AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: The Cold War in Cuba (Day 265/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the Cold War in Cuba as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

“Threat to Intervene in Cuba,” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

During the Cold War, Cuba became a focal point of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. 

Castro and Khrushchev, PBS

Fidel Castro's rise to power in 1959 led to the establishment of a communist government in Cuba, which aligned the country with the Soviet Union. 

Bay of Pigs Invasion, Wikimedia Commons

The spread of communism so close to the U.S. sparked major concern and led to covert operations such as the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, aimed at overthrowing Castro's regime. The failed invasion further strained relations between the two countries. 

Cuban Missile Crisis, Nuclear Ban

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Eventually resolved through intense diplomatic negotiations, the Soviet Union agreed to remove missiles from Cuba if the U.S. pledged not to invade Cuba and to remove its missiles from Turkey. 

The Cuban Missile Crisis marked a pivotal moment in the Cold War, highlighting the dangers of nuclear brinkmanship and the importance of diplomatic solutions to international conflicts.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Presidential Cold War Policies in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!