...Fidel Castro’s Influence on the Cuban Revolution, 1953-1959 The year was 1953 and Fidel Castro was a dashing and daring reformer that was determined to make a impact in a country that was ruled by an unjust president. With the Movement strong and confident, Castro delivered these strong words to his group of men: “In a few hours you will be victorious or defeated, but regardless of the outcome – listen well, friends – this Movement will triumph. If you win tomorrow, the aspirations of Martí will be fulfilled sooner. If we fail, our action will nevertheless set an example for the Cuban people, and from the people will arise fresh new men willing to die for Cuba. They will pick up our banner and move forward... The people will back us in Oriente and in the whole island. As in '68 and '92, here in Oriente we will give the first cry of Liberty or Death!” These words by Castro illustrates what type of leader he was and still is to this day. Castro is one of the most polarizing figures in Cuban history, with many natives of Cuba arguing that he was the central cause of the destruction of Cuba, while others consider him to be the visionary that saved Cuba from the destruction that would have come about if a capitalist system had been instituted instead of a communist one. Actions taken by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution shaped Cuba politically and socially to what we know it to be today. Fidel Castro was born in southeast Cuba, in the Oriente Province on August 13, 1926...
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...William Mati Mr.Laing CHC- 2D0 June 1, 2012 Fidel Castro: A leader without limits Fidel Castro was an extraordinary leader who fought for the good of his people and led them to victory in the Cuban revolution. This victory did not only prove Fidel's courage by standing up against the Cuban government and standing up for the poor, but it also demonstrated his determination to become victorious. However, in order to overthrow the government, Castro would have needed supporters for his cause, in which his charisma helped influence. Such a revolution would be impossible to achieve if Castro was not an extraordinary leader. Fidel Castro was courageous, charismatic, and determined. First, Castro always displayed courage and bravery throughout his lifetime. After he witnessed what was truly occurring in Cuba, Fidel began to doubt the political system and the rein of Batista. As a result, Fidel had begun to participate in revolutionary campaigns and speaking out against Batista. On July 26 1953, Castro participated in a battle between the guerillas and the military. Many of the guerillas were killed, but luckily for Castro, he was sent to prison and later exiled to Mexico, where he formed a revolutionary group. Forming another group displayed courage by attempting another assault on Batista and risking death. Since Castro supported communism, he was put at further risk because the concept of communism was looked down upon. "The Communist Party with only some ten thousand members...
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...The Memory of Fidel Castro The 20th century was the era of the dictator. Around the world, dictators rose and affected millions of lives for better and for much worse. In 2016 Fidel Castro, the communist dictator, passed away and left behind a controversial legacy. Castro's regime leaves behind a polarized memory split between people who him and heroify him. Some people view him as a great liberator of Cuba and some consider him a ruthless oppressor of his dissenters. Cuba is an anomaly among countries due to Castro’s policy on decolonization that has enriched the lives of many while simultaneously oppressing and destroying the lives of countless others. While Castro created many social movements such as health care and education that benefited...
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...Organization & Leadership - Assignment Fidel Castro is one of the most recognizable leaders in world history. He led Cuba as Prime Minister and, subsequently, as President for almost fifty years. He was born and raised upper-middle class as his father was a very successful farmer and did quite well for himself and his family. There were several key events that led to Castro’s rise as a powerful leader and shaped him into the man who successfully led the Cuban revolution. First of all, although he benefited from a decent education and was exposed to the upper echelon of society at times, he also played with and grew up around the children of the migrant workers of the farm. He maintains that this conservative upbringing helped him to stay grounded and to develop empathy for the working class. Consequently, Fidel rebelled against what he perceived to be classism. While in law school in Havana, he became intertwined with the student protest movement. The government of the time decided to crack down on student protesters and a lot of student leaders were being killed. Instead of fighting against the governmental regime, however, the student protesters began turning on one another and becoming involved in crime. Being surrounded by this, Fidel decided to focus on political goals where he became enthralled by anti-imperialism and the opposition of U.S. involvement in Cuban (and Caribbean) politics. Law school exposed Castro to several student leftist groups and he...
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...companies (and is alleged to have had partners to organized criminal activity, just like in Godfather Aspect 2). In 1951 he joined the competition to become President again, but when a study revealed him in last position he organized a second hen house and seized energy again. After the 1952 hen house Batista experienced large community disapproval and municipal disobedience, along with a revolt cause by Fidel Castro which was mashed (don't fear, Castro becomes essential again later). The US had many linked with Cuba, which legalized betting in and create an effort to woo United states travel and leisure. Prostitution also became very typical. Cuba encounters large extensive hardship because Batista put all the nation's sources into offering vacations for the wealthy Individuals in america he did company with. He announced an election in 1954, but with himself as the only lawful applicant. Student demonstrations and road riots became very typical and Batista organized energy only with the aid of an army that many suspicious was funded by the United States. Gradually Fidel Castro's put back together army dislodge him and in 1959 Batista left to Individuals from France, which was then a fascist dictatorship under Oliviera Salazar, and also remained for a while in Italy, which was also a fascist dictatorship, under Common Franco. Castro's 26th of this summer Activity won the Trend because they...
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...A revolution is a radical change of an established government, political system, or social structure often accompanied by violence. Imperialism is the policy of extending the rule of an empire or nation over other countries or acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies. Both of these concepts were key during the Cuban revolution held in the XXth century. The Cuban revolution was an armed revolt led by Fidel Castro’s 26th of july movement and allies against the authoritarian government of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista. The revolution started in 1953 and lasted 5 years and a half until 1959 when the rebels finally ousted Batista, however the causes to it weren’t just short term but also long term ones. The purpose of this essay is to analyze both of this types of causes which led together to start the revolution. The long term causes started with the Cuban ten years war also known as the great war in 1868 to 1878. This war was part of Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain due to that it was the first of 3 wars between the 2 countries. In October 10 1868 sugar mill owner, Carlos Manuel Cespedes and his followers proclaimed independence beginning the conflict. The Cuban people demanded 4 main things to the Spanish parliament: Tariff reform, Cuban representation in parliament, judicial equality with Spaniards and full enforcement of a slave trade ban, however the Spanish government denied all of this demands which caused discontent among Cubans and ended in a conflict...
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...Latin American Politics and DevelopmentThe Cold War, the Cuban Revolution, the spread of guerilla warfare and the doctrine of National Security in Latin America | During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union fought together as allies against the Axis powers. However, the relationship between the two nations was a tense one. Americans had long been wary of Soviet communism and concerned about Russian leader Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical rule of his own country. For their part, the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II, which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Russians. After the war ended, these grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity. Post-war Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe fuelled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what they perceived as American officials’ rhetoric, arms build-up and interventionist approach to international relations. By the time World War II ended, most American officials agreed that the best defence against the Soviet threat was a strategy called “containment.” In 1946, in his famous “Long Telegram,” the diplomat George Kennan explained this policy, The Soviet Union, he wrote, was “a political force committed fanatically to the belief that with the U.S. there can be no permanent modus vivendi...
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...Fidel Castro started his revolution in 1952 after Fulgencio Batista illegitimately came to power. Castro was running for congress and was outraged by Batista’s actions. This is what caused Fidel to fight back against the government. Ever since 1953, Fidel had been leading attacks against the government. One such attack took place on April 3, 1958 when Castro led his rebels to attack Havana. Although this attack did not overthrow the government, it was another example of how Castro was becoming a force to be reckoned with. President Batista now realized his regime was at risk of being overthrown and on May 24, 1958, Batista began an offensive against the rebels. Batista's government began to weaken further as the US stopped selling arms to Cuba. This was done in an effort to prevent Castro’s rebels from obtaining weapons but also greatly affected the government....
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... The Cuban flag rising on May 20th 1906 – The people revolted after the president rigged the elections for reelection. The US had to step in to keep order. Charles Edward Magoon was appointed governor for three years. Tomás Estrada Palma First president of Cuba 1908 – Cuba is made independent again with José Miguel Gómez as president. The US continued to be involved the in Cuban gov’t. 1940 – A new constitution was introduced that reworked things like labor laws and health care. Fulgencio Batista was elected president. Cuba had many Communist Party members in the cabinet at...
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...There are many views that people have of Cuba’s Fidel Castro. Castro is a figure with opinions on both ends of the spectrum. While he is not worldly popular at this point in his life, he was immensely beneficial to his country. Fidel Castro, leader of Cuba for the past 50 years may not be viewed in the best light, but he did phenomenal things for his people which makes him one of the most undervalued and overlooked political figures. Fidel Castro Ruz was born in Biran, Cuba on August 13, 1926 (Britannica, 2014). Born into a middle class sugar farm owning family, Castro grew up relatively affluent but his origins pointed to anything but a revolutionary career. “I was born into a family of landowners in comfortable circumstances. We were considered rich and treated as such. Everyone lavished attention on me and treated me differently from other children. These other children went barefoot while we wore shoes; they were often hungry, at our house there was always a squabble at the table to get us to eat.” – Fidel Castro (Castro, 2009) Fidel Castro’s family was not Rockefeller rich, but had far more than many other people did in Cuba at the time. Due to this he attended an elite Catholic private school. Castro was very much into politics, while attending the University of Havana he joined a student group that opposed political corruption. He was a member of the Orthodox Part, also known as the Cuban People’s Party (Geyer, 1991). With Fidel Castro’s exceptional public speaking skills...
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...forces that led to the 1959 Cuban Revolution were the Monroe Doctrine, The Platt Amendment and the ruthlessness of the Batista puppet government. In 1823, President James Monroe affirmed that the United States would not become involved in European affairs and that Europeans should no longer interfere with any part of the Americas. Monroe stated that any attempt by a European power to influence or colonise any independent nation in the Americas would be seen as an attack on the peace and safety in the United States. This statement became known as the Monroe Doctrine. Its aim was to limit European influence in any part of the American continent as well as the Caribbean. The Platt Amendment, which was contained in the new Cuban constitution in 1902, gave the United States the legal right to intervene in Cuba in order to protect ‘life, property and individual liberties.’ The terms of the Platt Amendment included: - Restricted Cuba’s ability to make treaties with other countries - Gave the United States the power to intervene in Cuban affairs - Gave the U.S the right to buy or lease land for military use - Guaranteed the right to use land indefinitely The Platt Amendment effectively placed Cuba under American control. Majority of middle class Cubans were frustrated by its lack of political power and influence. Many Cubans were fed up of being ruled by big countries and wanted independence. Another factor that led to the Cuban Revolution was the ruthlessness of the Batista...
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...In this discussion, what will be reviewed over is the details on the Bay of Pigs Invasion. What is the Bay of Pigs? The Bay of Pigs was actually not a war but rather an invasion in Cuba on a bay called Bahia de Cochinos or otherwise known as Bay of Pigs (“JFK Waits for Word on the Bay of Pigs Invasion”). The invasion’s name was different on what was thought to what to be caused by. The Bay of Pigs was caused because of an American – backed president, General Fulgencio Batista, was overthrown by Fidel Castro, a young nationalist that was pro communism, on January 1, 1959 (“Bay of Pigs Invasion”). This then caused the Americans to get involved. During this era, the foreign policy was the Cold War era, when the Americans were trying to stop communism (“Bay of Pigs Invasion”). Since Fidel was pro communism, this then had the Americans fearful of it spreading even more, since it was during the Cold War. During this invasion,...
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...Guantanamo Bay sits on what was once called Oriente Province. Located on the southeast corner of the island country of Cuba. Oriente Province has since been divided into five distinct provinces, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantanamo. Guantanamo Bay is situated in the belt of the Caribbean trade winds; it receives sea breezes from the southeast during the afternoons, and shortly after sunset, the wind changes to a northerly direction and becomes a land breeze. The constant breezes help to keep the bay cooler than most semi-arid deserts. However, the mountains that surround the bay to the west, north, and east shelter it from cloud systems, thus producing less precipitation and maintaining the lands aridity. The Guantanamo Bay area is a semi-arid desert very similar to the climate found in San Diego, California. With predominantly dry, sunny days ranging from 80 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly one-fourth of Guantanamo’s total average annual rainfall of 24 inches, which occurs in October. The region contains parched, brown land and woody plants and succulents capable of enduring the scarcity of water. The terrain and climate of Guantanamo Bay make it a haven for iguanas and banana rats. Guantanamo Bay was named by the Taino Indians, which is a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians, which inhabited the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, consisting of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola ( Haiti and the Dominican Republic ), and Puerto Rico. ...
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...Che Guevara: The Man and The Myth Many will call me an adventurer- and that I am, only one of a different sort; one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes. ---Che Guevara. Who was Ernesto “Che” Guevara and why did he chose to live the life of a revolutionary when he could have been an affluent doctor in Buenos Aires? Why was he to always be a “foreigner” when he loved his Argentina? What motivated him to leave his opportune life in an aristocratic family to attempt to achieve a better world for others? Che was a man with a lust for battle. No matter what he attempted, he went for it with everything he could possible give. But, what did he accomplish in that life? When his life is examined and his endeavors looked at closely, did he really make a difference in helping others to have a better life? Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara de la Serna was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 14, 1928. His father, Ernesto Guevara Lynch and his mother Celia de la Serna y Llosa were both blue-blooded aristocrats. His father’s family had lived in Argentina for over twelve generations and his mother’s family had land, both signs of money in this land of immigrants. Che’s father was “a cultivated man, very intelligent, he was active in the ranks of the Radical Party” (page 4, Compañero). Che’s mother who with her sister’s influence, would become a”socialist, anticlerical feminist” (page 4, Compañero). This heritage, especially his mother’s influence, was Ernesto’s foundation to his revolutionary...
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...relationship. In 1959, Fidel Castro and a group of revolutionists overthrew the Cuban government, changing it to a Communist country, which then created a strong relationship between Cuba and Soviet Union. During this time, the United States was at a stalemate war with the Soviet Union, now known as the Cold War. As Cuba’s relationship grew with the Soviet Union, their relationship with the United States quickly faded. As communism grew it began to ruin the United States’ idea of containment, which caused havoc within the economy. Cuba then became an enemy of the United States. Since that pivotal moment in history, the relationship between the United States and Cuba have experienced turmoil, which the current U.S. president Barack Obama, and the Cuban leader Raul Castro, have been trying to end the disorder between the two countries. In 1953 Fidel Castro and a group of 130 revolutionaries attempted to overthrow the dictatorship of Cuba but ended in a failure and later led to Castro’s imprisonment. The current dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista, pardoned Castro, which was a major mistake. In 1956 Castro lead another revolt and promised the people of Cuba that he would replace Batista’s dictatorship with free elections and also promised that he would end the corruption in the Cuban government. (Dowling) Castro wanted to overthrow Batista because of his corruption and violence. Batista was known as a cruel, corrupt man who was out of touch with the Cuban people, and simply did...
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