The Cuban case

Résumé du document

In this document, we find answers to the questions: To what extent did the particular situation of Cuba in the post Second World War era influence the international relations theory? According to the current international relations theory, what are the perspectives for Cuba today? International relations theory is likely to be a functional tool of comprehension of world politics, but it is also to some extent, a result of world politics. In fact, it appears that the Cuban crisis was a turning point in the Cold War and in international relations in general. The modification of the international relation system at the time gave rise to new analysis, leading to new international relations theories. This sequence was even more important after the USSR collapsed and brought an end to the Cold War. The Cuban foreign policy had a major role in shaping the international relation system all along the second half of the twentieth century and participated in elaborating new international relations theories. The actual situation in Cuba is also of great interest. Since the 1960s, the world evolved with Cuba which was still stuck in the same internal situation it was during the Cold War and the same political regime leaded by Fidel Castro.

Extraits

[...] Kennedy in 1962. With L.B. Johnson, relations began to thaw, and a dialogue was open. In the seventies, several progresses were made in reaction to a series of plane high jacking, resulting to cooperation, and official visits even started to develop. But with the Reagan administration, the Cold War was back, and so was Cuba's situation. The embargo was toughened, including a travel ban and an interdiction to spend money in Cuba. Thus the Cuban position in international relations was not very comfortable ever since the Cuban missile crisis, still ignored by the United States and gently slipping away from the Soviet Union. [...]

[...] Realpolitik was not a major concern but was an ideological struggle. Some other theorists refer to the cold war in terms of economic alliances and material gains, without considering the ideological factor. In the power transition theory of A.F.K. Organski, the international system was hierarchical rather than anarchical, with nations pursuing net gains rather than power. The theory implies a dominant nation and an unsatisfied nation (the Soviet Union), the relative power of the two nations being dependent of the internal domestic development. [...]

[...] International relations theories evolved from this event As seen above, the Cuban missile crisis is more likely to enforce classical theories, or at least their derived theories. The small role given to the United Nations seems to invalid the liberalist and neo- liberalist international relation theories. The crisis was a matter of power, security, and “high politics” between independent states in an anarchic international system: therefore, it is the glory hour of realism and neo-realism. It is precisely for this reason that the Cuban missile crisis is important. [...]

[...] The Soviet Union finally caught up also concerning the hydrogen bomb. The two sides quickly attained a state of Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.), perfect illustration of the realistic balance of power in its more simple form: the military power. The liberalist theory seems quite relevant here, because of the ideological dimension of the conflict, which is not taken into account by the realist theory. As important elements of worldwide tension, it is worth mentioning the background of the “space race” as well as the “spying war”. [...]

[...] Superposing the Cuban change of side there is a tense worldwide context. II) This leads to the Cuban crisis, a major turning point in international relations, and in consequences, in international relations theories. The Cuban missiles crisis appears to match the realism theory. Consequences regarding international relations. International relations theories evolved from this event. III) The consequences of the crisis on the Cuban international relations made Cuba a quite isolated state, but not for long considering the likely perspective of the death of Fidel Castro. [...]