Cuban aid package January 1959

The Hershey's would object. along with a lot of other Blue Blood Families that owned Land & Businesses in Cuba. [Hershey was a Nasty Word in 1950's Cuba]

The problems with Cuba started when Castro proposed Nationalizing the US Rich Persons Land, and redistributing it to the workers on the Plantations.
 
This money comes at the very beginning. So Eisenhower can have some leverage over Castro. The President would probably work to stop nationalizations and the dictatorship. The other thing to consider was that when Castro took power he had US public opinion on his side.
 
This money comes at the very beginning. So Eisenhower can have some leverage over Castro. The President would probably work to stop nationalizations and the dictatorship. The other thing to consider was that when Castro took power he had US public opinion on his side.

I'm not sure if he'd care too much about the dictatorship, the nationalisations would be harder but Castro was more of a pragmatic socialist at the very beginning, if the US delivers the aid to make up for might be lost by those nationalisations then Castro could be brought around. this a long shot, but maybe Eisenhower would even move to compensate nationalised American property as a solution?
 
Have Ike actually meet with Fidel instead of snubbing him to play golf instead. Perhaps a compromise regarding nationalization and aid could have been worked out between the two. However, Fidel was stuck with meeting Nixon and Nixon took an instant dislike to him. The rest is history...
 
Actually I thought Eisenhower would invite Castro to the White House for an official state visit. Castro's visit with Nixon came after he was invited to speak to the National Press Club. Arrowly is right this snub had a great impact on history.
 
Cuba still goes red, and it looks bad for Ike and Nixon. Kennedy does slightly better in 1960.

Would Cuba go red with Castro, if he publicly accepted US help? maybe if backstabed by the rather... passionate Che, but...

Its like Ho Chi Minh in a way. Both wanted power, and were also nationalists first, commies second.
 
Would Cuba go red with Castro, if he publicly accepted US help? maybe if backstabed by the rather... passionate Che, but...

Its like Ho Chi Minh in a way. Both wanted power, and were also nationalists first, commies second.

I've heard that, but honestly, it's hard to argue that Ho was a nationalist first, and initial U.S. support to the Vietminh did not prevent his entry into the Soviet orbit, so maybe the Ho example is better than you know;)
 
I've heard that, but honestly, it's hard to argue that Ho was a nationalist first, and initial U.S. support to the Vietminh did not prevent his entry into the Soviet orbit, so maybe the Ho example is better than you know;)

Did the US REALLY helped them?
Man, they helped our cousins and their men first. Not Old Ho Minh (?).
Unless I am ignorant.
 
Did the US REALLY helped them?
Man, they helped our cousins and their men first. Not Old Ho Minh (?).
Unless I am ignorant.

I may be wrong, but I think there was American aid flowing to Ho, because he had assisted the efforts against Japan more effectively than Chiang ever did.
 
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