Transcript File
Cuban Foreign Policy in the Cold War A revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the past. -Fidel Castro Kenni Berg and Kyle Staton What cold war? Time Period 1945-1990 Basic Premise US vs. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Democracy vs. Communism Capitalism vs. Socialism Who is in control? Communism Fidel Castro Born August 13th, 1926 Prime minister from 1959 to 1976 President from 1976 to 2008 Raised as a strict Christian; rejected it during his early political career; became neutral later on Believed in a violent communist revolution Transformed Cuba into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere Who is in control? Communism Nikita Khrushchev April 17th, 1894-September 11th, 1971 first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953–64); premier of the Soviet Union (1958–64) Initiated “de-Stalinization” Began as a military man in WWII, positioning himself to become Stalin’s successor Tensions with the West grew higher and Who is in control? Democracy Dwight D. Eisenhower President of the US from 1953-1961 Led the WWII invasion that began on D-Day Authorized a number of anti-communist CIA operations Sought to improve Cold War relations, especially after the death of Stalin Proposed an “open skies” policy (rejected by USSR) Strengthened NATO and SEATO to combat Who is in control? Democracy John F. Kennedy President of the US from 1961-1963 Confronted Cold War tensions, especially in Cuba Led the Bay of Pigs fiasco Clashed with Khrushchev in Germany over the Berlin Wall and again with him in October 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis July 1963-won his greatest foreign affairs victory when Khrushchev agreed to join him and Britain’s PM in signing a nuclear test ban treaty foreign policy Relations with the United States were strained By 1960 the United States supported the overthrow of Fidel Castro, and in 1961 a U.S. organized and led force of exiles was defeated by Cuba in the Bay of Pigs victory which Fidel Castro proclaimed the "first defeat of American imperialism" in the western hemisphere. The United States retaliated imposing on Cuba an economic embargo in 1961. The conflict escalated into the 962 missile crisis, bringing the world to the brink of war. Castro also defined the need for a global foreign policy in order to escape the U.S. imposed isolation in the western hemisphere. For the first time, Cuba established ties with Africa and Asia. Moreover, Castro began to play a major role in representing the interests of the Third World in numerous forums. Cuban personnel (what Castro called "internationalism") were sent to a number of countries (Angola, Ethiopia, Algeria, Nicaragua, among others). foreign policy From 1961 Cuba developed a special relationship with the USSR. Castro played a critical role in linking the two countries and in obtaining unusually beneficial terms of trade from the Soviets, a tie which further contributed to the deterioration of Cuba's relations with the United States. By 1991 Cuba's special relations with the Soviets had ended, as the USSR disappeared, placing Cuba at its most difficult juncture since Fidel Castro seized power. By 1992, the prospects of the survival of the Cuban revolution seem rather dim. With little oil, a shortage of spare parts, raw materials and consumer goods, the population confronts ever more drastic austerity measures. And this is happening precisely as the demands for internal political liberalization have gained. Unquestionably, the greatest challenge that ever confronted Fidel Castro lays just ahead. Castro represented a wave of revolutionary experiments, and tried to integrate a Cuban historical tradition with European revolutionary theory. He has made important contributions to revolutionary strategy and tactics, while elucidating a Third World perspective of world affairs. What key events did cuba take part in? Bay of Pigs Conflicts continued between the two. Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency distributed money to various exile groups for arms and to set up a training camp in Guatemala to prepare an invasion force. On January 3, 1961, the Eisenhower administration severed diplomatic relations with Cuba. April 15, President John F. Kennedy authorized the exile invasion at the Bay of Pigs. The invasion was weak and not planned out very well which led to its failure. The failure of Bay of Pigs increased Castro’s prestige and brought new ideas for radical reconstruction of the Cuban economy and society. Bay of pigs What key events did cuba take part in? Cuban Missile Crisis After the Bay of Pigs invasion the Soviet Union sided with the Cuba pledging to defend them against another U.S attack. In order to defend and protect Cuba, missiles and aircrafts delivering atomic weapons were sent. The United States took these weapons as offensive and ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba and demanded the dismantling of the missile sites. The Soviet Union agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba as long as the United States also agreed to remove their missiles in Turkey and pledge not to invade Cuba. Cuban missile crisis Impact and legacy on the Cold War Cuba assisted in the tensions between the greater powers involved in the Cold War The Cuban Missile Crisis provided lasting problems between the US and Cuba More recently, Cuban-United States relations have become better. Bibliography http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/nikita-sergeyevich-khrushchev http://www.britannica.com/biography/Fidel-Castro http://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikita-Sergeyevich-Khrushchev http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/dwight-d-eisenhower http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion