Today we did more presentations starting with Eli's powerpoint.
Fidel Castro and the Bay of Pigs:
- Bay of Pigs invasion was an unsuccessful action by the CIA
- Took place in the Bay of Pigs just outside Cuba
- Ships were placed at Guantanamo Bay to make it look like we were going to invade there
- This was to destract them so that we could attack the Bay of Pigs
- 1300 Cuban exiles from Florida to invade the Bay of Pigs
- This was to make it look like a Cuban invasion, not a U.S. invasion
- On April 17, 1961, the exiles invaded Cuba, hoping to cross the country and take over their capital, Havana
- Castro's forces stopped the invasion after three days of fighting
- Kennedy had the option to use the U.S. Air Force but chose not to
- This invasion resulted in 90 casualties
- The loss embarrassed the young Kennedy administration
- It made Castro wary of future U.S./Cuba relations
- The invasion was meant to overthrow Fidel Castro but made him stronger instead
The Berlin Wall:
- What it was:
- Barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic
- Separated West Berlin from East Berlin and Germany
- East was Communist and West was democratic
- Started as wire fence and was eventually upgraded to concrete
- Had guard towers and barb wire
- More than 87 miles long
- Why:
- Eastern Bloc was dominated by Soviets
- Facists-radical political ideology
- Effects:
- Around 5,000 people tried to escape
- Death told was around 200
- Families were split
- Jobs were lost
- East German government was able to reassert control
- Response:
- Kennedy appointed General Clay to be in charge
- Ordered another Berlin Airlift which was when they flew over and dropped down food and other supplies
- The Fall:
- Hungary disabled its border defenses against Austria
- Many East Germans escaped through Hungary to Austria
- Then flooded West Germany and refused to return
- Protests broke out and the guards were eventually overwhelmed
- Demolition:
- On Novemver 9, 1989, the wall started to come down but not completely
- People came with tools to take their own pieces for remembrance
- Short sections and watchtowers left as memorials
- German reunification not official until October 3, 1990
Nixon's Vist to China:
- Nixon was a strong anti-communist
- Government officials secretly visited China to prepare for the president's visit
- A lot of security was involved to make sure that Moa Zedong and Nixon were not harmed for meeting
- The meeting took place from February 21-28
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