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Castro’s new policies threatened American investments in Cuba. Cuba’s trade relations with the Soviet Union was perceived by the USA as a sign that Cuba was aligning with the communist bloc. Castro also passed Land Reform Law, where he planned to break up the largest private estates in Cuba and redistribute them among the poorer farmers, to solve the problem of inequality. To the USA, it confirmed that Castro’s revolution was heading in a socialist direction with its heavy-handed redistributive policies and worried that Castro’s Cuba was ideologically opposed to its own capitalist economy. Casto’s friendship with Khrushchev where they established trade relations and developed personal friendship had incurred even more displeasure from the Americans towards Castro.

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Cuba and America is having high tension in 1960. America enemy, Soviet Union leader ,Nikita Khrushchev at the time met up with Castro. This led to the displeasure of Americans as this is seen as a demonstration discrimination policy of African Americans as well as Cuba. Due to the Soviets helping speak for Cuba, Cuba is seen as unstable power that could anytime ally with USSR

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Castro aggravated tensions with the USA by introducing the Land Reform Law which convinced the USA that Cuba was heading towards a socialist path. Castro also established a friendship with Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union which brought the two countries together. This led to the displeasure of the USA as Castro associated with the USA’s Cold War Enemy. Castro also established trade relations with the Communist Bloc where Soviet Union and China agreed to buy its sugar due to the USA’s reduction in the Sugar Quota. Due to the USA’s retaliation against Castro’s policies, Castro nationalised almost all of the major American properties and investments in Cuba’s economy. The Americans viewed this as an act of war, which led to the USA’s decision to support an overthrow of Castro’s government.

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Cuba was significant to the USA due to USA's economic interests in Cuba. Setting up a government in Cuba which supported the Americans encouraged the American companies to invest plenty in some of Cuba’s sugar and tobacco industries, enabling them to become the backbone of Cuba's economy. The Americans were able to set up plantations for these raw materials and thus by 1926, owned 60% of of Cuba’s sugar industry. Due to these economic reasons which were brought about by USA's own efforts, Cuba was now of great economic importance to the USA and thus was significant to USA.Another reason why Cuba was significant to USA was due to its geographical location. USA was expanding its territories during the early 19th century, so the Americans were viewed as USA's own sphere of influence, as mentioned in their Monroe Doctrine. Since Cuba was physically close to the USA and was the gateway to the Caribbean islands, it was therefore seen as extremely important to the security of the USA.

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the soviet union was with direct communications with cuba, as kuruschev was good friends with castro before the crisis. this worried the us as they were concerned with castro becoming more and more under communist influences and eventually officially coming under the communist bloc, which was the fear of the us. the actions of the soviet union, such as the trading of soviet oil in exchange for cuban sugar angered the us as they provided channels to sustain cuba’s economy as the us was trying to cut them off.

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The issue of responsibility for the CMC is a very difficult issue to pinpoint. However, I believe that the USA is responsible for it. The USA was meddling with Cuba’s internal affairs up to Castro’s rule. And the CMC is simply a response to the USA’s overbearing foreign policy. The major presence of American companies in Cuba was a pain in the neck for the cubans, as the americans sought to extract every little bit of profit from cuba.  The Cubans were simply standing up for their own people and their own country, and by allowing Soviet missiles in their territory, were finally giving the US a clear message to not meddle with the Cuban way of life any more than they already did.

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Describe the role of Soviet Union in this issue?

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Describe the role of Soviet Union in this issue?

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The Bay of Pigs invasion was USA’s attempt to overthrow Castro’s government by training Cuban exiles. However, as Castro was well-prepared for the invasion, the invasion failed. The failure had led USA to be even more determined to remove Castro from power through Operation Mongoose. Military exercises by American armed forces further unnerved Cuba.
- This action had convinced Castro that war with the USA was inevitable and needed to look for other allies to support Cuba. As USSR was one of the superpowers, it was logical for Castro to approach USSR as its main ally. This meant that Cuba was officially part of the communist bloc.
- As USA is of close proximity to Cuba, this meant that its enemy is dangerously close to them. This heightened the American-Cuban tensions as USA took further actions to try and protect its interest and security. At the same time, since USSR is now the main ally of Cuba, the Soviets will be interfering and be part of Cuba’s affairs. Hence, this meant that the two superpowers were officially involved in the Cuban conflict.

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Cuba has strategic importance and economic value to the USA.
Aa a growing nation, the USA was greatly concerned with expanding its own territory as well as guaranteeing its security.This is evident in the Monroe doctrine. The Monroe doctrine states that attempts by European powers to colonise or interfere in the Americas would be viewed as an act of aggression.Cuba, with its close geographic proximity to the USA and being the gateway to the Caribbean islands, was therefore important to the security of the US.
Cuba was also a major producer of sugar and tobacco, which were in high demand in the US.Americans bought land to set up plantations and build factories to process the raw materials.By 1926, American companies owned 60% of the Cuban sugar industry.Thus, Cuba had a great economic value to the US.

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The usa was responsible for worsening their relationship as they were the ones who placed economic pressure on Cuba by forcing American oil companies in Cuba to not process any Soviet oil that arrived in Cuba as well as reducing their Cuban Sugar Quota. Cuba had to respond by nationalising the oil companies and Soviet Union stepped in to buy the surplus sugar that the USA didn’t buy

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Cuba was very geographically close to the USA and the USA considered Cuba to be in its backyard, and a very vulnerable area as it is close enough to the USA that if something happened in Cuba it would affect the USA.

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Cuba was significant to the USA due to its strategic location. Cuba was in close geographical proximity to the USA and was a gateway to the Caribbean islands and was seen to be critical to the security of the USA.

Another reason that Cuba was seen to be significant to the USA is that many investments have been made by the US to further develop Cuba’s market and also their living standards by the construction of railways, telephone networks and other enterprises. American companies also invested heavily in Cuba’s sugar and tobacco industries and they were one of the major markets for its sugar and tobacco produce.

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The US government reduced the Cuban Sugar Quota and stop their companies from processing Soviet oil in 1960 due to fear of their unsecured interests in Cuba and thus their attempts to weaken the Castro government. This lead to Cuba’s response of nationalising all American properties in their country and hence make the US-Cuban relationship souring  rapidly.
In the same year, the USA intensified its economic campaign against Cuba by placing an embargo on American exports to Cuba, causing a greater portion of Cuba economy contributed by the Soviet and the communist countries, hence their relationship is worsen.
The US government had tried to overthrow Castro’s government indirectly by providing military aids to Cuban exiles and leading the Bay of Pigs invasion. Furthermore, the CIA attempted to assassinate Cuban political leaders. These actions all contributed to the worsening of the US-Cuban relationship.

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The Soviet Union was the ones who supplied Cuba with the missiles which is one of the main cause which led to the tensions between Cuba and USA to rise

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The usa was responsible in worsening relations with cuba since the American government had tried many ways to remove castro from power, all ultimately failing and escalating tensions. The american government could no longer secure their interests in cuba with castro in power. Thus, they tried to weaken and overthrow castro. One plan they tried to carry out was putting economic pressure on cuba. The american government pressured its companies such as shell, along with their allies, not to process soviet oil. When soviet oil arrived in cuba to be processed, the oil refineries rejected. In response, castro nationalised the oil refineries. The usa also reduced the cuban sugar quota from 3 million tonnes to jus 700000 tones. However, the soviet union and china stepped in and offered to buy surplus sugar, therefore deeming these actions by the USA, a failure.

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USA frequently intervened in Cuban politics. An example is in 1933, when American ambassador Sumner Welles conspired with Cuban generals to overthrow the Cuban President then. This made Cuban nationalists increasingly dislike American actions of installing a series of ‘puppet presidents’ to guard their own interests in Cuba, without caring for the interests of the Cuban people. This naturally will provoke Cubans who already dislike the Americans to take action against them.
The USA also pressured American oil refineries in Cuba to reject the Soviet oil. This was American economic pressure on Cuba, but failed since Castro nationalised the oil refineries

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Castro aggravated the tensions with USA by developing a personal friendship with Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union-rivalry of the USA during the Cold War. During the UN General Assembly in New York, the two leaders had a meeting together which would be a double demonstration against the US’s discriminatory policies towards African Americans, but more importantly, towards Cuba. The relationship between Castro and Khrushchev meant that Soviet Union could place their missiles in close proximity to the US, threaten the US. Thus, the tensions between Cuba and USA worsened.

Castro aggravated the tensions with USA by nationalised all American companies in Cuba. In response to the US’s banned on refining Soviet oil in American oil refineries in Cuba, as well as reducing Cuban Sugar Quota, Castro took over all the refineries as well as all American-owned companies. This is considered as an act of war by the US as its economic interests in Cuba were threatened, which further aggravated the tensions between Cuba and USA.

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(TRINH DUY MINH - 4R3)
Cuba is significant to the USA because of its geographical proximity to the USA. As being very near to the US and is the gateway to Caribbean Islands, Cuba is strategically vital to the USA’s security in the event of any attempts to colonies or interfere in the America by European powers. The USA feared that countries such as France and Spain would wish to reassert colonial rule over the newly independent Latin-America states. hence by increasing American’s influence and trading ties throughout its region to the south, which encompasses Cuba, the USA can ensure its security from any foreign aggression. Inevitably, Cuba is significant to the USA because of its geographical proximity that the control of this strategically important region will ensure the USA’s security.

The second reason explaining why Cuba is significant to the USA is that Cuba safeguards some of American economic interests in its country. As the USA has set up a pro-American government in Cuba, American companies would want to invest heavily in Cuba’s sugar and tobacco. Taking advantage of Cuba, American companies could buy land to set up plantations and build factories to process these raw materials. Sugar and tobacco are also the two extremely important commodities and products consumed by the Americans. By 1926, American companies has owned 60 percent of Cuban sugar industry and the USA has already become the largest sugar and tobacco’s export market of Cuba. Therefore, it is undeniable that Cuba is significant to the USA because it helps safeguarding American’s economic interests in products such as sugar and tobacco.

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- Cuba is strategically important to the US as Cuba was close to the US and a gateway to the Caribbean islands. It was seen as very important for the safety of the US since US wanted to expand it’s territory to ensure its safety

- US wanted to safeguard economic interests in Cuba. American countries owned 60% of the Cuban sugar industry. American companies also vested in construction of railways and telephone networks. The sudden change of sugar prices due to reliance on sugar for economic dominance of US over Cuba, had created an economic gap between the small number of rich Cubans and the majority of poor Cubans

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Cuba was the so called ‘gate’ of the Carribean. The Carribean islands were where the spehere of influence of America were located. The islands were of great strategic importance due to their close proximity to the southeastern US. Cuba was the biggest of the islands, and therefore was the most importsnt of them all.

In addition to location, Cuba held many economic benefits for the US as well. The tropic conditions were perfect for the growing of sugar and tobacco, two very important commodities in america. As such, many companies had invested in plantations and set up factories to process these items. So many in fact, that up to 60% of the Cuban sugar industry was American owned.

In summary, Cuba was important as whoever controls Cuba has a huge influence over the Carribean and the American tobacco and sugar market, as well as has influence on the southeastern US.

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The Cuba was significant to the USA due to its strategic importance and economic value.

Due to the Monroe Doctrine which states that the Americas are under the USA's protection, the USA viewed the Americas as its own sphere of influence. Cuba, with its close geographical proximity to the USA and being the gateway to the Caribbean islands, was therefore seen to be extremely important to the security of the USA.

After Cuba's independence from Spain with USA aid, the USA set up a pro-American government in Cuba and did not allow the government to make alliances with other countries without the USA's approval. Because of this, it encouraged American companies to invest heavily in Cuba's sugar and tobacco industries. This would later be the backbone of Cuba's economy. By 1929, American companies owned 60 percent of the Cuban sugar industry and the USA was a major market for Cuba's sugar and tobacco produce. American companies also invested in the construction of railways and telephone networks, among a range of other enterprises.