I want to look at the foreign policy pursued during the Cold War, specifically in the Caribbean, and see how it led to a growth in national identity for Cubans. On one side, there was mass aggression by the United States against Cuba through embargoes and the Bay of Pigs invasion, and on the other, Russia had a strong influence over Cuba at the time. I hypothesize that both the aggression of the United States combined with the Russians’ political control over Cuba will lead to the development of a strong Cuban identity. I believe those two factors, combined with Fidel Castro’s fiery leadership, is a recipe for a surge nationalism.
Primary Source:
Castro, Fidel. “Fidel Castro Denounces Aggressions Against Cuba.” The Black Scholar 8, no. 3 (1976): 10-17.
Secondary Sources:
Bain, Mervyn J. “Russia, Cuba and Colonial Legacies in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal of Transatlantic Studies 15 (2017): 1-17.
Dunne, Michael. “Perfect Failure: The USA, Cuba and they Bay of Pigs, 1961.” The Political Quarterly 82, no. 3 (2011): 448-458.
Fagen, Richard R. “Mass Mobilization in Cuba: The Symbolism of Struggle.” Journal of International Affairs 20, no. 2 (1966): 254-271.
LeoGrande, William M. “A Policy Long Past Its Expiration Date: US Economic Sanctions Against Cuba.” Social Research: An International Quarterly 82, no. 4 (2015): 939-966.
This is an interesting topic! I have always enjoyed learning about the Cold War, however, I mainly know about the United States’ role. This is a great topic to research and I am looking forward to hearing about the Cold War in respect to another country. Additionally, I am excited to see the primary sources you use to see how this time period shaped Cuban nationalistic identity.
I am excited to read your research on this topic! Cuban politics and foreign policy have been so influenced by the United States and Russia since the start of the Cold War, which is an interesting topic in itself, but I’ve never thought of this in terms of how it shaped national Cuban identity. I am curious to see what you find in terms of whether this phenomenon or Castro’s leadership, or both in combination, led to a surge in nationalism.
This is a really interesting question that also seems like there will be plenty of material to work with. It might be interesting too to see how Cuba interacts with other nations today. Their relationship with Venezuela after the Bolivarian Revolution, as well as their general perspective on pan Latin-Americanism, both seem like things you could talk about as potential conclusions.
Great topic, Shane! For historians who look at this topic, I’d start with Louis Pérez, Michelle Chase, or Lillian Guerra.