The 1954 US-Backed Coup in Guatemala

Last time on Skipped History, we explored Allen and John Foster Dulles’ absurd attempt to start a civil war in Indonesia. Alas, a combo of psychological warfare and press manipulation gave them more success in Guatemala:

The 1954 US-Backed Coup in Guatemala from Ben Tumin on Vimeo.

You can also watch on Instagram here. And ICYMI here’s last week’s ep on Indonesia.

This week’s story comes from Bitter Fruit by Stephen Kinzer and Stephen Schlesinger; The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins; and Empire’s Workshop by Greg Grandin. If you’re looking for a good, not-too-long synthesis of US activity in Latin America (and beyond), Empire’s Workshop is a fantastic read, and Grandin just released a revised/extended edition!

Next time on Skipped History…

We’ll head to the Philippines, home to the US’ first major war abroad. I’m excited to investigate one or two or ten of the sordid ramifications of that conflict together.