1. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY
History of
Modern Cuba
Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

2. The Spanish-American War: 1898
The Cuban “Melodrama”
Spanish American War of 1898 between the United States and Spain.
Manifest Destiny justified our sphere of influence over Spanish colonies in the West.
Also US opinion felt Cuba needed to be freed from Imperial dictatorships from Spain.
Series of Revolutions and Wars of Independence in Cuba led by revolutionary leader Joseph Marti
Spain lost in1898 and ceded their colonies in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines
The Spanish-American War: 1898

3. Valeriano Weyler’s “Reconcentration” Policy
Valeriano Weyler: Captain General of Cuba in 1897
Nicknamed “The Butcher”
Assigned governor of Cuba and to crush the rebellions and reestablish sugar production
To control population, Weyler established re-concentration camps in order to separate the rebels from the civilians (influenced by General Sherman during the Civil War; later used by the British and then evolved into the Holocaust camps)
The camps were reported in the United States (yellow journalism) and the reports outraged the Americans for the reported brutality.
Harsh, cruel conditions within the camp. Starvation, torture, rape
Replaced by Ramon Blanco y Erenas who ended the camps.

4. Remember the Maine! To Hell with Spain!
American battleship: advanced naval technology; but took so long to build technology was obsolete by the completion of the ship.
15 February 1898: The U.S.S. Maine was sent to Cuba to protect U.S. interests during Cuban revolts against Spain.
Exploded and sank in the Havana harbor
266 soldiers dead
Unexpected explosion, cause unclear
Reported in the newspaper (yellow journalism); blamed explosion on Spain without proof
“You furnish the picture, I’ll furnish the war” – William Randolph Hearst
Catalyst for diplomatic relations to disintegrate
US committed $50 million to defense and involvement in Cuba: Teller Amendment: Declaration of War
Coal fire?
Real attack
Deliberate sinking to justify involvement
US involvement turned the tide against Spain: Spain surrendered in 1898
December 10, sued for peace: Treaty of Paris: ratified in February 1899

5. Cuban “Independence?” Platt Amendment (1903) Senator Orville Platt
1. Cuba was not to enter into any agreements with foreign powers that would endanger its independence.
2. The U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs if necessary to maintain an efficient, independent govt.
3. Cuba must lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for naval and coaling station.
4. Cuba must not build up an excessive public debt.
Monroe Doctrine exempted US from Cuba because of agreements with Spain
Treaty of Paris from 1898 to 1901: Cuba a colony of the United States
1901: Platt Amendment: allowed Cuba to be a self-governing Commonwealth under US protection
(Annexed Hawaii and determined Philippine occupation by US troops)
US constantly used the Platt Amendment to intervene in Cuban affairs for the next decade (would get distracted during the war years)

6. American Soldiers in Cuba in 19022

7. What the US Fought For

8. Fulgencio Batista
Cuban president/dictator/military leader: elected
Established the Constitution of 1940: granted human rights; national freedoms
1952 ran for re-election; most likely going to lose; seized government in military coup:
Dictator : overthrown during the Cuban Revolution
Suspended the Constitution of 1940
Censorship of press, suspension of basic human rights
Suppression of liberal thoughts; anti-Communist police: killed 20,000 Cubans– including students in University protests
Cuban American mafia relations with Miami; controlled vice: gambling, alcohol, prostitution
Large American corporations dominate sugar markets and economic policy
Fled Cuba when Castro Revolution succeeded
Protected by Rafael Trujillo in Santo Domingo
Eventually emigrated to Portugal– died of a heart attack

9. Fidel Castro as a Young Revolutionary
Marxist-Leninist
Led a failed armed attack on July 26, 1953 with his brother and Che Guevara
Attacked military barracks; defeated and arrested
During trial, Castro spoke for 4 hours; “Condemn me, it does not matter. History will absolve me.”
Sentenced to 15 years in prison; served 1 year and was exiled to Mexico (public pressure and popularity)
In Mexico; worked with brother- Raul Castro, Che Guevara, and 80 other professional revolutionaries: formed M (July 26th Movement)
2 December 1956; launched the Cuban Revolution by seizing military barracks, communication centers
Violent and persistent guerilla warfare for 2 years
January 1959: Batista fled: Castro consolidated his power and slowly converted government
M-26-7: Converted to Communist Party of Cuba by 1965: protests against Communist policies
In response to growing Communist policies; Cuba was suspended from OAS in 1962: Ban in effect until 2009

10. Cuban “Young Pioneers” What were some of Castro’s reforms??:
Reformed the 1940 Constitution;
Declared Cuba an aethist country (this will convert to “secular” in 1980’s due to Catholic pressure)
Nationalized land, including church land and American Corporate lands
Purged the military and government of Batista supporters
Education reform: private schools banned (wealthy or religious) and public schools standardized
Developed “cooperatives” based on Soviet models
Established a revolutionary militia, police force and a para-military committee (CDR– Committee for the Defense of the Revolution)
Established trade with the Soviet Union
US boycott-- no effect on Cuba
Hispano-Soviets from Spain sent to Cuba to train government and military in Soviet policy
What were some of Castro’s reforms??

11. The Bay of Pigs Fiasco: 1961
Escalating Soviet policies in Cuba alarmed Americans
NSC “Special Group” committee approved covert action against Castro regime 18 August 1960 (Eisenhower Administration)
August to April: trained Cuban exiles in Miami to prepare for counter-revolution
Cuban Revolutionary Council (CRC)
Jose Miro Cardona
$13 million committed to project
Guerilla tactics and infiltration of Cuban exiles
Covert CIA support
Original plan under Eisenhower; inherited by Kennedy
Plan to join revolutionaries already in Cuba
4 April 1961: Bay of Pigs Invasion approved “Operation Zapata”

12. The Bay of Pigs Fiasco: 1961 Original Plan:
2 airstrikes against Cuban airforce bases
1400 Cuban (CIA trained) exiles invade and launch a night attack
Paratroopers dropped in land to divert forces
Fake smaller force to land in separate area to distract Castro’s forces
Depended on Cuban civilians joining counter-revolution as invading force moved across Cuba
15 April 1961
1st airstrike attack used WWII B-26 bombers painted like Cuban airforce.
Bombers missed targets and left air force unharmed
Planes shot down; photos revealed deception
Kennedy canceled 2nd air strike
17 April 1961
Invasion proceeded
Supposed to be a surprise
Invasion met with heavy air bombing
bad weather diverted landing zones for support troops; each landing isolated
Castro ordered counter-attack of 20,000 troops
of the 1400 counter-revolutionaries
100 escaped
100 killed
1200 POW-- kept prisoners for 20 months;
used as negotiating tool against US for $53 million in medicine and baby food

13. The US “Lays an Egg?” What went wrong?
Cuban intelligence operatives infiltrated exile groups in Miami, learned about plan
Reports suggest Castro knew of invasion as early as October 1960 (6 months before invasion)
13 April (2 days before attack) Radio Moscow “predicted” the attack on the radio
29 April Washington Post article reported that Soviets knew about attacks and had warned Cubans
Believed that the CIA knew KGB knew and didn’t warn Kennedy to change plans
Aftermath:
Obvious strong relationship between Soviet Union and Cuba strengthened more against US encroachment
Strained relationship between US and Cuba: boycotts,
‘Operation Mongoose’ launched to destabilize Cuban government through propaganda and psychology tactics
$50 million per year dedicated to efforts
1200 people (500 Americans)
October 1962: CIA began assassination attempts against Castro
Exploding cigars, poisons, chemical attacks, snipers
US claims 8 attempts
Escalante (Castro bodyguard) claims 638 attempts on Castro
Suggested some ideas proposed by Ian Fleming (American author of James Bond stories– friend of JFK)

14. Cuba is 90 Miles from the Florida Coast A Soviet “Client-State”

15. The Cuban Missile Crisis: October, 1962
14 October 1962– American U2 spy plane photographed 2 nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union in Cuba; missiles with launch capabilities just off the coast.
Kennedy held an emergency cabinet meeting with his military advisors to determine what to do:
1. Nuclear strike= nuclear war
2. Conventional attack= war with USSR, nuclear attack
3. UN intervention= too slow,
4. Do nothing= too risky; not enough time for counter-measures if Cuba attacked
5. Blockade= stop supplies, not a direct declaration of war
becomes public knowledge, potential panic
Decided on blockade: quarantined war ring around Cuba
--22 October 1962: Kennedy addressed the nation and revealed knowledge of missile sites and potential threat to US security
--intercept Soviet military supplies
--demanded nuclear sites be dismantled
--26 October: Khruschev agreed to dismantle missile sites if US agreed to dismantle missile sites in Turkey and agrees to not invade Cuba
--27 October: Kennedy agrees publicly to not invade Cuba, privately agrees to dismantle missiles inTurkey (secret agreement for 25 years)
--28 October: Crisis over 13 days that shocked the world
--30 October: Operation Mongoose “officially suspended” last official attempts on Castro’s life
1975– revealed by the Church Commission– CIA still active
1989– Noam Chomsky suggsts that CIA terror tactics continued into the late 1980’s until the end of the Cold War

16. Soviet-Cuban Construction

17. Soviet-Cuban Construction

18. Global Thermal Nuclear War?

19. Range of the Cuban Missiles

20. What’s the Message?
Aftermath of Missile Crisis:
Khruschev lost prestige– China broke away from Soviet Union
Kennedy saved prestige from previous embarrassments of BoP and Operation Mongoose
“Faced down the Soviets”
Established “hotline” red phone to negotiate more quickly in times of crisis
Nuclear Test BanTreaty
US publicly, directly leaves Cuba alone
-1962 placed embargoes on Cuba
-Suspension from OAS (US influence)
This British cartoon of 29 October 1962 shows Kennedy and Khrushchev arm-wrestling for power, sitting on nuclear weapons.   The caption read: 'OK Mr president, let's talk'

21. The Cuban “Boat People” The Cuban Adjustment Act - 1966
Cuban refugees fleeing to the US away from Communist influence
2 November 1966: Response to refugee issue
-- Any immigrant from Cuba can become a permanent resident after 2 years
-- Reduced to 1 year in 1976: Nationality Act Amendment
-- Cuban immigrants are not required to enter the country at a port of entry (boat people, escaping to Miami on rafts)
Only country where this is true for US immigration
Cubans can enter through Mexico by declaring (with papers) their citizenship of Cuba at US border
-- Brothers to the Rescue- Miami based activists to assist Cuban refugees, exiles, and to resist Castro Cuban government
-- 2 planes shot down in 1996– international condemnation= Helms Burton Act
The Cuban Adjustment Act

22. Cuban Exiles in Miami

23. The Refugee “Problem” Today

24. Castro at the United Nations
US embargoes were instituted as early as 1960 in response to the nationalization of Cuban land owned by US corporations
Renewed in 1966 and partially in effect for past 50 years.
Temporarily lapsed in 1977, Renewed in 1982 under Reagan administration
US will not trade or engage in commercial, economic, financial business with Cuba
US citizens cannot travel to Cuba (will be modified– kinda)
1992: Cuban Democracy Act codified into law under Clinton Administration
Maintain sanctions against Cuba until Cuban government moves towards democratization and greater respect for human rights
1996: Helms-Burton Act restricts US citizens from doing business in or with Cuba
1999: expanded to include subsidiaries (companies in foreign countries owned by US business)
2000: modified to allow “humanitarian products” (such as baby food, hygiene supplies, etc) originally denied by Castro,
2001: accepted aid and trade agreements in response to Hurricane Michelle that destroyed mot of the island
6.6% of exports (5th largest Cuban exporter) on cash only basis
US citizens circumvented travel ban by entering Cuba through foreign countries (Mexico)
Currently: US citizens can travel to Cuba but cannot spend money in Cuba
US Embargo of Cuba

25. "Future students of American history will be scratching their heads about this case for decades to come. Our embargo and refusal to normalize diplomatic relations has nothing to do with communism. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War, with China since Nixon, and with Vietnam despite our bitter war there. No, Cuba was pure politics. Though it started out to be a measure of an administration's resistance to Castro's politics, it very soon became a straight-jacket whereby first-generation Cuban-Americans wielded inordinate political power over both parties and constructed a veto over rational, mature diplomacy."
— Gary Hart, former U.S. Senator, March 2011

26. Fidel Castro Today Born in 1926 (currently 86 years old)
Rumors of bad health since 1998 (at age 72)
Broke bones in 2004
Rumored to have Parkinson’s disease in 2005
December 2006 transferred duties as President to his brother Raul Castro
born in 1931– took presidency at age 80
Rumors: Castro has pancreatic cancer?
Intestinal surgery; specialist flown in to Cuba for specialized surgery
Jan 2007: medical rumors expanding; still involved in politics
February 2008: Raul Castro unanimously chosen by cabinet to assume duties as official President and will consult Castro on major government/social issues
Castro currently a public profiler and international affairs advocate
Recently supported movement for Puerto Rican Independence movement in the UN against US
2011: resigned as leader of Cuban Communist Central Committee – replaced by Castro
Believed that Raul Castro’s son will assume duties upon Raul’s retirement– Castro has no “legitimate” sons.