cuba

• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) was only for the US to assert its sphere of influence in the Americas
• Noam Chomsky described the Monroe Doctrine as a declaration of hegemony and a right of unilateral intervention to the Americas
• Cuba was seen as a 'natural extension of the North American continent' by John Adams in 1783
• The US secured economic and political domination of Cuba without seizing it as a colony, allowing the US to continue to boast its anti-colonial tradition
• The Platt Amendment (1901)


  Gave the US the right to intervene in newly independent Cuba's political and military affairs
• By 1977, the US accounted for 83% of Cuba's total exports, allowing it to control prices and production levels
• By 1926, the US owned 60% of the Cuban sugar industry
• Fulgencio Batista


  Cuban president from 1940-44 and 1952-59, led a pro-American government that cooperated closely with the US
• The combination of American economic dominance, Cuba's subservience, and the brutality of Batista's regime caused resentment among Cubans
• Castro began his guerrilla struggle


  December 1956
• Castro wins


  January 1959
• There was initial acceptance of Castro by the US as he was seen as a nationalist, not a communist
• Castro planned to reduce US economic and political influence in Cuba
• Castro's economic reforms, including the seizure of US-owned companies, caused the US to resent him
• To reduce US influence, Castro needed support from a great power, so he sought a reciprocal trade agreement with the Soviet Union in February 1960
• The Soviet Union provided $100 million in credit to Cuba, similar to the Marshall Plan
• The relationship between the USSR and Cuba provoked the Americans, alongside the nationalisation of American industries, which harmed their economic influence
• The flow of refugees from Cuba to Florida suggests the Cubans disliked Castro's new rule
• In April 1960, the US imposed economic sanctions on Cuba by cutting sugar imports by 95% after Castro nationalised US oil companies that refused to refine Soviet oil
• The Bay of Pigs debacle, where 1,500 anti-Castro exiles failed to carry out a military coup


  April 1961
• The Bay of Pigs debacle strengthened Castro's revolutionary government
• The US launched Operation Mongoose in November 1961, involving 33 types of covert operations intended to overthrow Castro's regime
• The US launched Operation 'Quick Kick' in March 1962, signifying the strength of US power
• The US deployment of missiles in Turkey in May 1962 may have been the final straw that provoked Khrushchev
• Cuban Missile Crisis


  A flashpoint that exemplified the dangers of Cold War brinkmanship
• US motivations


  • The Cuban revolution was deeply unpalatable, both Eisenhower and Kennedy were determined to overthrow Castro
  • Kennedy needed a foreign policy triumph following the Bay of Pigs debacle
  • US intelligence had ruled out the possibility that the Soviets might try to place missiles in the US sphere of influence
• Soviet motivations


  • Khrushchev needed a diplomatic victory following the propaganda failure of Berlin and relished the chance to challenge the US
  • The USSR had been incensed by the US missiles in Turkey
  • Khrushchev and Castro believed a US attack on Cuba was imminent
  • Khrushchev was responding to pressure from Mao to prove himself the leader of world communism
• ExComm


  A ad hoc group of Kennedy's top government officials and military leaders who advised him during the crisis, balancing civilian and military perspectives
• Events of the Cuban Missile Crisis

  1. October 14-17: ExComm debates, military strongly advises Kennedy to strike Cuba

  2. October 18: Gromyko assures Kennedy Soviet-Cuban aid is only for Cuba's defensive capabilities

  3. October 22: US announces quarantine zone around Cuba, Soviet ships turn back

  4. October 23: Kennedy receives letter from Khrushchev offering to remove missiles if US respects Cuba's sovereignty

  5. October 24: US goes to DEFCON 2 as Soviet ships approach Cuba

  6. October 26: Khrushchev promises to remove missiles if US agrees not to invade Cuba

  7. October 27: US U-2 spy plane shot down, Kennedy agrees to Khrushchev's proposition

  8. October 28: Khrushchev announces on radio Moscow that missiles will be removed
• Significant outcomes of the Cuban Missile Crisis

  • Arms control and nuclear non-proliferation became serious issues, leading to the 1963 Test Ban Treaty
  • The crisis proved the need for better communication between the US and USSR, leading to the establishment of the 'hotline' between the Kremlin and White House