Howcansomethingsobeautifulnearlybringan
endtotheworld?
CubanMissileCrisis
Asthestorygoes…
TheBerlincrisis,evenwiththewallbeingbuiltseemstohavebeensolved,withneithersideparticularly‘winning’.
RelationsbetweenUSAandUSSRareok?Good?Bad?...
Well,theyareabouttogetawholelotworseaswetraveltoCuba…
FidelCastro:• Castroledagroupofrevolutionaries,
alongwithChe Guevarawhichtoppledtheunpopularpro-AmericangovernmentofBatistaWhy?
• AmericanbusinesseshadinvestedheavilyinCubaandmuchofthelandwasownedbyAmericans
• CubawasapopularholidaylocationforAmericans
• Cubanoil,electricity,phonenetworksandrailwayswerecontrolledbyUSA
• USAinvestedinCuba’sbiggestexport,Sugar
WhatwastheCubanRevolution?
Castro,Cuba’snewleaderdidnotwanthiscountry’seconomybeing
controlledbyUSA
Followingtherevolutiontherewerethreemainareasoftension
Early1959:Americangovernmentreluctantlyrecognisedthenewgovernmentbutrefusedtoprovideeconomicaid.By1960,Eisenhowerhadbannedtheimportofsugar,threateningtobankruptCuba.By1961,alltradehadbeenbanned
May1959:CubangovernmenttookoveralllandinCuba,itpaidthepreviousownerscompensationbuttheUSAdidn'trecognisethisscheme.Castrotookthelandanyway
February1960:CastrohadbegunappointingcommuniststohisgovernmentalreadybutinFebruary,hemadeadealwithKhrushchev.USSRwouldbuyCubansugarandprovideeconomicaidtoCuba.USSRwouldalso,secretly,providearmstoCuba.
USAbrokeoffALLdiplomaticrelationswithCuba.
Whichofthesedoyouthinkisthebiggestsourceoftensionandwhy?
WhatisCubainhere?(Akeytermfromearlierinthecourse)…
SPHEREOFINFLUENCEBy1960,itwasclearthatCastrohadfirmlymovedtothesupportandinfluenceofKhrushchevandtheSovietUnion
I’mreallynothappyatallaboutthisrelationshipgrowingjust145kmfromUSsoil!Ourbanontradehasjustmadeitworse,Castrohasmade
hisdealwithKhrushchev.
We’regonna havetodosomethingaboutit…
ThiswasmassiveforKhrushchevwhowascomingundersomepressureathome.ToinfluenceacountrysoclosetoUSA,wasvital!
USAaction1: BayofPigsinvasion
NewPresident,JFKdidnotwantaCommunistallysoclosetoAmerica.TheCIAhadcameupwithaplan.
• Cubanexiles(CubanswhohadleftCuba)couldbetrainedtolaunchaninvasionandoverthrowCastro.
• UsingCubanexileswouldmakeitlooklikeaCubancounter-revolution,sotheUSAcouldclaimtonothavebeeninvolved!
15April1961:USplanesbombedpartoftheCubanairforce16April1961:PlannedsecondwaveofUSbombingscalledoff17April1961:1400Cubanexileslandedatthe‘BayofPigs’
19April1961:Fightingendedwith1100exilescapturedand100dead
Whathappenedatthe’BayofPigs’?
• Wasatotaldisasterandfailure• Volunteershadverylittlemilitaryexperienceandwere
nomatchfortheCubanrevolutionaryarmy• BecausetheyweretryingtopresentitasaCubanattack,
JFKcouldnotsendsupport• Castrohadfoundoutabouttheinvasionplansandhad
20,000soldiersreadyandwaitingtofightoffthe1400!• USAwronglyassumedmostCubanswouldsupportthe
counter-revolution,manywerehappywithCastro
Castro(andKhrushchev)tookgreatdelightinshowingoffimagesofthefailedattackaswellasshowingtheUSinvolvement,makingthisapublichumiliationfortheUSA.
Oops
Impact(consequences)ofthefailedBayofPigs:
• CastrohadbeenlosingsupportinCubaduetothedifficulteconomicsituationfollowingUStradeembargo,butthisattackunitedtheCubansandLatinAmericaagainstUSA,asitlookedlikeUSAwastryingtodotheverythingithadaccusedUSSRof,buildingempiresandtakingcontrolofindependentcountries.
• KennedywasembarrassedandvowedtoremoveCastro
• USinvolvementpushedCubaclosertoUSSR,particularlyasKhrushchevhadsaidthisshowedthestrengthofCommunism
• Attheendof1961,CastroannouncedhisconversiontoCommunism!
• KhrushchevhadplacedcombatunitsandadvisorsinCuba,hesawthisasthebeginningsofspreadingCommunismtoLatinAmerica
• September1961:KhrushchevwasalsoconcernedabouttheUSmissilebasesinItalyandTurkey,sohesaidhewasplacinghismissilestheretoeventhebalanceofpowerandto“defendCubafromanotherUSattack”
• KennedytoldKhrushchevthathecouldnotallowUSSRtouseCubaasabasetothreatentheUSA.Khrushchevsaidhehadnointentionofdoingso…
Next…
TheCubanMissileCrisis…
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