TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Rise of Communism in Cuba
Cuba stood under strong influence from the United States
- USA helped achieve Cuban independence from the Spanish in 1898.
- Independent but stability sometimes achieved with American troops.
- Claims that USA controlled Cuban economy:
- USA held controlling stake in all Cuban industries
- Owned:
- Half of the land
- 3/5 of the railway system
- The electricity production
- The telephone system
- USA was Cuba's main market
Domination did not result in efficient country; therefore resentment in Cuba.
Cuba's economy
- Prosperous
- Too dependent on sugar
- Wealth unevenly distributed
- Unemployment:
- 8% in the five month of sugar harvest
- 30% rest of year
- Trade unions inactive; dominated by all year employed
- Havana, rich and full of corrupt government officials was strong contrast to high social tensions
- There was no reliable democratic system in Cuba.
- Fulgencio Batista seized power illegally in 1952 and ruled as dictator.
- Did not introduce reforms; his regime was corrupt and brutal.
- Batista had been at the forefront of politics since 1933
- No peaceful revolution seemed possible:
- Middle-Class Fidel Castro, a trained lawyer, was leading exponent of this view.
- Before he came to power he was more of an liberal nationalist than a communist
- Wanted to end corruption and Batista regime
- Prepared to introduce limited land reforms for every peasant to receive land.
- Unsuccessful coup attempt in 1953- ended with two years of prison
- Switch to guerrilla tactics:
- Campaign of guerrilla warfare and sabotage in the cities
- Popular with population due to the implementation of Castro's land reforms.
Success: Rebels soon controlled mountain areas to the north and east.
Brutal reaction of Batista
- Played into Castro's hands:
- Popularised the struggle
- Even the middle-class saw Castro as an alternative to brutal Batista.
- Morale of Batista's army crumbled after an unsuccessful attempt made against Castro's forces in the summer of 1958.
- The USA, embarrassed, withdrew all arms supplies.
- Che Guevara, an Argentinean supporter of Castro, gained control of the island's main road.
- Prepared to move to Santa Clara
Fulgencio Batista fled from Cuba on January 1st, 1959; a new, liberal government was set up under Fidel Castro.
Cuban relations with the USA
- No quick deterioration of the American-Cuban relations.
- Castro was thought to be a social democrat, not a nationalist.
- He outraged the USA by nationalising American-owned estates and factories.
- President Eisenhower reacted by threatening to stop importing Cubas goods.
- Forced Cuba to sign a trade agreement with Russia.
- July 1960:
- USA stopped import of Cuban goods
- USSR promised to buy Cuban sugar
- Cuba confiscated all remaining American property
- Relations between USA and Cuba worsened, but USSR relations with Cuba improved.
- USA broke off diplomatic relations with the two countries.
- Russia, at that point in time, was already supplying economic aid to Cuba
- The USA, President J.F. Kennedy even approved a plan to invade Cuba:
- The "Bay of Pigs" happened on April 1961
- Proposed by Batista supporters.
- To be executed from American bases in Guatemala.
- The CIA was deeply involved.
- Badly planned and executed
Castro's forces and its 2 planes therefore easily crushed it.
*Missile Crisis (1962)
- Brought the already torn world to the brink of nuclear war
- In the summer the USSR supplied arms to Cuba, who directed them at the USA.
- On October 22nd Kennedy announced that U-2 spy planes had detected Russian missile bases were being built in Cuba.
- He alerted the army & blockaded Cuba to stop further arms
- Demanded the missiles to be taken down again (ultimatum)
- Khrushchev agreed to removed offending missiles in return for Kennedy’s promise not to invade Cuba
- Cuba was expelled from the OAS (Organisation of American States) by suspicious Latin American states. This made the Cuba even more dependent on Russia.
The cold war relaxed but American-Cuban relations stayed cool.
Castros greatest problem specific to Cuba
- How would the other American states react to a new socialist threat at their doorstep?
- Cuba's economy was far too reliant on sugar and the price fluctuations of the world sugar market.
- The administration and the government was riddled with corruption
- There was serious unemployment and poverty
- Ernsto "Che" Guevara:
- Ernsto "Che" Guevara, who had played an important role in the revolution, took a position in Castro's government.
- He wrote a book on the guerrilla warfare, which had big impact on Latin America.
- By 1965 he became frustrated with government.
- Left Cuba to organise revolutions. And was killed by Bolivian troops 1967.
The new government
- Was enthusiastic and dedicated:
- During his first ten years Castro totally reformed Cuba:
- Collective farms were introduced.
- Factories and businesses were nationalised
- Attempts were made to modernise sugar production and increase output
- New industries were introduced to relieve heavy reliance on sugar.
- Social reforms
- Included attempts to improve:
- Education
- Housing
- Health
- Medical facilities
- Communication
- Achieved equality for Negroes and more rights for women
- Opened touring cinemas, theatres, concerts and art expeditions
- Castro kept on touring the country, giving speeches urging for greater efforts.
Governments success
- Especially in sphere of social reforms:
- All children were getting some sort of education (only 50% before 1959)
- Sanitation and hygiene improved.
- Greater sense of equality and stability that ever before
After the first decade the government seemed to be popular with the vast majority of people.
Governments failures
- The inability to diversify the industries and the agricultural output was the most serious failure. This made Cuba more dependent:
- 1970's the harvest fell, worsened by a fungus infections (1980's)
- This plunged the country into a economic crisis:
- Unemployment rose
- Increased immigration to the USA
- Food was rationed
- Economy heavily subsidised by USSR
After a promising start the progress was faltering.
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