Anger, Anti-Americanism, and the Break in U.S.-Cuban Relations

In the breakdown of relations between the United States and Cuba in the months following Fidel Castro's revolutionary triumph, anger was a critically important factor in the decisions taken in both Washington and Havana. Castro's anger manifested itself in speeches caustically critical of the United States (though some were calculated attempts to mobilize popular support by appealing to Cuban nationalism). U.S. policymakers found Castro's “anti-Americanism” deeply insulting and infuriating. A growing literature in international relations recognizes that emotions are a long-neglected yet important factor in foreign policy decision-making.