During the Cold War, the United States was focused on the foreign policy of containment. This idea focuses on stopping the spread of communism on an international scale. This policy explains why the US got involved in Cuba and Vietnam.
In Cuba, Fidel Castro and his followers overthrew Batista and established a communist government. Along with this, Castro established a good trading relationship with the Soviet Union. This resulted in the US attempting to overthrow Castro through the Bay of Pigs Invasion. However, this mission failed and only increased Castro's power and influence in Cuba.
As for Vietnam, the US was always interested in what was happening there, as they were afraid the communist system in North Vietnam would spread to the democratic country of South Vietnam. This act gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the power to take all necessary measures to protect US interests in Vietnam and to increase military action if needed.
The reason why people risk their lives to fight against the world's super power was because of the reason that they want to have their freedom and to be able to get and achieve the rights in which they think that they truly deserves.
The question ask on which of the following choices where the weaknesses apparent in American society in the late 1800's and the best answer among the choices is letter A.People became too materialistic, C. The economic system didn't work well and D. The government system adjusted to change too alowly.
The statements referred by the question are:
a) It convinced the United States to dismantle its nuclear weapons.
b) It proved that a naval blockade was not an act of war.
c) It showed Cuba that communism should be stopped.
d) It brought the world dangerously close to nuclear war.
The correct statement is D. Historians agree the Missile Crisis was the closest the world got to have a nuclear war between the U.S. and USSR. Nothing before or after this came as close to be direct aggression from one of these countries against the other.
Statements A and C never happened: the U.S. has nuclear weapons until today, and Cuba didn't give up on communism.
Statement B doesn't fit the facts around the Missile Crisis. The naval blockade didn't lead to war only because the U.S. was defensive.
