Blog 1 - The Island of Revolution

The Island of Revolution

The history of Cuba is a combination of a variety of factors that includes indigenous people, colonization, and revolutionary struggles. Cuba was discovered by Christopher Colombus in 1492. By 1515, the capital city of Havana was founded. The island became a stopping point for ships, trade and commerce. Due to slave labor imported from Africa and forced labor of the indigenous population, the island's sugar industry boomed and became one of the wealthiest colonies for the Spanish. It was considered a crown jewel of the empire. Unfortunately for the indigenous people, forced labor and disease all but eradicated them. During the next three centuries, the Spanish would continue to control Cuba and plunder its resources. 

As we learned from the readings, “Cuba awakened dramatically in the nineteenth century”. The Ten Years War (1868-78) was fought by the Cubans against the Spanish but resulted in a loss and failed to win independence. The second war of independence broke out from 1895-98. During this time period, famous Cuban independence leader Jose Marti was killed. He is a widely celebrated figure in Cuban culture. After receiving heavy support from the United States, the Cubans defeated the Spanish in this war resulting in independence from Spain. The Cubans were not however, free from the US quite yet. The Platt Agreement stipulated that the US had the right to intervene in Cuban matters and secured a naval base on the island.

The 1940’s culminated with Fulgencio Batista’s rise to power. His brutal regime, supported by the US, silenced opponents and conducted widespread repression of the population. After years of his rule, in 1959, a revolutionary figure named Fidel Castro and his forces overthrew the Batista government and established a new communist state. Castro also seized control of all US assets in the country, which caused the US to impose a trade embargo and cut off diplomatic relations with the country. As the 1960’s started to progress, Castro was quickly driven into the arms of the Soviet Union as the Americans tried and failed to get rid of him. Tensions peaked between the countries when the US realized the Soviets were setting up nuclear missile bases in the country. This is famously known as the Cuban missile crisis. 

In 1989, The Soviet Union collapsed, sending a ripple effect worldwide. The Cubans were hit especially hard because they relied very heavily on the Soviets for economic stability. Between 1989 and 1993, the GNP was almost cut in half. During this time period, Castro allowed thousands of Cubans to leave the island and many settled in South Florida. Since the 1990’s, US relations with Cuba have begun to slowly improve. Without the Soviet Union and communism as a threat, US presidents including George Bush and Barack Obama each took steps to improve relations with the Country. In 2016, Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since 1928. The country of Cuba is still socialist, but that doesn’t mean the two neighbors can’t get along. Cuba is a country marked by revolution, struggle, resilience and spirit. The Cuban people have been through a lot of the past few centuries and hopefully as time goes on, things will only continue to improve for them. 

1. Why did the US back Batista, what did they get out of that relationship?

2. After the Soviet Union collapsed, what could the US have done differently in terms of extending an olive branch to Cuba?