The second part of the CIE 9489 A-Level history syllabus summarised. Why was there a crisis over Cuba in the 1960s and how did it affect the US–Soviet relations? This summary covers the Cuban Missile Crisis and how it affected the Cold War tensions and how eventually it led to a period of deten...
Why was there a crisis over Cuba in the 1960s and
how did it affect the US–Soviet relations?
US Reaction to the Cuban Revolution
● Although the CMC was a direct confrontation between the USA and the
USSR, involving neither NATO nor the Warsaw Pact, it had a profound impact
on the Cold War in Europe
● Both sides came to the brink of war but drew back from a nuclear conflict
● After the crisis, the Cold War changed and gradually evolved into detente
The causes of the crisis
● In the 1950s, Central and South America were viewed as essential to the US
sphere of interest, thus the USSR didn’t protest when the CIA intervened in
1954 to defeat the allegedly pro-communist leader of Guatemala
● However, the US’s domination in Latin America caused a growing resentment
among South American intellectuals and nationalists
● This was one of the factors that influenced Castro to launch a guerilla war
against Batista’s government in December 1956
● By January 1959 Castro’s forces were able to defeat Batista and he took over
Havana
● The Eisenhower administration cuts Cuba's sugar quota, depriving Cuba of
the opportunity to sell 7 million tons of sugar (one of Cuba's most important
exports) in the American market
● Castro threatens to nationalise all American-owned property in Cuba in
retaliation
● In August 1960, lands and businesses worth more than $850 million become
the property of the Cuban government
● At this stage, Castro was an anti-American nationalist but not a communist yet
● The reason he might’ve adopted a communist approach has to do with the
growing opposition from the Cuban middle classes to his economic
policies and the increasing US hostility to his attempts to adopt a policy of
non-alignment in the Cold War
● Friction with the US escalated by his seizure of property owned by major US
firms such as the United Fruit Company
● As the relations with the US deteriorated during the summer of 1959, Castro
started to move towards Moscow
, ● In February 1960, he invited the deputy chairman of the Soviet Council of
Ministers to Havana (Mikoyan)
● Mikoyan returned to Moscow with positive opinions and said that the Cuban
Revolution reminded him of the early days of the Russian Revolution
● In July, Khrushchev threatened the USA with a missile attack if it dared to
invade Cuba and suggested that Washington declares the end of the Monroe
Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine: a doctrine formulated by US President Monroe (1817-25) that the
European powers shouldn’t intervene on the American continent
The Bay of Pigs Incident
● The growing links between Cuba and the USSR convinced Eisenhower to
authorise the CIA to plan Castro’s removal
● The USA cut off sugar purchases from Cuba and soon placed an embargo on
all exports to Cuba besides food and medicine
● By June congress passed legislation which enabled Eisenhower to take
retaliatory steps
● In January 1961, Eisenhower broke diplomatic ties with Cuba, right before
leaving office
● The invasion of Cuba had been planned out by the CIA since May 1960
● JFK debated on proceeding with the invasion but approved it and carried it out
● On 17 April 1961, 4 months after Kennedy came to power, 1400 Cuban exiles
landed in the South of Havana at Playa Giron on the Bay of Pigs
● The Americans hoped that this would spark off a popular uprising against
Castro, however, he had previously imprisoned thousands of people who
opposed him, as he anticipated that the US would try to overthrow him
● At the last moment, Kennedy called off the bombing raids by the US air force
and a landing by US marines
● Therefore, Castro had no trouble in defeating the invasion
● The invasion strength wasn’t equally strong, Casto’s was stronger, and by
April 19 its last stronghold had been captured along with 1100 men
● After the invasion, critics charged the CIA with supplying faulty information to
the President and also noted that in spite of JFK’s orders, supporters of
Batista were included in the invasion force, whereas members of the
non-communist People’s Revolutionary Movement, considered the most
capable anti-Castro group, were excluded
● The Bay of Pigs incident was a monumental disaster for the US
● The captured members of the invasion force were imprisoned
● The Kennedy administration tried to get the prisoners free but Castro
demanded $28 million dollars as reparations intended to be used for heavy
construction equipment
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