Cuba

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Cuba

• World Studies
• February 24

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I. Background

• Monroe Doctrine (1823) US stated the American
  continents were no longer open to colonization by
  European powers.
• Roosevelt Corollary (1904) US claims
  international police power in the Western
  Hemisphere

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• Cuba remained a colony of the Spanish until 1898
• It was Spains most important source of sugar
• People kept trying to expel the Spanish from the
  island with little success

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II. U.S. Involvement

• Many people in the US identified with the Cubans
  and their fight for independence
• Americans did business in Cuba
• Americans had plantation, factories and
  warehouses
• US bought most of its sugar from Cuba

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III. Spanish-America War

• February 15, 1898 US battleship the USS Maine
  mysteriously blows up in Havana Harbor
• US quickly blames Spain
• April 24, 1898 the US and Spain will go to war
  with each other
• War lasted 5 months, in the end the US won Cuba,
  Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam

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• Cuba gained independence in 1898 with help from
  the US
• Independent, but under the influence of the
• US
• - US troops would remain there until 1901 forcing
  Cuba to accept the Platt Amendment

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IV. The Platt Amendment

• In 1901 the US agreed to remove troops if Cuba
  agreed to following conditions
• 1. Will not lease land to anyone but the US
• 2. Will not borrow money from anyone other than
  the US
• 3. Will not make treaties with other countries
• 4. If US feels Cubas independence is being
  threatened the US can militarily intervene
• 5. Had to let the US keep Guantanamo Bay as a
  military base

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• Cubans resented these restrictions
• Good Neighbor Policy will put an end to
  restrictions but not the resentment of Cuban
  people

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V. Cuban Revolution

• American businesses owned A LOT of sugar
  plantations, mills, etc in Cuba
• Despite the GN policy, the US supported dictators
  sympathetic to US investments
• In the 1950s Fidel Castro began rallying Cubans
  against the corrupt Fulgencio Batista

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Fulgencio Batista
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Castro at Student Protest - 1947
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• Late 1958, Castro, Che Guevara Camilo
  Cienfuegos each led forces into Cuba
• Batista fled to the US
• All the world cheered
• Until

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VI. Communism in Cuba

• Castro nationalized all foreign owned land
  redistributed it to Cuban poor
• Set up national health care increased education
• Life for the poor improved, but 1000s of middle
  class/wealthy fled Cuba
• Primarily for the nearby US

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VII. Cubas Cold War Role

• Cuban leaders were never able to establish an
  economy without selling sugar internationally
• US tried to twist Castros arm with an embargo, a
  ban on trade

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• Rather than give in, Castro turned to the USSR to
  buy sugar
• US cut diplomatic ties in 1960
• 1961 Bay of Pigs
• US financed an invasion by 1500 Cuban exiles
• Underestimated Cuban loyalty to Fidel
• As a result it was under-manned and the US did
  not provide the expected air coverage
• 1100 were taken prisoner and it cost the US 53
  million to ransom them
• 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis