Latin America after 1945
Agenda
1. Finish Cold War
1. Soviet Jokes?
2. Hasselhoff?
2. Latin America after 1945 (20)
3. Article Analysis: Fidel Castro (15)
4. New Perspectives on the Cuban Missile Crisis
(20) Video Clip and Letter
5. Outside Sources Exercise (10)
6. Finish Previous Day, Cold War exercises. (20)
HW: Practice Exam today.
Precursors to Marxist Revolution
• Depression leads to a
massive change in
economy.
– Industries developed
instead of exporting
raw materials.
• Poverty leads to military
regimes in parts of Latin
America.
• Cuba is taken by Fidel
Castro in 1959.
Cuban Revolution and Castro
• Dictatorship controlled
Cuba since 1934.
(Batista)
• Opposition movement led
by Castro and Che
Guevara throughout the
1950s.
• Castro utilizes Guerrilla
warfare, and when
Batista’s brutal tactics
lose supporters, he flees
in 1958.
Castro and Khrushchev
• Soviet Union invests in
sugar from Cuba.
• 1960, Castro declares
himself a Marxist.
• After Cuban Missile Crisis,
he wants social revolution
throughout Latin America,
but it fails.
• Social Effects in Cuba:
– Health care and
education improved.
– Economy depended on
sugar, when Soviet
Union collapses, Cuban
economy declines.
Chile
• Socialist society attempted in
the 1970s in Chile.
• Wealth was concentrated to
landowners, and 80% of
Chile’s income was from
Copper exports.
– Nixon would cut off aid
when industry is
nationalized. This causes
issues in the economy.
• Revolt leads to General
Pinochet taking government by
force.
– Known for human rights
violations.
• After Pinochet, free elections
lead to improvement in Chile.
Nicaragua
• Somoza regime was in
power for 43 years.
• Marxist forces align with
Soviets and Sandinista
rebels take hold in 1979.
• Reagan believes in
Containment, and
finances Contra rebels to
damage the Sandinista
government.
• Free Elections begin in
1990.
Nationalism in Latin America
• Common Factors:
• Political
• Economic
• Social
Article Activity: Fidel Castro
• Today we are going to look at the rise of
Castro and major events in Cuba from that
perspective.