In this episode we take Cuba's history from 1959 to 2025, giving a high-level look at Cuba for those who know little to nothing about it and would like foundational understanding.

Questions we answer: How did Fidel Castro become the most powerful man in Cuba? What happened to private land and business after the Cuban Revolution? How did the U.S. respond to all the changes? What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and why did it fail? What was the Cuban Missile Crisis, and why was it important? What were the different waves of Cuban exile migrations? How did Cuba respond to the fall of the Soviet Union? What is the Special Period in Cuba, and how did ordinary Cubans adapt to survive? How did people flee Cuba in the 1990s? What was the Wet Foot, Dry Foot policy, and how did it affect Cuban migration? Who took over after Fidel Castro? How did President Obama change relations between the US and Cuba? How do President Trump’s policies affect Cuba? How did the Covid-19 Pandemic affect Cuba and what is Cuba like today? We’ll answer these questions and many more in today’s episode Cuba 101: part 3 of 3.

This episode is sponsored by Quince. Go to quince.com/wiserworld for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

For extra resources to further your study, head to Patreon.

The transcript for this episode is found here.

Sources used in making this episode found here.

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This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit airwavemedia.com to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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