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Origins and Nature of Authoritarian and Single-Party States: Cuba (Fidel…
Origins and Nature of Authoritarian and Single-Party States: Cuba
Fidel Castro
Cuban Revolution
3 stages to take into consideration:
the Granma Expedition (1956)
marked the beginning of the armed struggle at a national level
1956: Fidel and Raúl Castro returned from exile on the overcrowded and poorly equipped yacht
Granma
landed on the southern coast of Oriente
along with 80 rebels who had been recruited in Mexico
heavily laden with men, weapons and supplies of additional oil (so it could reach the shores of Cuba)
radio failed and engines were poor
Granma reached Cuba 2 days behind schedule
the urban arm of the '26th of July Movement' (under command of Fran País) had prepared a strike in Santiago de Cuba in support of the landing
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Castro had failed to make contact with those who had prepared land support for the operation
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increased opposition throughout Cuba
1957-58: anti-government rebellions led by several groups in the cities
included an attempt to seize the presidential palace and murder Batista
failed - but showed the President how difficult it had become to remain in power
Batista struggled to control the situation - his response was so violent that it embittered the people against him
other important members of the '26th of July Movement'
some played an important role in the struggle for power; other continued to work in the revolutionary government
Raúl Castro
Fidel Castro's younger brother
participated in the Moncada Assault (1953)
imprisoned and exiled to Mexico along with Fidel Castro
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since 1959, he acted as Fidel's right-hand man
has served in many key positions:
appointed President in 2008 following his brothers resignation due to health
head of the (Cuban) Communist Party
Minister of Defence
Vice-President of the Council of State
Vilma Espín
wife of Raúl Castro
took part in urban uprisings in support of the Granma expedition
after the revolution she founded the Federación de Mujeres Cubanas (FMC, Cuban Women's Federation)
a member of several government organisations
died in 2007
Camilo Cienfuegos
survivor of Granma expedition
responsible for many of the victories of the guerrillas in the Sierra Maestra
he became head of the a red forces (due to success of revolution)
died in an aeroplane accident in 1959
Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
medical doctor
born in Argentina
travelled throughout Latin America - became convinced that the region needed a solution to its poverty and corruption
met Castro brothers in Mexico and then joined the Granma expedition
a leading figure in the Sierra Maestra fighting
became an icon of the revolution
after the revolution
responsible for the purges of Batistianos and other opponents
head of the Bank of Cuba
Minister of Industry
was persuaded of the need to spread the revolution worldwide - travelled to Congo in 1965 in support of a revolution
the revolution failed and he was killed in Bolivia in 1967
Haydée Santamaría
sister of Abel (who was killed in Moncada Assault)
one of the few women (along with her friend MelbaHernandez) to participate in the Moncada Assault
responsible for distributing copies of Castro's 'History will absolve me' speech
after the revolution
he role in the development of a Cuban culture was fundamental
1959: founded Casa de las Américas - a key literary institution of Cuba which was visited by leading intellectuals and artists from all over the world
committed suicide on 26 July 1980
Celia Sánchez
close friend of Fidel Castro
an early member of the 26th of July Movement
responsible for providing land support for the Granma expedition
in Sierra Maestra, she contributed to the founding of the female 'Mariana Grajales' army
occupied different government positions until her death in 1980
The Campaign in the Sierra Maestra (1956-59)
ended with his Rebel Army's victorious entry into Havana city in January 1959
the 12 survivors of the Alegría del Pío ambush hid in the Sierra Maestra to regroup and emerge as the Rebel Army
support for Castro (and the rebels) from the people of the Sierra Maestra increased over time
supplying army with food and shelter
joining the rebels
Why were Cubans Attracted to the 26th July Movement?
peasants got to know a different type of army (Rebel Army)
completely different to the national army Batista had used to suppress unrest
Castro's forces did not steal from peasants - always paid for food they were given
Castro's forces respected women
they put their medical doctors at the service of the peasants
taught the peasants to read and write
helped peasants with household chores
leaders explained what they were fighting for and what kind of new society they wished to achieve
most important element in new programme - Agrarian Reform
promised peasants an end to the ownership of large estates by a small sector of society or companies
committed themselves to a fairer distribution of the land
use of radio
spread their message and news about events in the Sierra
Radio Rebelde ('Rebel Radio')
began to broadcast from 'the territory of Free Cuba in the Sierra' in 1958
Castro himself addressed the people on Radio Rebelde - in a style that everyone understood
Castro ensured that people found out what government censorship was hiding from them about the fight against Batista
news about progress made in Sierra Maestra encouraged urban support for the revolution
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Historians
Leo Huberman and Paul Sweezy - Cuba: Anatomy of a Revolution, 1960
'in the two-year period from Christmas, 1956... until Batista fled and his army surrendered on January 1, 1959, nearly all class of the population had identified themselves, in varying degrees with the July 26th Movement.'
'some [classes] became an integral part of it because they believed in its revolutionary program; others made common cause with it because it had become the most effective force in the struggle to overthrow Batista'
'to offset this overwhelming superiority in men and weapons, the revolutionary army had 3 advantages:'
'(2) unlike the government soldiers, the rebel soldiers weren't paid for fighting - they fought for something they believe in'
'(1) the battle was to be on its home grounds, a terrain of rugged mountains and treacherous jungle made to order for guerrilla warfare and defensive fighting'
'(3) their leaders were men of outstanding ability - inspiring, humane and master strategists in guerrilla warfare'
'the rebel leaders' humanity - and excellent strategy - were illustrated in the order to the revolutionary army that captured soldiers were to be treated with kindness, their wounded given medical attention'
fighting alone did not guarantee the success of the revolution
the 26th of July Movement needed to make alliance with other political parties and define the future of Cuba after the defeat of Batista
Therefore, Castro made contact with the leaders of different political parties
by 1958, under the Pact of Caracas, the vast majority of opposition recognised the leadership of Fidel Castro
Pact of Caracas included all main political parties and organisations (including the communist PSP - had remained critical of the Moncada attack and Castro)
pact was a heavy blow to Batista - openly exposed his political isolation
Batista launched a major attack against the Guerrillas in the Sierras in July 1958
Soldiers feared the guerrilla forces and were often isolated from relief
therefore they deserted in massive numbers, or surrendered to rebels without firing a shot
weapons and equipment left behind by deserting soldiers were used by the resistance
failed
the Moncada Assault (1953)
Consequences
marked the foundation of Castro's political movement - '26th of July'
rebels became known as the 'Generation of the Centenary'
1953 marked the 100th anniversary of the bith of Cuban hero,
José Martí
Castro became the only political leader who both complained about Batista's dictatorship and would do something about it
increased his support
despite the rebels being the aggressors, Batista's excesses in repression, torture and persecution affected his image
allowed Castro and his men to emerge as martyrs of the dictatorship
in 1954: in an attempt to legitimise his rule, Batista held elections and ran as a presidential candidate
Castro was in prison, the PSP was banned - therefore no effective opposition to his candidature
Batista used the elections to claim that he had been rightfully chosen by the people
1955: some other concessions made to appear democratic were made
Batista allowed political parties to regroup, he released many political prisoners (including both Fidel and Raúl Castro)
Fidel Castro went into exile in Mexico to prepare the revolution
despite his efforts to appear democratic, demonstrations grew in size - leading to armed clashes in towns and cities
different revolutionary organisations spread through the countryside
promoting rural insurgence
sabotaging property across the island
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organising guerrilla groups
disrupting communications and the delivery of food to towns and cities
political parties (except the '26th of July Movement) believed change in Cuba would come only after the use of force to overthrow Batista demanded elections - Batista refused to hold them
2 December 1956: Fidel Castro returned to Cuba to launch the next stage of the struggle which would take him into power (Granma expedition)
Events
26 July 1953: a group of approx. 140 men dressed in military uniforms attacked a military garrison in Cuba - the Moncada Barracks
Moncada is situated in Santiago de Cuba (in the Oriente province)
chosen for several reasons
the timing of the attack coincided with a popular celebration in the streets of Santiago - Castro hoped to find fewer soldiers int he garrison
the distance between Santiago de Cuba and Havana ensured that if Batista's troops were sent from the capital to defend the building, there would be enough time to complete the takeover
Oriente was one of the regions with the greatest social unrest - Castro thought this would provide popular support for the attack
second-largest military garrison in the country - had large supplies of ammunition (that Castro hoed to seize)
led by Fidel Castro, his brother Raúl and Abel Santamaría
most were members of the Partido Orthodoxo
attack had been carefully planned, but several last minute problems complicated it
the surprise factor was intended to be in favour of the rebels -the army managed to successfully defend the building
almost half the rebels who participated were killed, many captured and tortured to death (including Abel Santamaría)
Fidel and Raúl Castro managed to escape - but soon captured by Batista's forces and imprisoned
Batista wanted to make the trial of the rebels a great show of strength - show Cubans how determined he was to crush opposition to the regime
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Fidel Castro (a lawyer) defended himself at the trial
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provided Castro with the opportunity to be known by fellow citizens and launch the 26th of July Movement
attack against the Moncada Barracks
Aim
obtain weapons that would help spark a general insurrection against Batista
Castro believed that if the attack was successful and his men had acquired weapons they would gather massive popular support for the uprising
The Triumph of the Revolution
after the success in the Sierra (defeating Bastista's forces) Castro believed they should spread the war to other Cuban provinces
Camilo Cienfuegos, Raúl Castro and Che Guevara led the campaigns
as they moved around, they were joined by more volunteers - marched at night or under the rain to hide from Batista's planes
by Christmas 1958, the city of Santa Clara (capital of province of Las Villas) had been taken
Raúl and Fidel Castro marched towards Santiago de Cuba
meanwhile, in Havana, rebel leaders increased their acts of sabotage and their attacks against army installations
politically isolated and unable to control the situation, Batista fled Cuba on 1 January 1959
army refused to continue fighting against he rebels - an immediate ceasefire was ordered
soon after Castro and his
barbudos
('bearded men') entered Havana and established a provisional government
Background
born in 1926 in the eastern province of Oriente
father: an immigrant from Spanish Galicia - owned sugar plantations in the region
in 1945, Castro enrolled in law school in Havana
he soon joined the Orthodox Party
Castro was an outstanding orator, had an exceptional memory and a fine athlete
these factors helped him gain popularity and support within the party
1952: Castro planned to run for a seat in Congress, but elections were never held
because of Batista's coup against Prío Socarrás
Castro showed his opposition to the rule of Batista early on
in 1953, he tried to depose him for the first time
his charisma is referenced as a reason for his rise to power
Max Weber defined the characteristics of charismatic leadership as being a source of authority
authority come from the fact that the leader is set apart fro t he rest of the people because of his exceptional personal qualities or his exemplary actions, which inspire loyalty among his followers
History
historical conditions created the background against which Castro became an appealing option to many and an indisputable force to others
Cuban Independence
with the aid of the USA, Cuba lost Spanish rule in the Spanish-American War (1898)
Treaty of Paris (1898): between Spain and the USA - gave Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the USA in exchange for money
Spain lost sovereignty over Cuba (which was placed under military occupation by the US for 5 years)
in 1902, the Republic of Cuba was declared
but Cuba was not fully sovereign
by the Platt Amendment annexed to the Cuban constitution, the US kept the right to intervene in Cuba's finances and foreign relations
The Platt Amendment not only aimed at preventing the influence of third-party countries in Cuba, but also guaranteed US control of Cuban affairs
in the following years (until it's abolition in 1934) the Platt Amendment was used on several occasions to intervene in Cuban internal affairs to protect US economic interests on the island
Political
During Batista's Rule (1952-59)
during his time as President, political corruption continued
Cuban political parties did not seem to offer a genuine alternative to the existing order
the Authentic Party and the Orthodox Party were 2 main political parties in Cuba before the revolution
Louis Perez Jr:
'The Auténtico and Ortodoxo parties proved incapable of responding effectively to Batista's seizure of power'
'the Orthodox were leaderless and the Auténticos could not lead'
'After 1952 Cuba's two principal parties became irrelevant to a solution of the political crises'
'both parties, to be sure, condemned the violation of the 1940 Constitution, but neither party responded to the army usurpation with either a comprehensive program or compelling plan of action'
Partido Auténtico (Partido Revolucionario Cubano / Cuban Revolutionary Party)
founded in 1934
platform: socialist and nationalist elements
socialist: defended the rights of workers to be represented by trade union
nationalism: it's motto was 'Cuba for the Cubans'
Authentic Party leaders who ruled during one of the most corrupt and undemocratic periods in Cuban history
President Ramón Grau San Martín (1944-48)
President Carlos Prío Socarrás (1948-52)
Partido Ortodoxo (Partido del Pueblo Cubano / Cuban People's Party)
born from a split of the Authentic Party
founded in 1948 by Eduardo Chibás
Chibás was considered to be a solid presidential candidate
but he committed suicide in 1951
Motto: 'integrity against money'
played an important role in the denunciation of the corruption in Cuban politics
aims:
end government corruption
nationalise US owned companies
Castro was a member of this party - until he formed his own organisation (the 26th July Movement)
The Partido Socialista Popular (PSP / Popular Socialist Party)
represented the communists
Cuba's communist party
founded in 1925
suffered persecution and banned from participating in elections several times
in 1953: Batista banned the PSP again
the greatest challenge for the government would not come from the traditional Cuban parties
instead from Castro - a leader of a new movement
Background
10 March 1952, Batista returned to the political stage - overthrew President Carlos Prío Socarrás
he suspended the constitution to rule as a dictator
by 1934, the armed forces under the command of General Fulgencio Batista controlled the nation by the appointment of puppet Presidents
Cuba was led by a series of governments
that showed high levels of corruption and limited success in solving economic problems and social inequality
in 1940, Batista became President of Cuba and ruled until 1944
1944-1952: there was a return to democracy
corruption continued to dominate every branch of the government
Cuba faced inflation and unemployment
Economic and Social
Background
development of Cuban service and utility industries (e.g. gas, electricity, communications, railways and the banking system) relied upon large amounts of US investment
there were economic advantages for Cuba in these agreements
but it meant the Cuban economy was tied to the USA
if Washington decided to reduce the quantity of sugar bought from Cuba, the economy of the island would be seriously impacted
US capital played an important part in the exploitation of Cuban national resources
USA's interest in Cuba protected by policies that benefited American investments in the island
Cuba not an industrialised nation - dependent on the revenues from exported sugar to buy the necessary manufactured goods and oil
Cuba known as 'the sugar bowl' - a monoculture economy
it also produced tobacco, coffee and rice but the production of sugar provided the most important income
Washington bought a significant percentage of Cuban sugar production at prices higher than those set by the international market
in exchange, Cuba was to give preferential access to American products
During Batista's Rule (1952-59)
one reason why the Cuban economy worsened was the decline in sugar prices on the international market
as the price of sugar dropped, Cuba found it more expensive to purchase the goods it had not produced at home
this situation is known as the 'deterioration of the terms of trade'
because of its international obligations with the USA, Cuba could not successfully develop an industry to substitute its imports
a measure many Latin American countries had taken by the end of WWII
as economic problems worsened, social and political unrest developed
Batista moved from making concessions to using repression to maintain control of the country
the rise in the costs of imports led to shortages and inflation
the rise in the price of oil affected transportation and the operation of sugar mills
increasing unemployment to an alarming 17% (late 1950s)
13% level of underemployment and low wages for those who were employed
these conditions increased opposition to Batista's dictatorship
urban workers were affected by the economic problems (inflation and underemployment)
Student unions demanded freedom and democracy
higher social classes were losing their purchasing power and their businesses were being affected by the atmosphere of economic uncertainty
opposition however was not organised and had not yet found a leading figure
Social
Background
Cubans enjoyed a better standard of living than workers in other regions of the continent
but they were affected by many social and economic problems
ownership of land and the sugar mills was largely concentrated with the upper class and foreign companies
sugar workers were seasonal - there were months when they did not have steady employment
illiteracy was widespread - 50% in certain areas of the countryside
few rural areas possessed running water or electricity
access to health and education not available to all
housing was limited
wages werel low
living conditions for workers were precarious
During Batista's Rule (1952-59)
rural workers, poorly housed and under-educated did not support Batista's regime
Batista - to what extent did he contribute to the success of the revolution?
success of guerrilla war was in part because of the excesses of the regime
police and army imprisoned and tortured anyone suspected of being a rebel or of helping the rebels
led to the death and imprisonment of many innocent men and women
to reduce support for rebels - Batista ordered peasants to evacuate whole areas of the countryside
those who remained were treated as traitors
to wipe out rebels who could not be seen in the thick jungle - entire plantations were set on fire
caused peasants to lose their crops
government wanted to frighten citizens so that they would not help the rebels
instead people were drawn to the rebels due to their hatred of the government
Batista launched a major attack against the Guerrillas in the Sierras in July 1958
failed
Soldiers feared the guerrilla forces and were often isolated from relief
therefore they deserted in massive numbers, or surrendered to rebels without firing a shot
weapons and equipment left behind by deserting soldiers were used by the resistance
Elections held in 1958
Batista's candidate, Andrés Rivero, was fied to win
outcome disappointed the few who still hoped for a democratic solution to the conflict
Rivero did not receive US support - because they had also still hoped for a democratic solution
in disagreement with Batista's violent and corrupt actions - US imposed an arms embargo on Cuba in March 1958
this complicated government access to weapons and ammunitions
had a demoralising effect on the army
Batista still refused to negotiate
he rejected a proposal from the USA: for him to capitulate to a caretaker government - which the US would give military and diplomatic assistant to
in order to prevent Castro coming to power - US officials feared Castro might turn to communism