US foreign policy after the Cuban Revolution changed the way that the Cuban nation legitimated itself, which in turn influenced its national interests, and the way it interacted with other states...Show moreUS foreign policy after the Cuban Revolution changed the way that the Cuban nation legitimated itself, which in turn influenced its national interests, and the way it interacted with other states on an international level. This thesis and its following research contextualizes itself in the Cold War era - in 1959 after the Cuban Revolution up until recent history - and examines the key concepts of legitimacy, national security, and foreign policy while investigating their specificities in regards to the Cuban state. It also attempts to understand how political struggle with the US has shaped these things, and has forced the Cuban state to adapt. The first chapter introduces the key concepts, and provides a theoretical framework which remains the backdrop throughout the other two chapters. The second chapter introduces the case of Cuba, and provides a historical contextualization of the period after the taking of power of Fidel Castro and the Revolutionary government up until the end of Castro’s leadership. The third chapter dives into the start of the period after Castro’s exit from Cuban politics, and examines how the period of Obama’s administration from 2008-2016 is unique in comparison to its preceding history. It also analyses how the use of state legitimacy in Cuba has changed. Finally this thesis attempts to answer the question: To what extent is Cuban state legitimacy impacted through aggressive foreign policy with the US?Show less
