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Cold War Crisis (Part 2) (Cuban Revolution (Batista becomes President of…
Cold War Crisis (Part 2)
Cuban
Revolution
Batista becomes President of Cuba (1952)
Takes power by force
Defeats existing government and cancels planned elections
USA is happy about this because Batista is a man USA can work with
Makes himself president, is now a dictator
USA back Batista (1952-58)
USA establish close links with Cuba
During 1950s USA now own most Cuban business, 2/3 of imports and US holidaymakers love going to Cuba
Batista's dictatorship forms close links with the Mafia
Prostitution, gambling and drugs are major part of life in the Cuban capital
Dictatorship is now unpopular (1954-58)
Batista is less popular with ordinary Cubans
Government gets on very well with Americans but is hated by many ordinary Cubans
There are no free elections, freedom of speech and secret police and Army are used to keep control
Guerrilla War against Batista (1956058)
There are no major battles, lots of hit and runs on Batista's forces, Castro and his army living off land replying on local people for support and secret police and Army used to keep control
By late 1958, Castro's guerillas are winning and become clear that Batista will have to step down
Fidel Castro begins a guerilla war against Batista
Batista runs away (1 Jan. 1959)
Flees to Portugal
Castro sworn in as prime minister in February 1959
Resigns and runs away
USA refuse to help (March-April 1959)
USA refused to give economic help to Cuba
Eisenhower was suspicious of new government
Eisenhower refused to meet Castro when he visited USA in April 1959
Nationalisation of foreign property (May 1959)
Castro announced they will all be confiscated by government
US government were worried because confiscating private property sounded like communism
Castro nationalised foreign property
USA threatens Cuba (June 1959)
USA threatened an economic embargo on Cuba in response to nationalisation of USA property
As Cuba were dependant on USA for trade, this could have a massive impact on Cuba
Cuba would have nowhere to sell their goods especially sugar this could have led to poverty in Cuba
Cuba makes a deal with USSR (February 1960)
USSR agrees to buy Cuban goods such as sugar and Castro was very grateful
By 1960, Khrushchev was promising to send millitaty assiatnce to Castro and now seemed there was a military alliance between the 2 countries
Castro makes a trade agreement with USSR
USA stops talking to Cuba (January 1961)
Relationship had been so bad that US removed the embassy in Havana
USA was sending a strong signal that they wanted Castro out
USA stops talking to Cuba at all
Soviets now gained a friend and USA had lost one
Bay of Pigs invasion (17 April 1961)
Americans were so angry that they tried to invade with a group of anti-Castro Cubans
Soldiers landed at bay of pigs in Cuba and supported by US airstrikes. USA denied that they were involved
USA supported an invasion of Cuba
Defeat of invaders (19 April 1961)
Attack was diaster for Kennedy
US failed to give enough air support and was a major victory for Castro and for communism
Cuban exiles were quickly defeated
Consequences of Bay of Pigs Invasion
Castro and USSR became closer
Military presence grew during 1962 and led to Cuban Missile Crisis
Castro had declared himself a communist
By the end of 1961, Soviet military advisers and soldiers were stationed in Cuba
Castro was forced to seek protection by USSR
Castro and Communism became stronger
Regarded as a national hero
Communists in Latin America were inspired by Castro's success
Castro was seen as a the protector of Cuban people
Could see USA could be beaten and was encouraged to rebel against US backed governments
Put Castro in a much stronger position
National humiliation and embarrassment
Failure to remove Castro led to attempts to get rid of him in Operation Mongoose
Made USA look both clumsy and imcompetent
CIA made over 600 attempts to kill Castro - none of them worked
Made Kennedy look like a fool