Changes

The United States imposed a trade embargo on Cuba and the Soviet Union provided it with aid, which was a typical pattern in this Cold War between the two superpowers.  Cubans who had fled to Florida from the island arranged for an invasion of Cuba in April 1961 to overthrow Castro.  President John F. Kennedy withheld support at the last minute and someone in his Administration probably leaked the plans to Castro, who was then waiting for it and slaughtered the invaders at the Bay of Pigs.  President Kennedy allowed the United States to be humiliated by this.

The United States imposed a trade embargo on Cuba and the Soviet Union provided it with aid, which was a typical pattern in this Cold War between the two superpowers.  Cubans who had fled to Florida from the island arranged for an invasion of Cuba in April 1961 to overthrow Castro.  President John F. Kennedy withheld support at the last minute and someone in his Administration probably leaked the plans to Castro, who was then waiting for it and slaughtered the invaders at the Bay of Pigs.  President Kennedy allowed the United States to be humiliated by this.

Strengthened, Castro became more aggressive and in 1962 began to install Soviet missiles to point them directly at the United States.  President Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba to prevent installation of additional missiles, and a top American general put his bombers into combat mode.  This demonstrated a readiness to go to war (“brinkmanship”) and the Soviet leader Khruschev then backed down.  Khruschev agreed to remove the missiles when the United States agreed not to invade Cuba.

Strengthened, Castro became more aggressive and in 1962 began to install Soviet missiles to point them directly at the United States.  President Kennedy ordered a blockade of Cuba to prevent installation of additional missiles, and a top American general put his bombers into combat mode.  This demonstrated a readiness to go to war (“brinkmanship”) and the Soviet leader Khrushchev then backed down.  Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles when the United States agreed not to invade Cuba.

But Cuba continued to grow closer to the Soviet Union, which funded its failing economy.  In the 1970s Cuba sent 50,000 soldiers to help communism in Angola, and Cuba remained there until 1988.  When communism itself fell in the Soviet Union in 1991 and it broke up, Cuba lost its funding.  It became even poorer then.

But Cuba continued to grow closer to the Soviet Union, which funded its failing economy.  In the 1970s Cuba sent 50,000 soldiers to help communism in Angola, and Cuba remained there until 1988.  When communism itself fell in the Soviet Union in 1991 and it broke up, Cuba lost its funding.  It became even poorer then.

=== D. Eastern Europe ===

=== D. Eastern Europe ===

Stalin died in 1953, and Nikita Khruschev replaced him as the dictator over the Soviet Union.  Khruschev was an aggressive leader who had brutally carried out Stalin’s policies while Stalin was alive, but then denounced Stalin as soon as he died and tried to purge all memory of Stalin (“destalinization”).  However, Khruschev was nearly as bad as Stalin was.  Khruschev viciously repressed a freedom movement in Hungary in October 1956.  He ordered an invasion with Soviet tanks and arranged for the execution of the Hungarian leader Imre Nagy, who sought to hold free elections.  Khruschev replaced him with a pro-Soviet puppet.  Thousands of Hungarian “freedom fighters” were slaughtered by the Soviets, and the Hungarian religious leader Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty had to flee to the United States embassy to survive.  The communist dictatorship installed by the Soviets prevented him from stepping foot outside of the embassy for the next 15 years.  Imagine never once leaving your home for 15 years!

Stalin died in 1953, and Nikita Khrushchev replaced him as the dictator over the Soviet Union.  Khrushchev was an aggressive leader who had brutally carried out Stalin’s policies while Stalin was alive, but then denounced Stalin as soon as he died and tried to purge all memory of Stalin (“destalinization”).  However, Khrushchev was nearly as bad as Stalin was.  Khrushchev viciously repressed a freedom movement in Hungary in October 1956.  He ordered an invasion with Soviet tanks and arranged for the execution of the Hungarian leader Imre Nagy, who sought to hold free elections.  Khrushchev replaced him with a pro-Soviet puppet.  Thousands of Hungarian “freedom fighters” were slaughtered by the Soviets, and the Hungarian religious leader Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty had to flee to the United States embassy to survive.  The communist dictatorship installed by the Soviets prevented him from stepping foot outside of the embassy for the next 15 years.  Imagine never once leaving your home for 15 years!

Khruschev also ordered the building of the Berlin Wall and the placement of missiles in Cuba, which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  But Khruschev’s confrontational personality was too much even for his fellow communists, as he would often interrupt speeches by others and act in other unpredictable ways.  Khruschev could not get along with China, even though both were communist countries.  In 1960 Khruschev stopped sharing atomic bomb secrets with China, and later there was even a little violence along their long border.

Khrushchev also ordered the building of the Berlin Wall and the placement of missiles in Cuba, which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  But Khrushchev’s confrontational personality was too much even for his fellow communists, as he would often interrupt speeches by others and act in other unpredictable ways.  Khrushchev could not get along with China, even though both were communist countries.  In 1960 Khrushchev stopped sharing atomic bomb secrets with China, and later there was even a little violence along their long border.

While Khruschev was on vacation in 1964 a group led by Leonid Brezhnev arranged to strip him of power.  The group persuaded the Politburo, which governed the Communist Party, to replace Khruschev with Brezhnev.  Khruschev then lived out the remainder of life under the watch of the Soviet KGB, but he did manage to smuggle out his memoirs for publication in the West.

While Khrushchev was on vacation in 1964 a group led by Leonid Brezhnev arranged to strip him of power.  The group persuaded the Politburo, which governed the Communist Party, to replace Khrushchev with Brezhnev.  Khrushchev then lived out the remainder of life under the watch of the Soviet KGB, but he did manage to smuggle out his memoirs for publication in the West.

Brezhnev ruled as brutally as Khruschev had, though with less personal confrontation.  When Czechoslovakian leader Alexander Dubcek allowed greater freedom of speech in his country in 1968, the Soviets responded by invading with tanks just as they had in Hungary over a decade earlier.

Brezhnev ruled as brutally as Khrushchev had, though with less personal confrontation.  When Czechoslovakian leader Alexander Dubcek allowed greater freedom of speech in his country in 1968, the Soviets responded by invading with tanks just as they had in Hungary over a decade earlier.

=== E. Détente ===

=== E. Détente ===