


Hospitals and schools
were improved.
Women and blacks
were educated and
got better jobs.



Christians were
discriminated against.
People had a very low
incomes.
People’s lives were
controlled by the
government.

14. The USA and Cuba
 The relationship between Cuba and the
USA was very tense because Cuba
wanted to spread communism in Latin
America.
 In 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis
happened when Cuba let the Soviet Union
bring in nuclear missiles that were close
enough to hit US cities. Eventually, the
Soviet Union agreed to move them out.
 In 1991, Castro lost an important ally and
trading partner when the Soviet Union
broke apart.

15. Summarizing Questions:
 Why didn’t the United States like Cuba?
 Why did the Soviet Union like Cuba?
 What did the Soviet Union do for Cuba?

17. We almost had a nuclear war between
the Soviet Union and the U.S.A!

18. Now…
 There is still an embargo on Cuba.
 Food shortages occur in Cuba.
 Often, people escape from Cuba to Florida
on boats. America allows 20,000 people a
year to escape to the US.

19. Summarizing Questions:
 Why was there almost a Nuclear War
between the Soviet Union and the United
States?
 How did the United States try to hurt Cuba
after Castro came to power?

20. Quick
1. Who became leader of Cuba in 1959?
2. What did the United States do about what
was happening in Cuba?
3. Why did we almost have a nuclear war in
1962?