Background

The End of World War II At the close of WWII, the democratic United States and the communist Soviet Union emerged as the two world super powers. The Soviet Union's communism had started to spread farther into North Korea, Central Asia, the Middle East, and eastern Europe. The U.S. also had alliances in Western Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Both countries were just trying to keep peace in the world and prevent another world war, but at the same time they wanted to make alliances. Tension began when there was a lack of a mutual agreement when deciding what to do with Germany after WWII. When the //USA decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan ////,// the USSR was upset, and jealous that America had secretly developed the bomb, and that America had such powerful technology.

The Rise of Communism in Cuba While WWII was ending a power struggle was occurring in Cuba. They were under the control of a //dictator and they wanted to overthrow him// so with "a combination of popular resistance and military actions [they] forced an unpopular Cuban dictator to flee the island"(Walser).They thought that they were going to be free from an oppressive ruler but little did they know that when they elected **Fidel Castro** that they were headed into the same path they were just in. As the new Cuban leader Fidel Castro was elected, //he brought communism to the country.//

The Cold War The Cold War was a era in which there was much political tension and rivalry between the USA and the USSR. The two main Countries in the Cold War were the USSR and the USA. The USSR's government was communist, and the USA's government was democracy. The USA was completely against communism because they thought the people should have a say in how their country is run. The Cold War got its name because both countries were afraid to fight each other directly, and their actions were cold, never direct combat between them.This was because they both had Nuclear weapons, which if war broke out between them, countless lives would be lost. The Cold War is said to first started in 1917, when the revolutionary Bolsheviks, devoted to spreading communism throughout the industrialized world, over through the Monarchy in Russia and took control of the government. Although the first time the Cold War began to heat up was in the late 1945, when World War II ended, and the USA and the USSR came out of the war as the two world super powers. There was also very high competitiveness between the two countries. The two superpowers were stockpiling Nuclear Weapons throughout the whole Cold War, and during the 1950's and 60's they was a space race between the two countries to get to space. Bay of Pigs Bay of Pigs was a failed attack by the United States in April of 1961 to over through Fidel Castro in Cuba. The attempt was made by a group of CIA trained Cuban Exiles.In April 17, 1961 about 1300 exiles, armed with U.S. weapons, landed at the Bay of Pigs on the southern coast of Cuba. Hoping to find support from the locals, they intended to cross the island into Havana. However the well trained Cuban Army was equipped with weapons from the USSR and //Cuba//  //easily defeated the attack.// The failed attempt left premier //Nikita Khrushchev and other leaders to think that Kennedy was an indecisive president.// According to a soviet adviser, Kennedy was "too young, [and] not prepared well for decision making in crisis situations ... and too weak [to be the president]." (The Bay of Pigs) Finally, the US placed an Economic Embargo (not importing goods from) on Cuba.

Decision Reenactment