BAY OF PIGS. April 16th 1961
President ordered that we bombed airports a few nights before the invasion. April 17th of 1961, the exiles invade Cuba through the bay of pigs to cross the country and take over the capital Havana. Castro's forces stopped the invasion after three days of fighting. Although Kennedy had the option to use the US Air Force he opted not to.
Once the fighting was over, there were 90 casualties for the CIA exiles, adn the rest were taken prisoner and put to death. The loss embarrassed the young Kennedy. At the Organization of American States Conference in Punta del Este, Uruguay Che Guevara a radical guerilla. This invasion was set in to overthrow Fidel, but they became stronger.
Berlin Wall. It was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic, and it cut off West Berlin from EAST berlin. There were guard towers all along it, and it was 87 miles long. The Eastern Bloc was dominated by Fascist-radical Soviets. East Germany was socialist, and West Germany had not been de-Nazified.
Around 5000 people attempted to escape. Families were split up by the wall, and some lost their jobs due to the division of the cities. Kennedy appointed General Lucuis D. Clay. Ordered Berlin airlift. US troops marched from West Germany to east. These actions made the Berliners feel reassured.
Hungar disabled its border defneses against Austria. Many East Germans escaped through Hungary and Austria. On Nov. 9th, 1989, people began to tear the wall down with sledgehammers and chisels. More border crossings added. ulldozers reinstated old roads. visa-free travel on Dec. 23, and short sections and watch towers have been left as memorials. German reunification not official until October 3, 1990.
Nixon visits China. Nixon was a big anti-Commie. Relations between the USSR, China and the US after WWII were deteriorating. China was teetering on the edge of Communism under the control of Mao Zedong. July 1971, government officials were secretly visting china in order to prepare for the trip. There was a lot of security involved, as you can imagine.
The meeting took place from Feb. 21-28 in 1972. Nixon met with Zedong to discuss the country's...trade?
Nixon also met Zhou Enlai. Trips to the great wall and other tourist attactions. Meanwhile, Nixon's wife campaigned for America. The US and China issued the Shanghai Communique. It stated their foreign policy and it served as a document ds
The trip was believed to hve changed the world. Nixon stated this trip will 'build a bridge' and unite the US and China. This was seen as Nixon's biggest political achievement.
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