Cuba since 1895: the Pursuit of Independence (U02567)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCA-3-U02567

This course will introduce students to Cuban history from the Second War of Independence to the present day. It will ask why the war that ended nearly 400 years of Spanish colonial rule on the island concluded in 1898 with US military occupation rather than victory for the revolutionary forces of ?Cuba Libre?. It will analyse the mechanisms of US control in Cuba following the inauguaration of the Republic in 1902. Particular attention will be paid to socio-economic and cultural ties of dependency based on sugar monoculture. However, a key theme of this course is the importance of nationalism as a vehicle of socio-political change. It will look at Cuban responses to foreign domination that culminated with the triumph of Fidel Castro?s twenty-sixth of July movement in 1959. It will assess the nature and the policies of the Castro regime, and ask whether dependency on the US was simply replaced by dependency on the Soviet Union. The course concludes with an examination of the crisis but continuing survival of the Castro regime following the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Visiting students should normally have 3 to 4 History courses at grade B or above. Before enrolling students on this course, Directors are asked to contact the History Honours Admissions Secretary to ensure that a place is available (tel. 503783).

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, students will have developed a knowledge and understanding of the main developments in Cuban history from 1895. They will acquire the following generic and subject-specific skills:
(i) The ability to analyse significant events and themes in a specific historical period;
(ii) The ability to organise data from an array of sources, in particular primary sources under tutor supervision;
(iii) The ability to collate information and explore in greater detail aspects of the course raised in seminars;
(iv) The ability to utilise historical terminology in a clear and concise manner. The ability to cope with different historical approaches in areas of controversy.