US-Soviet relations (Cuba and Afghanistan)

Names: Joel Tan

Foo Kai SiangNg Kai Cong

Benjamin Cheong Chee Hou

Background to Cuban Missile Crisis• Why was the US opposed to Castro’s Revolution?Cuba lies 145 km from the coast of Florida US considered

the island of Cuba to be within its sphere of influence and it was determined that any govn’t in Cuba should reflect and protect US interests.

Therefore, US controlled most of the financial, railway, electricity, telegraph and sugar industries.

Plant agreement (Establish a naval base at Guantanamo Bay + stipulated that US would exercise the right to intervene for the preservation of life, property and individual liberty. => US intended to decide what constituted Cuban independence and when a govn’t is not adequate.

Background to Cuban Missile Crisis• Castro takes to power7 Jan 1959, Batista lost support and the US reluctantly recognised the

new govn’t of Fidel Castro which had taken power after fighting a guerrilla war campaign for 7 yrs.

US tried to control through economic interest and the presence of a large pro-US middle class.

Castro insisted that this is not communist but a representative democracy and social justice in a well-planned economy. In April 1959, he visited the US in hope of getting economic assistance fo the far-reaching reforms that involved nationalisation of US economic interests that he believed Cuba needed but was refused. Most pro-US Cubans chose to move to US rather than remain and resist. This led to Castro turning to the SU. Challenge to US.

Background to Cuban Missile Crisis

• How US deal with the threat?2 response• Economic: Embargo on all exports to Cuba

except for foodstuffs and medicine• Militarily: Organise and invasion force of

Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro

Bay of Pigs invasion• Mach 1960, President approved a CIA

plant to overthrow Castro’s govn’t and part of this plan involved Cuban refugees for an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.

• Kennedy inherited the plant and gave its approval .

• However, invasion was a failure, ending the capture of 1214 of the original 1400 invaders.

• Prisoners were later released in return for $53 million worth of food and machines paid by voluntary groups in the US.

Bay of Pigs invasion

• Kennedy: Humiliation, blame and condemned

• CIA underestimated strength of popular support for Castro within Cuba.

• Invasion plans were flawed.• Castro’s air force was much

more effective tha had been originally supposed.

Results of the failure of Bay of Pigs invasion

• Loss of prestige (US)• Set back Kennedy’s attempts to identify US as anti-colonialism• Castro’s support within Cuba increased• SU and Khruschev were also given ammunition to use in

criticising the US.• Enraged Latin American govn’ts• Revived fears of US imperialism• USA continued efforts to reverse the Cuban revolution • E.g. Operation Mongoose (Sabotage of economic targets,

assassination plots agst Castro and other leaders and diplomatic isolations)

• Cuba expelled from Organisation of American States• Military pressure: Training ex. Near Puerto Rico

Cuban Missile Crisis• Why Khrushev put missiles in Cuba?Protect CubaTeach America a lesson for placing missils a similar

distance away. (US placed missiles in Turkey that are aimed against Russia)

Seized propaganda advantage after the humiliation of the Berlin Warll

Bargaining chip agst the sanctioning of US nuclear missiles in Europe.

Protect communism

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Why was the presence of missiles so intolerable to the US?

Increase Soviet 1st strike capabilityWarning time for missiles fired at the US would

be far less than for missiles fired from the SU.Balance of power has changed

Crisis resolution

• Kennedy summoned crisis management team, the Executive Committee.

• 13 days• Rejected calls from military for an immediate air

strike followed by an invasion of Cuba• Naval blockade of the island• ‘Quarantine’ : To prevent delivery of nuclear

warheads to the island• Kruschev ignored quarantine but eventually turned

back Soviet ships• Kruschev remove missiles in return for US pledge not

to invade Cuba

• 2nd demand of Kruschev: Removal of Turkish missiles• U-2 plane was shot down over Cuba => Heightened

tension• US accept US 1st offer• Kennedy’s brother and Attorney General, Robert

Kennedy met with Soviet Ambassador to agree that the US would remove missiles from Turkey

• SU agreed to remove all missiles from Cuba.

How effective Kennedy’s handling fo the Cuban Missile Crisis

(Orthodox view)• Right to respond forcefully and firmly as missiles rep

a Soviet Threat to alter the balance of power• Blockage maximise pressure on the Soviet while

incurring min risk of war• Calm• Resisted pressure for action from the military• Statesmanlike and did not attempt to humiliate

Krushchev• Preserve the balance of power and world peace

How effective Kennedy’s handling fo the Cuban Missile Crisis

(Revisionist view)• Missiles did not affect the balance of power and US

under no greater threat but rather a political prob that could have been resolved by political means

• Blockade turned crisis into an unnecessarily dangerous situation

• Kennedy interested in only personal and national prestige and wanted to solve situation quickly for Nov elections

• Arrogance which led the US to increase activity in Vietnam

Conclusions about Krushchev’s actions

• Secured Cuba’s safety• Willing to back down• Realist• Work hard to rebuild relations with Cuba after

crisis

Castro’s role

• Determined to make most of situation• Cannot be controlled (Shot down U-2 plane)• Aggressive (All ready to fight if US invade)

Result of Crisis• USA: Prestige, realise fragility of security, focus on building up military

strength• USSR: Humiliation• Cuba: Determined not to become pawn in East-West struggle and pursued

a foreign policy independent of Moscow; Havana became centre of revolutionary activity; continue to rely on USSR for economic aid and arms

• China: USSR unwilling -> R/ship deteriorate and continue to develop nuclear arms independently

• Wider international situation: Safer as hotline established; Test-ban treaty (Forbade nuclear tests in the atmosphere, space and underwater); Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (Prevent Signatories from transferring weapons/knowledge of how to make non-nuclear powers)

Afghanistan War (1979)

Challenge from Afghanistan

• Brezhnev Doctrine used as a reason for invading Afghanistan

Essentials for Communism- 1 party state- Remain a member of the Warsaw PactUSSR anxious to prevent a situation developing

in Afghanistan that might threaten Soviet security

Why Soviet intervene in Afghanistan?

• Afghanistan is a mountainous country on Russia’s southern border with a population of largely Muslim.

• In April 1978, People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan seized power (Pro-soviet)

• Their anti-Muslim fundamentalist policies were resisted by both fundamentalist Muslim grps and factions within the PDPA e.g. Amin who came to power

• Afghan Muslims began to join a Muslim fundemantalist group, the Mujahedin and declared jihad (holy war) in an attempt to overthrow the PDPA against the supporter of Amin -> Amin dependent on SU

Why Soviet intervene in Afghanistan?

• Relations btw Amin and SU strain and Amin began to make some contacts with the CIA with US government in an effort to retain control of the country

• Triggered rumours Amin recruited by US

• Soviet intervene and replace Amin with pro-Soviet Kamal

Reasons for invasion

• USSR did not want the ‘Afghan Revolution’ defeated and Afghanistan turned into a Shah’s Iran which could potentially spread Islamic fundamentalism and cause destabilization of area

• Moscow wanted to restore a government friendly to the USSR

• Russians feared that the victory of the Muslim rebels in seizing control might encourage Muslims living in the Asian areas of the USSR to try to gain freedom from Soviet control

• Détente was already in difficulties

Reasons for invasion

• Victory of ‘counter revolution’would cause bloodbath

• The victory would cause massive American military involvement and cause threat to Soviet security

• Cease to be a great power if turned away from taking unpopular but necessary decisions

• Moderate US response to Czechoslovakia

American response

• Carter doctrine – US intervention in the Persian Gulf if the Soviets threatened its interests there

• Resist the Soviet by ‘proxy’: Providing the Mujahedin rebels with weapons

• US increased arms spending• Sanctions on the USSR – stopping US grain

exports to Russia, refused to approve SALT II Agreement, boycott of 1980 Olympic Games held in Moscow

Conflict Resolution

• Reagan increased levels of aid gave rebels upper hand and the Russians were unable to defeat the rebels

• Soviets pulled out eventually because Gorbachev realized how unpopular the war in Afghanistan was back at home and how damaging it was to Russia’s economy.

Conflict Resolution

• USSR no longer to foot the bill for supporting the cause of world communism

• 1988: Gorbachev announced the end of USSR involvement in Afghanistan

• 1989: Full military withdrawal

Impact on Detente

• Soviets pursuing “Marxist-Leninist” expansionism embodied in political doctrine

• Soviets responsible for breakdown of Détente• SU responding defensively to a genuine threat to its

security and threat was also within sphere of influence.

• US response cynical and intended to take advantage of unstable situation caused by Islamic fundamentalism.

• Changes of US foreign policy that led to 2nd Cold war and renewed tensions

Effects Of the War

• Huge cost and loss to Afghans and USSR.• Afghanistan cities were left ruined and the

countryside impassable due to landmines.• Out of a population of 15 million, 5 million

were left without a home, Afghanistan became a land of refugees.

• 20 000 Soviet lives were lost.• Huge amounts had been drained out of an

already weakened Soviet economy.

References

• 20th century world The Cold War History

Thank you.