U.S.

Cold War Foreign

Policy
U.S. and the Cuban Revolution

U.S. Government backed a coup

dtat against Arbenz, the
democratically elected leader of
Guatemala

Arbenz sought to nationalize the land in Guatemala in order to redistribute

it to the people. The United Fruit Company, an American corporation,
owned much fertile land in Guatemala. Although Guatemala offered to pay
the United Fruit Company for its land, the company refused.

U.S. government sided with United Fruit Company

Eisenhowers administration, including his Secretary of State John Foster Dulles

and Allan Dulles (head of the CIA)

Dulles brothers had ties to UFCO

e.g. John Foster Dulles had been a lawyer in Sullivan and Cromwell in the 1930s and helped
broker the deal for UFCO to control Guatemalas railroad

Eisenhower and the Dulles Brothers claimed Arbenz was a Communist

Arbenz was replaced by

Castillo Armas

He was thought to be easy to control and would

implement policies that would benefit the United
Fruit Company

1954 U.S.-backed Coup in Guatemala

and the Connection to Cuba

United Fruit provided two boats that were used in the

Bay of Pigs invasion (to show their gratitude for 1954)

Ernesto Che Guevara, an Argentinian doctor was in

Guatemala during the 1954 coup, leading him to believe
the only way to defeat (stop) the U.S. was through
violent means since it was the only language the U.S.
understood

He believed the overthrow of a democratic leader showed

that the democratic path could not succeed against the
United States.

The image of Che became iconic and a symbol of

revolution - his image is known throughout the world.
(For example, one can see a Che flag in
Paris, a painting of Che in Ireland, and a sticker of
Che in Colorado)

His image is also

all around in
Santiago and
Holguin province,
Cuba

The image to the

right and below
was taken by Dr.
Carrigan in
Holguin province,
Cuba, 2013

Che, who met Castro in Mexico, joined

Castro when he returned to Cuba to
overthrow Batistas regime

Che probably influence Castros views (that and Bay of Pigs probably
helped Castro toward communism)

Worked for Castros government

Renounced position in 1965 to go to Africa part of Ches desire to

promote world-wide revolution

Killed by CIA-trained forces in Bolivia in 1967

Why was Castro in Mexico, where

he met Che?
Castro

had been in Mexico because

his attack on the Moncada barracks
his 1953 attempt to overthrow
Batistas government - had ended in
failure.

Castro

was in exile in Mexico after

Moncada Barracks:
Fidel Castro launched his first attack
against Batistas government here in
1953

When Castro return to Cuba with Che and other revolutionaries,

they landed in the southeastern part of the island. Their base was
the Sierra Maestro mountains.

Cuban Revolution

1959 Castro overthrew Batistas regime

dictator

supported U.S. corps

Eisenhower administration

Batista

Set up plans for Bay of Pigs invasion

Kennedys administration went through with the plan

Why was the U.S. government against Castro?

Castro nationalized the sugar

industry.
Castro sought control over sugar to push
foreign money interest out. Castro thought
that Cubas resources
should benefit the
Cuban people

Sugar dominated
the Cuban economy and
U.S. interest
dominated the
Cuban economy
(see also Brinkley, p 689)

Images to the right and below taken

By Dr. Carrigan, Holguin Province,
Cuba, 2013

Steps against sugar

Raised minimum wage for cane cutters

Agrarian Reform Law

Expropriated plantations and mills

Hurt American sugar business interest in Cuba

Rum maker Bacardi began his business in Cuba, yet fled to

Puerto Rico when Castro took over and began to nationalized
property in Cuba.

Image by Dr.
Carrigan,
Cuba, 2013

The downfall of U.S.-Cuban

relations

Americas Response

Reallocated 95% of its sugar imports

Cubas Response

Since this meant death to Cubas sugar industry, Cuba turned to

the Soviets in 1960

Made deals to export sugar to Soviet Union and import oil from the Soviets

Americas Response

In November, Eisenhower initiated an embargo against Cuba and broke

diplomatic relations

Bay of Pigs

Plans for Bay of Pigs were drawn up under Eisenhower, but

Eisenhower was out of office by the time it could be implemented.

John F. Kennedy followed through with the plan

The invasion failed and made the U.S. look bad on the world stage
(Most countries do not support one country secretly overthrow
anothers government.)

The Bay of Pigs fiasco and Khrushchevs discontent with East

Berliners fleeing to West Berlin increased tensions and led to the
Cuban Missile Crisis.

(See also Brinkley, 708-710)

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct. 14 Oct. 26, 1962
U-2 photograph of missile sites in Cuba

Kennedy and Khrushchev

Khrushchev and Kennedy were

moderates, which was essential for
avoiding nuclear war.

Diplomacy succeeded in bringing the crisis to the end

and preventing military conflict, which almost certainly
would have resulted in nuclear war. (Soviet missiles in
Cuba were operational at the time of the crisis; the U.S.
did not know that then.)

In exchange for the missile being removed from Cuba,

the U.S. agreed to not invade Cuba. The U.S. also
agreed to remove its Jupiter missiles in Turkey within 6
months.