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Cuba: The Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Bay of Pigs. In 1959, Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba. Castro created a communist nation 90 miles from Florida Many Cubans fled to Florida Castro nationalized many American-owned properties in Cuba.
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The Bay of Pigs • In 1959, Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba. • Castro created a communist nation 90 miles from Florida • Many Cubans fled to Florida • Castro nationalized many American-owned properties in Cuba
President Kennedy approved the Bay of Pigs plan • American-trained Cuban insurgents would land at the Bay of Pigs, and eventually over throw the Castro government
Missile Crisis • In 1962, the Soviet Union placed Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBM) in Cuba • Kennedy ordered the Soviets to remove them
For several days in October 1962, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. • Fortunately, the Soviet leadership “blinked” and removed their missile