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The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981

The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981. Truman, Eisenhower, Castro, Kennedy, Castro, LBJ, Castro, Nixon, Castro, Carter, Castro, Reagan, Castro, Castro, Castro…. Questions to Consider. Was U.S. Latin American policy guided by ideology or economic interest?

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The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981

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  1. The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981 Truman, Eisenhower, Castro, Kennedy, Castro, LBJ, Castro, Nixon, Castro, Carter, Castro, Reagan, Castro, Castro, Castro…

  2. Questions to Consider • Was U.S. Latin American policy guided by ideology or economic interest? • Assess the policies of President Truman, containment and its implication for the Americas. • Review the policies of President Eisenhower and U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles: the reasons for the New Look and its repercussions in the region. • Evaluate the foreign policies of presidents Kennedy to Carter, the characteristics and reasons behind policies. • Understand the effects of the Cold War in Chile.

  3. Harry Truman 1945-1953 • Democrat • First U.S. Cold Warpresident • Truman Doctrine, Containment • Hands full with Europe and Asia • Latin American policy emphasis on keeping commies out of the region

  4. Truman 1945-1953 • Latin American leaders expected continued U.S. support of Good Neighbor Policy in return for their support to the U.S. during WWII • Reciprocal Trade Agreements • Nonintervention • Economic support (Marshall Plan for Latin America • Pan- American (Regional) Conferences • L.A. leaders emphasis on economic development, U.S. emphasis on anti-communism and national security • Act of Chapultepec (1946) self determination, sovereignty • Rio Treaty (1947) – mutual defense for American states

  5. Truman 1945-1953 • Truman admin. Interprets Rio Treaty as extension of containment policy, positive U.S.–L.A. relations based on being anti-communism • 1947, U.S. pressures Brazil, Chile, Cuba to ban communist organizations and break diplomatic relations with USSR • “Compulsory, automatic (Cold War) allies of the U.S.” • Many in Latin America saw Rio as a return to pre-Good Neighbor • School of the Americas • Established 1945 by US in Panama to train LA military units • National Guard units in Central America used to protect dictatorships in Central America (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Dominican Republic )

  6. Truman 1945-1953 • Organization of American States (OAS) • Formalization of regional defense pact • Once again administration emphasis on Cold War defense and anti-communist pledges (in spite of State Dept calls for security through economic development) • Truman’s 1949 Inaugural Address “Four Point Program” • Point Four- scientific, technical and financial aid to the developing world. • Less 3% of US aid goes to Latin American states • Louis Halle (US State Dept) Mr. Y Foreign Affairs

  7. Truman 1945-1953 • Bolivia • 1952 Revolution • Election won by left-leaning Victor Estenssoro, (land reform, universal suffrage) • Truman refuses recognition of Estenssoro government • NSC-141 • “seek first..orderly political and economic development which will make LA nations resistant to internal growth of communism and Soviet political warfare.” • “seek hemispheric solidarity in support of our world policy.”

  8. Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961 • Republican • Hands full with budget deficits • New Look, Domino Theory • CIA covert operations • Guatemala, Cuba • The Dulles brothers

  9. Ike 1953-1961 • National Security Act 1947, creation of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) • Collect intelligence and data on foreign governments • Section 102 cl. 5 “fifth function” …to perform other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the NSC may from time to time direct.. • Eisenhower under advice of Sec. of State John Foster Dulles and CIA director Allen Dulles used covert ops in Iran, Guatemala and planned action for Cuba • Plausible deniability

  10. Ike 1953-1961 • New Look • Shift in military budget from large army and navy to building the air force and nuclear stockpile. • More bang for the buck. 1953= 1,200 nukes, 1961=22,000 • USSR building its own stockpile since 1949 • Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) • Brinksmanship • John Foster Dulles’ moral crusade against communism, shift from mere containment to freeing oppressed peoples of the world (Guatemala, Vietnam) • Growing reliance on CIA covert operations (cheap, fast, deniable)

  11. Ike 1953-1961 • New Look in Canada • North Amercan Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) 1958 • Early warning system of potential Soviet air raid (bombers and missiles) • Preemptive move by Canadian government

  12. Ike 1953-1961 • New Look in Latin America • John Foster Dulles, communism on the rise in Latin America • Domino Theory (his proof, China) • Hindsight is 20/20 • U.S. perceives everything through pinko Cold War glasses • Leftist leaders in LA may have had Marxist ideas but did not support Stalin or his methods • Land reform was a major political/economic issue in LA. More about nationalism than communism • Haciendas and plantations • Ejido • United Fruit Company (el pulpo)

  13. Ike, The Dulles Brothers & Guatemala • United Fruit Co.(UFCO) • US company est.1889. Invest in LA, cheap land, labor and taxes = big profits • Invest in railroads and ports to support exports • LA dictators (ex. Jorge Ubico) welcome UFCO investment with low taxes, anti-union policies, and national guard troops • UFCO amasses millions of acres of prime growing land but only cultivates 15% of its holdings

  14. Ike, The Dulles Brothers & Guatemala • First Democratic Elections in Guatemala 1945 • JacoboArbenz campaigns as a left leaning reformer, becomes president in 1951 • Agrarian Reform Bill/Decree 900 • Expropriation of uncultivated land • Purchased at tax value, paid for with sale of bonds • 1.5 million acres redistributed to 100,000 families • UFCO refused Guatemalan gov. offer, US State Dept intervenes on behalf of UFCO • Dulles connection

  15. Ike, The Dulles Brothers & Guatemala • US (Dulles Bros.) see Arbenz as a communist • Pressures Organization of American States (OAS)to issue Caracas Declaration (1945) in which member states vow to stop Marxist influence within their governments. • US declares an embargo on Guatemala • Operation PBSUCCESS • CIA covert operation to overthrow Arbenz • Arbenz fearful of a coup requests arms sales from US (unaware that the CIA is behind coup) • US refuses arms sales, Arbenz seeks weapons from Poland (Soviet Satellite state) • US uses arms sale as proof that Arbenz is communist

  16. Ike, The Dulles Brothers & Guatemala • The Coup • Honduras base of operation, CIA funds a small army led by exiled General Castillo Armas • Ahead of Armas CIA launches psyops: radio broadcasts of false troop movements, CIA pilots in false marked aircraft buzz Guatemala City • Panic ensues, Guatemalan army refuses to fight • Arbenz resigns an goes into exile

  17. Ike, The Dulles Brothers & Guatemala • The Coup Aftermath • Armas is installed as the new president and reverses Decree 900, restoring all expropriated land to UFCO • Operation PBHISTORY • Armas marks the beginning of a string of brutal dictators to rule Guatemala until 1999. • Today, Guatemala is poorest state in Central America

  18. Glorious Victoryartist Diego Rivera

  19. Vice-Pres. Nixon Visits Latin America • May 1958 Ike sends Nixon to LA • Shocked by widespread anti-US protests (students) • Caracas and Lima students turn violent • US State Dept blames communists agitators • Nixon urges Ike increase economic aid to LA • US recession and deficit spending force Ike to cut economic aid to LA

  20. Revolucion • July 26th, 1953: Fidel Castro and 160 rebels are defeated in their attack on the Moncada army barracks in attempt to overthrow dictator Fulgencio Batista • Fidel and brother Raul are arrested and sentenced to 15 yrs. prison, only to be released in 1955. • Castro bros. meet Ernesto “Che” Guevara in Mexico, organize the 26th July Movement, and launch another attack in 1958. • Castro’s revolutionary army retreats to Sierra Maestra & builds peasant support for the revolution. • Eisenhower cuts ties with Batista and embargoes arms shipments to Cuban government (Why?)

  21. Post-Revolution 1959-1960 • Castro begins to purge the military and police of Batista loyalists • While visiting the U.S., Castro says "I know the world thinks of us, we are Communists, and of course I have said very clear that we are not Communists; very clear." • Eisenhower officially recognizes Castro’s post-revolution Cuban government.

  22. Post-Revolution Period 1959-1960 • U.S. concerned by Cuban agrarian reforms including redistribution of land, tries to pressure Cuba economically by cutting Cuba’s sugar imports and oil exports from the U.S. to Cuba • March 1960, the Le Coubreexplodes in Havana harbor.(sound familiar) • March 1960: Eisenhower authorizes the CIA to recruit and train Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro. • October 1960: U.S. imposes trade embargo. So, Cuba began to open trade relations with the Soviet Union. • January 3, 1961: US withdrew diplomatic recognition of the Cuban government and closed the embassy in Havana • Kennedy is elected president Nov. 1960

  23. More to Come…

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