British Diplomacy and US Hegemony in Cuba, 1898-1964

ISBN: 0230295444

Author: Hull, Christopher

Condition: New

Utilising a wealth of British diplomatic records and other sources, this study offers fresh insights into the whole period of US political and economic domination in Cuba from 1898 until the eventful early period of the Cuban Revolution after 1959, when the hitherto close US-Cuban relationship fell apart. It investigates two British attempts to agree a commercial treaty with Cuba, and the contentious sales of arms and Leyland buses before and after the Fidel Castro-led Revolution. The book outlines Britain's economic decline through two world wars, but also the country's importance as a second market for Cuban sugar and cigar exports. It demonstrates how British governments and diplomats in Havana sought to protect their interests in Cuba, including railway and insurance companies, always sensitive to the reactions of the United States - a vital transatlantic ally with a significant stake in the Caribbean island.