CASE STUDY : CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
Containment and Brinkmanship
→ Tensions between superpowers was beyond Europe, it extended to Asia + Africa + the Middle East +
Latin America
→ Crisis which came closer than any other war between the superpowers in Cuba
→ It developed after Cuban Communist Revolution, Cuba would become an ally to the USSR
uncomfortably close to the US
→ It was a direct challenge to the determination of the US to contain the spread of communism
→ Brinkmanship was a common tactic used in the Cold War
→ Eah superpower tried to see how much they could get away with before the opposing side would react
(pushing the opponent to the brink)
→ They did this to the point just before declaring open warfare
→ The dangers of this became clear during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962
Cuban Revolution
EVENTS IN CUBA
→ Cuba is an island that lies 160 km off the coast of the US
→ Cuba had traditionally been dominated by the US (the US was more powerful)
→ US had a large naval base in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay
→ US companies controlled much of the economic welfare of Cuba including oil refineries + mines +cattle
ranches + hotels + railways
→ US also bought the bulk of Cuba’s sugar crop (their main export crop)
→ Most Cubans also lived in extreme poverty
→ By the 1950s, approximately 40% of Cuba’s population were illiterate
→ There was a severe shortage of teachers, schools, doctors, and hospitals
→ 2% of the population was powerful + wealthy and this 2% owned over 50% of the land
→ In 1952, dictator Batista seized power over Cuba
→ Batista abolished the constitution + closed parliament + brutally suppressed all opposition
, → Government had the support from the army + land owners + wealthy industrialists + bankers, they also
had the support of the USA (Batista was anti-communist)
→ USA supported Batista because he was anti-communist + had control the majority of business in Cuba
→ USA supplied Batista with arms
→ However, a group of revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro, built up enough support to overthrow the
government of Batista
→ Batista fled into exile+ Castro took power
→ In January 1959, Castro and his forces marched in triumph to Havana + were welcomed by huge
demonstrations
→ In May 1959, Agrarian Reform Act - banned foreign ownership of land in Cuba + limited landholdings.
Government took over any amount over 1000 acres owned by a single family/company broke it up + gave it
to peasants/turned it into state-run communes
AMERICAN RESPONSE TO REVOLUTION
→ The U.S. government was suspicious of new Cuban government under Castro, especially Castro started
introducing socialist reforms affecting foreign investors
→ Castro introduced social reforms such as :
→ Redistribution of land
→ Collectivisation of agriculture
→ Nationalisation of transport + some industries
→ USA responded by banning Cuban sugar imports to America (embargo) + breaking off diplomatic
relations with Cuba
→ They hoped this would force the Cuban government to change its policies
→ US became more hostile when Castro started trade negotiations with USSR
→ Thousands of Soviet technicians + advisors started arriving in Cuba
→ US became convinced that Castro’s regime was communist although it was not, at this stage
→ US did not want a communist country so close to the USA during the height of the Cold War
→ They also feared the USSR would use Cuba to spread communist ideology through Central + South
America
→ US started secret plans to invade Cuba + overthrow Castro
→ Several middle-class Cubans who were also opposed to social reforms fled from Cuba to go live in US
→ An armed force of these exiles invaded Cuba, with the support of the CIA
→ In April 1961, this force landed at the Bay of Pigs, this became known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Containment and Brinkmanship
→ Tensions between superpowers was beyond Europe, it extended to Asia + Africa + the Middle East +
Latin America
→ Crisis which came closer than any other war between the superpowers in Cuba
→ It developed after Cuban Communist Revolution, Cuba would become an ally to the USSR
uncomfortably close to the US
→ It was a direct challenge to the determination of the US to contain the spread of communism
→ Brinkmanship was a common tactic used in the Cold War
→ Eah superpower tried to see how much they could get away with before the opposing side would react
(pushing the opponent to the brink)
→ They did this to the point just before declaring open warfare
→ The dangers of this became clear during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962
Cuban Revolution
EVENTS IN CUBA
→ Cuba is an island that lies 160 km off the coast of the US
→ Cuba had traditionally been dominated by the US (the US was more powerful)
→ US had a large naval base in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay
→ US companies controlled much of the economic welfare of Cuba including oil refineries + mines +cattle
ranches + hotels + railways
→ US also bought the bulk of Cuba’s sugar crop (their main export crop)
→ Most Cubans also lived in extreme poverty
→ By the 1950s, approximately 40% of Cuba’s population were illiterate
→ There was a severe shortage of teachers, schools, doctors, and hospitals
→ 2% of the population was powerful + wealthy and this 2% owned over 50% of the land
→ In 1952, dictator Batista seized power over Cuba
→ Batista abolished the constitution + closed parliament + brutally suppressed all opposition
, → Government had the support from the army + land owners + wealthy industrialists + bankers, they also
had the support of the USA (Batista was anti-communist)
→ USA supported Batista because he was anti-communist + had control the majority of business in Cuba
→ USA supplied Batista with arms
→ However, a group of revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro, built up enough support to overthrow the
government of Batista
→ Batista fled into exile+ Castro took power
→ In January 1959, Castro and his forces marched in triumph to Havana + were welcomed by huge
demonstrations
→ In May 1959, Agrarian Reform Act - banned foreign ownership of land in Cuba + limited landholdings.
Government took over any amount over 1000 acres owned by a single family/company broke it up + gave it
to peasants/turned it into state-run communes
AMERICAN RESPONSE TO REVOLUTION
→ The U.S. government was suspicious of new Cuban government under Castro, especially Castro started
introducing socialist reforms affecting foreign investors
→ Castro introduced social reforms such as :
→ Redistribution of land
→ Collectivisation of agriculture
→ Nationalisation of transport + some industries
→ USA responded by banning Cuban sugar imports to America (embargo) + breaking off diplomatic
relations with Cuba
→ They hoped this would force the Cuban government to change its policies
→ US became more hostile when Castro started trade negotiations with USSR
→ Thousands of Soviet technicians + advisors started arriving in Cuba
→ US became convinced that Castro’s regime was communist although it was not, at this stage
→ US did not want a communist country so close to the USA during the height of the Cold War
→ They also feared the USSR would use Cuba to spread communist ideology through Central + South
America
→ US started secret plans to invade Cuba + overthrow Castro
→ Several middle-class Cubans who were also opposed to social reforms fled from Cuba to go live in US
→ An armed force of these exiles invaded Cuba, with the support of the CIA
→ In April 1961, this force landed at the Bay of Pigs, this became known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion
