Cuba and Communism

Cuba Crisis

Background of Cuba:

·     3 times after 1902 the US had intervened in Cuba to protect American investment 

·     By the end of WWII, they owned 80% of Cuban utilities, 40% of its sugar, 90% of its mining wealth and occupied the strategic location of Guantanamo Bay 

·     Cuban life was controlled by Washington 

·     Due to sugar interest Washington had direct control of their economy

·     Fulgencio Batista was the revolutionary Cuban dictator but was comfortable with the US involvement 

·     He postponed land reform and other promised improvements but it made his only supporters being the Cuban Army which was equipped by the US

·     In Jan 1959 Fidel Castro placed himself at the head of various anti-Batista guerrilla movements 

·     He drove Batista from Havana and the first general public in the US welcomed Castro 

·     He helped by putting Cuban liberals in important posts 

·     American supporters expected him to restore civil liberties, introduce gradual and compensated land reform and look to the US for leadership 

American response:

·     They didn’t like Castro 

·     Allen Dulles told Eisenhower that communists had infiltrated the government of Cuba and that the limits on American policy then became apparent 

·     Some wanted to support Batista’s return but Eisenhower said that he was too much of a dictator 

·     Castro was too close to communism 

·     The administration began to work on another candidate 

Crazy, Cuban, Communist, Castro, with a Cuban

Communism and Castro:

·     He began to move to the left 

·     He introduced extensive land reform programs and a nationalisation of the American owned property without compensation 

·     US turned down his request for a loan and the relationship worsened 

·     Cuban liberals fled the country 

·     Cuban communists rose to power 

·     Khrushchev welcomed Castro, Feb 1960 they signed an agreement to exchange Cuban sugar for Soviet oil and machinery

·     4 months later the US eliminated the Cuban sugar quota

·     First days of 1961 Eisenhower formally cut ties with Cuba

·     CIA given permission to plan an invasion, they trained Cuban exiles to carry it out with American support, Castro’s original liberal cabinet members participated in the scheme 

·     Not complete when Eisenhower left office it was JFK’s problem now