Prologue to the Cuban Missile Crisis General Batista

Prologue to the Cuban Missile Crisis

General Batista • In 1933 Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar came to power and ruled for 25 years. • By the 1950 s, his corrupt and dictatorial regime was losing support among many Cubans. • U. S-backed

Revolutionaries

Fidel Castro • On July 26 th 1953 Fidel Castro, a young lawyer, first raised the standard of the revolution against Batista. • Castro was arrested and imprisoned • Castro was later released and went into exile in Mexico, from where he returned to Cuba to lead a 2 year guerrilla struggle. • On the 8 th January 1959, Castro formed a new Government after Batista fled Cuba.

Reforms • Nationalised oil companies • Nationalised Sugar producers • Seized American companies

American Response • Castro had nationalised a billion dollars’ worth of American investments in Cuba. • Economic blockade of Cuba • Stopped buying Cuban Sugar, the country’s principal export • US refusal to sell petroleum to Cuba

• America assumed Castro was deeply unpopular • His policies had driven many middle-class Cubans into exile. • The US encouraged and financially supported a growing band of Cuban exiles determined to overthrow Castro.

Bay of Pigs • Having a revolutionary left-leaning Cuba, 90 miles off the US coast, was unacceptable for any US administration. • In March 1960 Eisenhower approved a CIA programme of covert action; a Cuban paramilitary force trained by the US. • In December 1960, Eisenhower endorsed a plan for an amphibious landing by UStrained Cuban guerrillas. Hoped to spark an uprising against Castro

• JFK replaced Eisenhower as President in January 1961 • Eisenhower briefed JFK on a number of issues including Cuba • Kennedy refused to let the US military intervene directly but allowed the CIA to organise Cuban exiles for invasion. • “The minute I land one marine, we’re in this up to our necks…. I’m not going to risk an American Hungary”

Likely Success? • Despite CIA confidence, the Joint Chiefs of Staff rated the operation’s chance of success as “fair”- less than 50% • Why? – Morale of the Cubans was low – Small numbers – No US military support

Fiasco • 1, 500 Cuban exiles invaded Cuba • The invasion provoked no popular uprising against Castro • Castro sent Soviet made tanks against the Exiles and crushed the uprising.

Outcomes of the invasion 1. Helped unify the people behind Castro’s regime 2. Embarrassment to Kennedy and his administration 3. Khrushchev now had the upper hand over Kennedy 4. Joint Chiefs of Staff were embarrassed and sought revenge 5. Cuban-soviet relations strengthened