Cuban+Revolution+-+12-13



The Revolution officially began in 1952 when the dictator Sergeant Batista seized power. This corrupt election was manipulated by Batista in that when he realized that he was losing, he cancelled the elections. This is when the rising political star, Castro comes to play. On July 26th, 1953, Castro mobilized and selected the Moncada barracks as his target of attack. In this attack, several federal soldiers were killed, and Fidel Castro was captured soon after. Even though he was imprisoned for 15 years, in 1955, he and his fellow rebels planned the next attack. He met up with Cuban exiles and planned the “26th of July Movement.” As Fidel Castro was fighting in the mountains, other rebel groups gained power by fighting in the cities mainly by guerrilla warfare. Batista tried to wipe Castro and his rebels out by sending the army, but the soldiers returned wounded, and some even decided to switch side or desert the federal army. Batista, realizing Castro’s inevitable victory, decided to flee. From then on, Castro was considered as a political star and Cuba’s national hero.
 * BRIEF DESCRIPTION **


 * THE MAJOR PLAYERS **
 * 1) Fidel Castro: With the leadership, charisma, and willpower, definitely was the biggest player in that he made everything happen. Overthrowing Batista and seizing the power, Fidel Castro created for a major turning point in Cuban history. Whether people love or hate him, they cannot deny the fact that Castro was one of the most influential men of his time.
 * 2) Fulgencio Batista: Considered as the dictator of Cuba, he tried to seize power through illegal means in 1952. However, under Batista, the economy of Cuba prospered, but only for the riches. The poor suffered at the bottom and waited for a leader to come in and give them the rights and equality that they deserve.
 * 3) Raul Castro: Often forgotten, Raul Castro was Fidel Castro’s little brother who was his side kick during the Cuban Revolution. He eventually succeeded his brother’s seat as the president when Fidel Castro was too sick to continue his presidency. Many people believe that the Cuban Revolution would not have been successful without Fidel Castro’s trustworthy little brother, Raul Castro.
 * 4) Ernesto Che Guevara: Guevara was one of the men that Fidel and Raul Castro recruited for the revolution. He was an exile from Mexico, and was often believed to be an idealist. He joined, and became one of the leading figures during the fight. Even after the Cuban revolution, he stirred up other communist revolutions in nearby nations

March 1952: President Batista seizes power with military assistance July 26th 1953: Fidel Castro and his supporters attack the isolated Moncada barracks 1938: Various types of revolts are shown, The 26th of July movement is on April 9th, 1958. Furthermore, in March, the US suspended the supply of arms to Batista 1959: Batista flees Cuba, and on February 16th, Fidel Castro becomes president
 * DATES TO KNOW **

Victory awaited Fidel Castro and his supporters. Having defeated the dictator Batista, Castro was welcomed back to the city with joyful cheer. He gave speeches to every town and finally entered the Havana on January 9th. Castro cleared off all remnants of the decade gone past. Even though Castro made his way up to the top and consolidated his power, he was actually a communist which became an obstacle for the United States because of the incidents such as the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States also imposed a trade embargo in 1962, stagnating the Cuban economy. Overall, even though the Cuban people were granted freedom, they were now officially a communist nation, becoming a real pain for the United States to deal with.
 * THE OUTCOME **

Under Castro, Cuba became more open and active in the international arena. For example, Cubans intervened in Angola in the 1970s to support a communist movement. However, possibly the greatest impact of the Cuban Revolution would be that because of the Cuban Revolution, other countries looked to Cuba as an example. Many rebels in various countries mobilized and tried to change the system of government. For example, in Nicaragua, the rebels succeeded in overthrowing the existing government. In South America, Chile and Uruguay faced similar situations. Even though the international community regard the Cuban Revolution with a frown, many Cubans still admire Castro and embrace the revolution, while many Cubans hate Castro and often resorted to fleeing. The impact on various countries is mixed, and so is the response of its citizens.
 * THE IMPACT **

-Batista&. "Cuban Revolution." //ThinkQuest : Library //. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.  -"Buzzle." //Cuban Revolution //. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. . -Category. "The Cuban Revolution." // Latin American History //. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.  -Category. "The Cuban Revolution: Major Participants and Events."Latin American History N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. .
 * MLA CITATION **