Cuba began as a small colonial island controlled by the Spanish. Upon arrival, the Spanish empire used Cuba as a port location. Cuba being so close to the Americas, gives Spain a stopping location close to its Mexico and Florida territories. Initially, it held little significance until the 1800s when Cuba became the leading global sugar producer.
Cuba began seeking independence from Spain
in the late 1800s. The Cuban people wanted to be free from oppressive rule and high
taxation. The United States saw opportunity in supporting the resisting Spanish
colonies. In 1898, the United States began fighting against the Spanish, leading
to the Spanish-American War. The US government acted after the sinking of the USS
Maine near Cuba. The American government does not tolerate attacks, and will forcefully
retaliate. After taking control, the US government in ways just replaced the
Spanish with its own military presence. After a few years of control, its
likely the Cuban people saw the US as just another tyrant power. It may have
been favorable if the US government laid back more, letting Cuba organize
itself. Opposed to backing cruel and oppressive leaders.
From the 1930s to 1950s, Cuba was
establishing a new government. There were power struggles among leaders looking
for authoritative power. Dictators took control such as Machado y Morales,
Batista y Zaldívar, and Céspedes. Despite defeating Spain, the Cuban people were
still facing tyrannical control and governmental oppression. The United States supported
Cuban authoritarian rule, creating more tension with the people. The US government
aided leaders in their rise to power, hoping to establish a new system. The American
goal was to create an influential presence in Cuba, trying to build up and
impact on its government. But by backing violent dictators, the United States
made enemies with the Cuban people.
There had been growing unrest among the
people of Cuba. From the Spanish empire, the American Military control, &
the oppression of authoritative powers. People were overtaxed and being taken
advantage of. Cuba faced significant economic struggles along with human rights
violations, leading to great unrest in the country. Over time, the people were
becoming desperate for changes in power, giving a window of opportunity for
Castro to rise. The authoritarian government was stealing resources from the
people, including hundreds of millions of dollars. Leading to the Cuban
revolution, Batista had seized dictatorial power in the nation. When Castro had
succeeded in organized military attacks, slowly tearing down the Cuban
authoritarian government. He received help from other revolutionaries like Raul
Castro and Che Guevara. These aided in weaking the Cuban government, with
Castro’s eventual seizing national control in 1959.
As Castro had taken Cuba, he needed support
to build his government and hold power. As a result, Cuba aligned themselves
with the Soviet Union. The communist Soviet Union became a major rival and
enemy to the United States. Cuba saw potential in making an ideal change. Cuba declared
itself communist. During the Cold War, tensions were high between the US and USSR.
The US had a strategy of trying to snuff out any communism in the world, part
of “containment.” The United States does not want communism to spread, leading
to intervention, wars, sanctions, etc. The US government placed an embargo on
Cuba, trying to plumet the economy and stop a communist nation. Communism is
viewed as the opposite and enemy to capitalism. During the Cold War, there was
fear that communism would inevitably take over the world. The United States
will continue sanctions and embargos on Cuba until it is no longer a communist
nation.
Questions:
Why did the United States not address
issues of violence and oppression with the dictators they supported?
Would the Cuban people be better off today if it had been
a capitalist nation?
References
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/History/Cuba-history.htm
https://mycourses.unh.edu/courses/102494/assignments/869937?module_item_id=2552773
Hi! I really love how jam packed and informative your blog post is. I especially loved learning about how art has been more censored due to the Cuban Revolution. I didn't look into the uproar that the Americans caused by trying to create an influential presence in Cuba, but ended up becoming enemies with the Cuban people. Although unfortunate, I enjoyed reading how this all played out in your words and I think that was a great addition to your post.
ReplyDeleteHello! You pose an interesting question “Why did the United States not address issues of violence and oppression with the dictators they supported?” But I think this is the wrong way to ask that question. I think the most important question is “Why did the US think it was a good idea to install dictators when the US is supposed to support democracy?”. I think that if the US never installed the dictators, then Cuba would be better off today. The US should have supported the Cuba struggle by giving them independent, not but controlling the government.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI believe the easy answer to your second question is yes. I was astounded by how much influence the Cuban government has on their market. I read that they can't freely sell some types of seafood, or even hold investments in large enterprises. If Cuba were to be a capitalist nation, this not only gives citizens more individual power, but it may help stimulate the economy better as well.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI think that Cuba would have been better off if it had been a capitalist Nation, solely for the implications it would have on Cuba's relationship with other countries like the United States. Since Cuba developed Socialist practices as a result of their allies, it can be assumed that the United States would have been an ally of Cuba for them to have been Capitalist. This would nullify the embargos placed and most likely mean the Spanish American War had a different outcome as well. Whether the people would have been happier in a Capitalist environment is more difficult to tell, since many Cubans have a strong commitment to their Socialist society and find it aligns very well with their other values.