Using Costa Rica as a example, Longley carefully examines the development of the successful relationship between a nonindustrialized country and the United States, revealing the complex forces at work in resistance and accommodation.
During World War II and the immediate postwar era, both the United States and Costa Rica experienced dramatic changes. The United States assumed world leadership and the accompanying responsibilities; Costa Rica encountered far-reaching difficulties that culminated in the Civil War of 1948 and the rise to power of José Figueres. Longley examines why the United States supported Figueres and emphasizes the history and role of Costa Ricans, primarily the figueristas, in maintaining good relations in such a difficult era. Figueres implemented economic and political nationalism, which produced domestic and international tensions, and in spite of its rejection of similar policies in Guatemala and Iran, the United States supported Figueres against domestic and foreign threats.
PrefaceThe Switzerland of the Americas: Costa Rica and the Foundations of Cordial Relations with the United StatesLaying the Foundations of Change: The United States, President Rafael Angel Calderón, and the Rise of José Figueres, 1940–1944The Times are a-Changing: The Emergence of Problems between the Picado Administration and the United States, 1944–1948The First Latin American Battleground of the Cold War: The U.S. Response to the Costa Rican Civil War of 1948The First Time Around: The Costa Rican Junta and the United States, 1948–1949The Calm before the Storm: The Presidency of Otílio Ulate and the Rise of the Partido Liberación Nacional, 1949–1953Resistance and Accommodation: The United States and the Nationalism of José Figueres, 1953–1957Oftentimes the Tail Wags the Dog: Trends in Relations between Costa Rica and the United States during the Rise of José FigueresNotesBibliographyIndex