Latin American since 1945

Question 1

What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

Answer 1

The pope split the world between Spanish and Portuguese influence.

Question 2

What percent of slaves went to Brazil?

Answer 2

50%

Question 3

How does race determine social status?

Answer 3

Closer to European, higher the status

Question 4

Who were the Criollos?

Answer 4

European elites that control the land. They had a hard time forming a centralized government

Question 5

What did Simon Bolivar want?

Answer 5

A United States of Latin America

Question 6

Where did Liberal Nationalism come from?

Answer 6

Imported from US and Western Europe

Question 7

Who did Simon Bolivar want independence from?

Answer 7

Spain, Portugal, Catholic Church

Question 8

What did the Wars of Independence achieve?

Answer 8

Abolished slavery, but power remains with church, landlords.

Question 9

What “new nation problems” did latin america have?

Answer 9

Economic isolation

End of Spanish tariffs means cheap British imports

Boundary disputes - no united latin america

conservative and liberal feuds - military dictatorships put an end to it

Question 10

Outline the latin american trade imbalance

Answer 10

Britain and US dominate trade relationship - export to latin america

Latin America exports raw materials that depend on cheap labour

Rich get all the wealth and import luxury goods. Don’t invest in own country

Attempts to modernize production of coffee, such as railroads to get to market, backfire. Borrow money, export more coffee, so price drops, can’t pay back debt

Question 11

Which countries had a large number of African and indigenous people?

Answer 11

Bolivia, Peru, Brazil

Question 12

Which countries had lots of European descendants?

Answer 12

Argentina, Uruguay, Chile

Question 13

What was the “good neighbour” policy

Answer 13

American stops sending the military into latin America to fix any “problem” started by FDR March 4 1933, but after 1945 policy takes back seat to communism fears

Question 14

Outline problems in neocolonialism

Answer 14

Little development, economically dependent on US, which controls trade and manufacturing. Landowners benefit
Frustration among poor leads to demands for reform (socialism?)

Question 15

What did the Arbenz Government (1950) try to do in Guatemala?

Answer 15

Agrarian reform - Decree 900 to break up unused land reserves of foreign owners and redistribute land to poor (force if needed).

Question 16

What was the US response to Arbenz?

Answer 16

The United Fruit Company lobbied Eisenhower to authorize a CIA coup in 1954 under the pretext that they’re communists

Question 17

Who was Batista and how long did his regime last

Answer 17

A Cuban dictator backed by US, 52-59.

Question 18

What interests did US have in Cuba?

Answer 18

Sugar plantations

Question 19

When did Che Guevara and Fidel Castro land in Cuba?

Answer 19

Dec 1956

Question 20

When did Batista flee Cuba and when did Castro reach Havana?

Answer 20

Flees Jan 1 1959 and Castro in Havana Jan 7

Question 21

What inspired Che to launch leftist insugencies?

Answer 21

The overthrow of Arbenz in Guatemala

Question 22

What did Castro do to US-owned interests in Cuba? How did US respond?

Answer 22

He expropriates sugar company lands, banks, large firms. US embargo on Cuba. USSR offers support (Cuba=client state?)

Bay of Pigs Invasion April 1961. 1,400 Cuban exiles trained by the CIA. The U.S. give no air support, 1,400 vs. 75,000 and tanks (Soviet support).