The Economic, Social And Military Facets Of Cuba - 1772 Words

The political, economic, social and military facets of Cuba have been extremely volatile over the last six centuries, beginning with the settlement of the Spanish colonies in the 15th century. For several decades, Cuba desperately sought independence from Spain and after a series of rebellions the country was finally freed. From 1903 to 1959, Cuba was technically declared ‘independent’, but in reality was still a colony belonging to the United States. During this period, the U.S. provided little opportunity for the Cuban economy to grow; under the Platt Amendment, the provision that allowed the U.S. to maintain autonomous intervention on the island, the non-sugar industries were completely controlled by the U.S. Further, the U.S. instilled a â€Å"sugar quota† which directly mandated how much sugar Cuba was allowed to sell at a government subsidized price. By the 1950s, a majority of Cuba’s telephone and electrical services, public service railways, raw sug ar production and non-sugar production were U.S. owned (Brenner, 2014). The U.S. provided itself a desperately needed economic crutch being Cuba’s largest export market. Prior to 1959, Cuban politics were continuously overshadowed by the dominant presence of the U.S. government. The United States administration supported the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista because they believed Cubans were paving their own way to a true democracy. Much to the disbelief of the U.S., Fidel Castro prevailed as the new head of the Cuban regime andShow MoreRelatedFidel Castro s Impact On The Cuban Revolution1678 Words   |  7 Pages‘Che’ Guevara made an immense impact on the Cuban Revolution, compared to the other revolutionaries. Source 1: History Will Absolve Me by Fidel Castro In 1953, Fidel Castro made his famous four-hour speech â€Å"History Will Absolve Me† in La Habana, Cuba,where he was given 15 years of jail-time due to his failed attack on Batista. In Castro’s speech, he proclaimed that it was only the beginning, he also described his intended goals for the Cuban Revolution, other than overthrowing Batista. This speechRead MoreThe Cuban Revolution Through The Examination Of The Historical Context Of Politics2102 Words   |  9 PagesBrittmarie Janson Perez, author of Political Facets of Salsa, writes, â€Å"Late at night, in a discotheque in a Latin American country whose political system is dominated by the military and is not particularly known for its respect for human rights, a crowd is dancing salsa, a generic term covering Caribbean dance music† (149). This has been and continues to be a very commonly accurate depiction of many Latin American countries. Since Cuba was founded in October 1492, its government and politics hasRead MoreUnited States Foreign Policy. The World Today Is Ravaged1292 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States Foreign Policy The world today is ravaged by weather disasters, economic disaster, diplomatic disputes, and even military conflict. The United States puts these issues into a category called foreign policy. Foreign policy is defined as a government s strategy in dealing with foreign affairs. (â€Å"Foreign Policy,† 2017) The United States has the challenge of facing all of these problems on a daily basis. Whether it is resolving issues in the South China Sea, or aiding countries damagedRead MoreAmerican Imperialism Essay examples2429 Words   |  10 Pagesreasons for this change in the American psyche. Historians from the progressive school of thought argue that economic interests dictated American foreign policy; while academics of the Conservative or older patriotic tradition advocate that the nations brief foray into imperialism represented a â€Å"great aberration† from typical American isolationism. A third school led by Julius Pratt, applied Social Darwinism to the country â⠂¬â€œ stating that a combination of religious and humanitarian components motivatedRead MoreFactors Responsible for the Outbreak of the Haitian Revolution2143 Words   |  9 Pages The whites were not a united group. The rich planters and the seigneurs’ had economic power and sporadic leadership in the colony. Nevertheless, they wanted to govern the colony on their own. They wanted independence and political atonomy from France. However, they did not want this power to be granted to the other classes, for example: the Petit Blancs and Mulattoes. Moreover, the Petit Blancs had a lower economic status to that of the Grand Blancs and they too, wanted some form of power. AllRead MoreFactors Responsible for the Outbreak of the Haitian Revolution2127 Words   |  9 Pages The whites were not a united group. The rich planters and the seigneurs’ had economic power and sporadic leadership in the colony. Nevertheless, they wanted to govern the colony on their own. They wanted independence and political atonomy from France. However, they did not want this power to be granted to the other classes, for example: the Petit Blancs and Mulattoes. Moreover, the Petit Blancs had a lower economic status to that of the Grand Blancs and they too, wanted some form of power. AllRead MoreThe Importance Of Research Program1471 Words   |  6 Pagesinvestigation of international law, lobbying, military activity, and banknotes (â€Å"IR 392: Undergraduate Research Program†). Within the college of arts and sciences at USC, undergraduates travel all over the world to perform service, study culture, or engage in a research program for a summer, semester, or even a year (â€Å"Overseas Studies†). Johana Reyes, graduate of USC’s IR program, was able to study in France, travel to China, and run funded research twice in Cuba (Reyes). In general, the major at USC requiresRead MoreEssay on American Imperialism in the Philippines3614 Words   |  15 PagesIn 1898, in an effort to free Cuba from the oppression of its Spanish colonizers, America captured the Philippines. This brought about questions of what America should do with the Philippines. Soon, controversy ensued both in the American political arena as well as among its citizens. Throughout its history, America had always been expansionistic, but it had always limited itself to the North American continent. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, however, there emerged a drive to expand outsideRead MoreHaiti: The Corruptions of Imperialism Reigns Essay1325 Words   |  6 Pagesdemonstrate how imperialism plays out begins with colonization. European empires used this method to spread themselves around the world, strategically expanding their power. A process that created social forces, which are continually felt today, such as poverty and oppression. Thes e empires changed nearly every facet of life of those they encountered, all for power and money. Therefore, the current state of the world (especially the third world) lies in the history of imperialism. Though imperialism hasRead MoreConflict: the Basis for Latin American Change (Born in Blood and Fire: a Concise History of Latin America)1781 Words   |  8 Pageswas for profit, so with no large working force available from indigenous populations the Europeans turned to African slaves. Any country that has had slavery, as our own, sees that even after the abolishment of this institution racist attitudes and social structures remain. Slavery only added to the spirit of repression in the colonies which throughout history usually leads to rebellion. This division, and setting up of classes with whites on top, then mestizos, blacks, and indigenous people would