2-3.0 CUBAN MISSLE CRISIS Flashcards
SIGNIFICANCE OF CUBA TO USA
- STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE CARRIBEAN ISLANDS
- ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN CUBA
Significance of Cuba to USA
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE CARRIBEAN ISLANDS
Proclamation of Monroe doctrine 1823
> states that further attempts by European powers to colonize or interfere in the Americas viewed as “acts of aggression”
- Cuba geographical proximity 150km from US, gateway to Caribbean islands
IMPORTANT TO LATIN AMERICA (US backyard)
Significance of Cuba to USA
ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN CUBA
1926 - US companies owned 60% of Cuban sugar industry
- ESTABLISHED PRO-AMERICAN GOV IN CUBA
- ENCOURAGED AMERICAN COMPANIES TO INVEST HEAVILY IN CUBA’S SUGAR TOBACCO INDUSTRIES
- US ECONOMIC DOMINANCE IN CUBA
TENSIONS BETWEEN USA AND CUBA
- AMERICAN POLITICAL INTERVENTION IN CUBA
- CUBAN REVOLUTION
- CASTRO NEW POLICIES THAT THREATENED US ECONOMIC INTERESTS
- CASTRO’S FRIENDSHIP WITH KHRUSHCHEV
Tensions between USA and Cuba
AMERICAN POLITICAL INTERVENTION IN CUBA
1912 American ambassador to Cuba became a de facto pro consul
> push US interests favorable political climate
1933 American ambassador Summer Welles
> conspired with Cuban generals to overthrow Cuban President
- CUBAN NATIONALISTS RESENTED US ACTIONS OF INSTALLING PUPPET GOV TO GUARD PERSONAL INTERESTS
> DESTROY POLITICAL LEGITAMACY
Colonel Batista last puppet gov > rule became increasingly dictatorial and corrupt
Tensions between USA and Cuba
CUBAN REVOLUTION
1956 - Castro a Cuban exile returned to Cuba from Mexico with a group of rebels
> conducted guerilla warfare against Batista Gov
1959 - Castro established new Gov > did not immediately identify as a communist
> Cuban communist party among the many parties which supported Cuba
> US suspicious Castro communist only agreed to recognize Castro Gov on condition that elections held to elect democratic Gov
Tensions between USA and Cuba
CASTRO NEW POLICIES THAT THREATENED US ECONOMIC INTERESTS
- SEEKING NEW MARKETS FOR CUBAN SUGAR
- LAND REFORM LAW
SEEKING NEW MARKETS FOR CUBAN SUGAR
1959 - Che Guevera visited various countries to seek new markets for Cuban sugar
> CONTACTED SOVIET EMBASSY IN EGYPT > AGREED TO BUY HALF A MILLION TONS OF CUBAN SUGAR
Feb 1960 - Castro and Soviets agreed to barter more cuban sugar for soviet oil
> USA PERCEIVED CUBA’S TRADE RELATIONS WITH SU AS CUBA ALLIGNING WITH SOVIET BLOC
LAND REFORM LAW
passed in May 1959
- large estates handed over to the state
all farms over 3,333 acres and all private estates over 1,000 acres to be redistributed
- FOREIGNERS NO LONGER ALLOWED TO OWN SUGAR PLANTATIONS
> OSTRACISE AMERICAN COMPANIES > COMPROMISE ECONOMIC INTERESTS
- CONFIRMED TO US THAT CASTRO HEADING IN SOCIALIST DIRECTION WITH HEAVY HANDED REDISTRIBUTIVE POLICIES
Tensions between USA and Cuba
CASTRO’S FRIENDSHIP WITH KHRUSHCHEV
Sept 1960 - Castro visited New York to address UN general assembly
- Khrushchev intrigued by Castro’s overtures to the SU
> visit Castro in Harlem hotel
- Castro’s stay at Harlem and address to the UN championing the rights of African Americans
> insult and provoked conservatives in USA criticize political system
> create tension in US
SAW CASTRO AS OPENLY ASSOCIATING WITH LEADER OF US COLD WAR ENEMY
ESCALATING TENSIONS DUE TO AMERICAN RETALIATION AGAINST CUBA
By Jun 1959 - US gov decided it could no longer secure US interests in Cuba with Castro in power
1. ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON CUBA
2. AMERICAN ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE CASTRO FROM POWER
American retaliation against Cuba
ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON CUBA
US PLANNED TO USE ITS ECONOMIC DOMINANCE OVER CUBAN ECONOMY TO FORCE CASTRO TO CHANGE HIS POLICY > BRING DOWN CASTRO REGIME BY CRIPPLING CUBA’S ECONOMY
Apr 1960
- US gov pressured companies such as Shell Texaco not to process soviet oil, 300,000 tons of soviet oil arrived in Cuba
> companies refused to process it
Jun 1960 - Cuba nationalized oil refineries
Jul 1960 - US reduced sugar quota from 3mill tons to 700,000 tons > SU and China bought surplus
Sept 1960 - Castro nationalized all US owned banks railways ports hotels cinemas
Nov 1960
- US intensified campaign by placing embargo on US exports to Cuba > SU and allies fulfilled Cuba economic needs
American retaliation against Cuba
AMERICAN ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE CASTRO FROM POWER
BAY OF PIGS
17 April 1961 - CIA trained Cuban exiles landed on Bay of Pigs in Cuba > ended in diplomatic fiasco
OPERATION MONGOOSE
Nov 1961 - secret CIA operation which consists of various intelligence operations to remove Castro from power
CUBA’S FORMAL ALLIANCE WITH THE SOVIET UNION
- AFTER BAY OF PIGS INASION CUBA CONVINCED THAT A LARGE SCALE INVASION BY US INEVITABLE
> LOOKED DESPERATELY FOR ALLIES - American presence at Guantanamo Bay Naval base
> military exercises by US armed forces simulating invasion of unnamed island - KHRUSHCHEV SENT A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO CUBA DURING BAY OF PIGS INVASION
Dec 1961 - Castro declared himself a “Marxist-Leninist”
> established new comm party in Cuba along soviet lines
> sought formal membership in comm bloc
SOVIET INSTALLATION OF MISSLES IN CUBA
Oct 1962
- deterrent against USA
