Historiography on U.S.-Cuban relations has tended to cast an aura of inevitability on Fidel Castro's Revolution—as well as on Cuba's clash with the United States after 1959. Indeed, much of the historiography suggests that it was Washington's hegemonic approach to Cuba that was responsible for creating the structural disequilibrium that made revolution and the rupture of bilateral relationships inevitable. In this talk, Dr. Pettinà argues against this view, maintaining that the US-Cuban relationship during the 1930s and '40s was marked by a reciprocal cooperative attitude that favored the island's democratic consolidation and economic development. The tremendous impact of the Cold War on US-Cuban relations played a crucial role in destroying the equilibrium of earlier decades, destabilizing the island's political system, and creating fertile ground for the crisis of the 1950s. For captions, transcript, and more information visit www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5571.

Be the first to comment