Ch10 Cuban Missile Crisis Flashcards
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
SIGNIFICANCE OF CUBA TO THE USA
Cuba major producer of sugar, tobacco; high in demand in the US + geographically close to USA and gateway to the Caribbean islands, seen as extremely important to the security of the US
Cuba strategic importance and economic value attracted the US interests
US interests could be seen from how
-pro US Govt set up in Cuba after Cuban War of Independence (where the US had also intervened to support independence fighters), not allowed to make alliances with other countries without US approval
-invested heavily in Cuba’s sugar and tobacco industries, became backbone of Cuba’s economy ( by 1926, 60% of Cuban sugar industry was American-owned ), Cuba extremely vulnerable to sudden changes in price of sugar that was mainly determined by the US, US economic dominance
(many Cubans resented economic dominance of US, most sugar and tobacco plantations owned by wealthy upper class Cubans who worked with US investors, large economic gap)
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
TENSIONS BETWEEN US AND CUBA
AMERICAN POLITICAL INTERVENTION
anti-us sentiments grew in Cuba due to US actions of installing puppet leader to guard US interests
colonel Batista was detested due to his corrupt and oppressive rule
- exploited Cuba’s commercial interest through contacts with US corporations and mafia
- use of secret police to suppress political oppression violently-> US supported as it would prevent communists from coming into power
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
TENSIONS BETWEEN US AND CUBA
CUBAN REVOLUTION, CASTRO’S RISE TO POWER
Fidel Castro led armed guerrilla attacks against Barista govt from 1956-> increasingly lost support
Castro’s army grew to thousands, eventually ousted Batista-> est new govt and became new PM of Cuba on 1 jan 1959
Castro initially did not identify as communist, not member of Cuban communist party but CCP supported him ( but US suspected Castro of being communist, feared communist influence in Cuba )
US said it would only recognise Castro’s govt if he held elections to est democratic govt-> Castro did not accede to US conditions, caused US to have greater fear over Castro govt and comm in Cuba
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
TENSIONS BETWEEN US AND CUBA
CASTRO’S POLICIES THAT THREATENED US
Castro began seeking out new markets ( Egypt, Indonesia, USSR ) to reduce Cuba’s reliance on the Cuban Sugar Quota that was determined by the US govt
Cuba agreed to sell 1 mil tonnes of sugar over 5 years when USSR expressed interest in buying Cuban sugar -> Khrushchev arranged for Soviet trade delegation to improve trading relations with Cuba
Cuba and USSR agreed to barter Cuban sugar for Russian oil ( reduce Cuba dependence on the US for oil )
US suspicious that Cuba trade relations meant that Cuba was aligning with the communist bloc, relations threatened US sugar investments in Cuba
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
TENSIONS BETWEEN US AND CUBA
LAND REFORM LAW
introduced in may 1959
owners of large estates to return their lands to the govt in exchange of financial compensation ( private ownership of large estates disallowed )-> estate land to be redistributed as smaller prices of land or run by state agency
to Castro these measures were to fulfil promises to Farmers who supported him during Cuban revolution, aimed at solving inequality
to US Castro was communist, US against these reforms ( resulted in great loss of wealth to Americans who invested in Cuba, affected US economy )
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
TENSIONS BETWEEN US AND CUBA
CASTRO’S FRIENDSHIP WITH KHRUSHCHEV
during 1960 UN meeting, Castro stayed in Harlem ( poor, black neighbourhood in NYC )-> Khrushchev visited Castro, meeting strengthened their relationship + highlighted tensions between superpowers
exposed discriminatory policies of US towards Cuba and blacks
Castro’s stay at Harlem and his address to the UN fighting for black rights provoked the conservatives in US who did not want to grant these rights + embarrassed Americans greatly + seen to be associating himself with USSR leader
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
ESCALATING TENSIONS DUE TO AMERICAN RETALIATION AGAINST CUBA
ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON CUBA
US attempted to weaken Cuban economy
- urged its companies and allies not to process Soviet oil-> 300,000 tonnes of oil from USSR into Cuba not processed
- reduced Cuban Sugar Quota from 3 million to only 700,000 tonnes
measures greatly affected Cuban economy-> Castro retaliated by nationalising oil refineries and all major US owned properties ( banks, hotels )-> affected US economic interests
US placed embargo on American exports to Cuba on all but food, medicine in November 1960 ( ineffective as USSR and allies supported Castro, enabled him to continue land reforms and nationalisation of industries without fear of US economic sanctions )
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
ESCALATING TENSIONS DUE TO AMERICAN RETALIATION AGAINST CUBA
BAY OF PIGS INVASION + OPERATION MONGOOSE
April 1961 American cia developed plan to overthrow Castros govt by training Cuban exiles that would land in Bay of pigs in Cuba on 17 April 1961 and begin revolution ( was a military disaster as Castro was well prepared, invasion ended in 2 days )
invasion provided Castro with opportunity to crack down on opponents and rally nationalist sentiments of Cubans against American intervention
failed invasion humiliated US, resulting in angering the international community against US-> US resolve to remove Castro strengthened
JFK approved operation mongoose ( CIA operation to sabotage Cuban industries, assassinate political leaders )-> also a failure
Reasons that drew American Cuban tensions into the Cold War
ESCALATING TENSIONS DUE TO AMERICAN RETALIATION AGAINST CUBA
CUBA’S FORMAL ALLIANCE WITH USSR
Cuba convinced large scale invasion by US inevitable after Bay of pigs invasion
to Castro, USSR strong ally that could answer to Cuba’s security concerns, rival against US
in Dec 1961, Castro declared himself communist, reorganised his party and govt along Soviet model of communism + formed formal alliance with USSR ( made US Cuba tensions part of CW )
