Yr 11 MODERN HISTORY Prelims - The Cuban Revolution

Fulgencio Bartista

A prominent Cuban military official who served two terms as president (1940-44 & 1950-59). In the 1950s, he built a corrupt dictatorship butwas overthrown by the revolutionary movement

Ernest ‘Che’ Guevara

Argentinian revolutionary who joinned Castro in the war against Bartista. After victory, Guevara became a Cuban citizen and held several important posts in Castro’s government.

Fidel Castro

Cuban revolutionary leader who organised the succesful war against Batista. Castro went on to lead Cuba as a dictator.

Why was there unrest in Cuba?

As tabacco and sugar was Cuba’s main exports, when sugar prices started fluctuating, causing unemployment and unrest. America had a big hand in the Cuban economy, as they controlled the sugar and tabacco industrys, and controlled Cuba’s mines, rail rodads, electricity and phone system.

Who was the first Cuban dictator?

General Geraido Machado in the mid 20s. Forced to flee Cuba in the 30s, no presidents after brought any real stability.

What was Cuba like under President Bartista?

Batista was incredibly corrupt, and did not stabilise Cuba during his presidencies or dictatorship, actually making it worse. His systems prioritised the elite and foreign interests (USA), and suspened civil liberites and human rights. He profited from the Mafia, prositution and gambling that was destroying the Cuban economy.

What was the ‘Platt Amendment’?

a treaty between the U.S. and Cuba that attempted to protect Cuba's independence from foreign intervention. It permitted extensive U.S. involvement in Cuban international and domestic affairs for the enforcement of Cuban independence

What was America’s involvement in Cuba before the revolution?

In the 20s and 40s, the US invested a lot into Cuba, building many hostels and cassinos, as well as owning large sugar plantations - owned 60% of sugar production in the 20s.

What was the Cuban social pyramid like?

Cuban population: 5.9 million
1.5 mil in extreme poverty (25.4%)
3.5 mil poor (59.3%)
900 000 extremley wealthy (15.3%)

What was the Moncada Barracks attack plan?

Located in the Oreint (poorest) Cuban province, the attack was planned by Fidel and Raul Castro to attack the barracks and raid it for weapons - the first step in the revolution. 165 men in total were to attack the barracks and a nearby outpost in the early morning of July 26th 1953.

What went wrong during the Moncada Barracks attack?

Two cars of rebels got lost and one car got a flat tire. When they did arrive at Moncada, the soldiers were ready and opened fire. Many rebels were killed, catured and executed or imprisoned.

What did Castro do while representing himself and Raul in court?

He gave the “History Will Absolve Me” speech in which he claimed he would overthrow the Fulgencio Batista and restore the Cuban Constitution of 1940. His main promises included social reforms, economic improvements, and the establishment of social justice for the Cuban people.

What were the main causes of the Cuban Revolution?

The preconditions included:
an econimally advancing society created conflicts, pressure and opportunity for a new kind of government.
growing class conflicts as wealth was not evenly shared amoung the people even though the country had it.
A growing class of well educated of people that began to question why Cuba was the way it was in terms of class and wealth.
A government unwilling to listen and refusing to reform or change, as well as being corrupt.
A financial crisis with the Great Depression making everything worse for the middle/lower classes.

The July 26 Movement

In 1955 Fidel and Raul are realesed from prison, and flee to Mexico. They began forming a revolutionary group called the July 26 Movement after the failed Moncada attack to start a revolution in Cuba. Che Guevara joins Castro at this time

What is guerrilla warfare and how was it used?

A type of tactic where instead of full blown fighting, your objective is harassing, delaying, and disrupting the enemy's military operations. It relies on support of the people. The July 26th Movement used small, mobile units for hit-and-run tactics and ambushes in the mountainous Sierra Maestra to undermine the Batista regime

The main description of guerilla warfare by Mao Zedong

the enemy advances → retreat
the enemy stops → harrass
the enemy avoid battle → attack
the enemy retreats → follow

What happened in the Cuban Revolution?

In Dec oif 1956 the July 26 movement landed in Cuba and was attacked by the military that had gotten wind of the coming invasion, killing at least 20 of Castro’s men. 17 out of 82 of the rebels that had returned to Cuba survived and took refuge in the Seirra Maestro. They gained the trust of the villages surrounding them and published the “Sierra Manifesto” to gain support of the public. On the 1 January 1959, Havana is captured by Guevara, and Batista flees the country. Castro enters Havana on the 7th and the US recognises the new government. Castro is now prime minister and basically boots the US out of Cuba.

How was the Communist state created in Cuba?

After the revolution, Castro did not give the free elections he had promised, and began putting his politcal rivals on trial and jailing them. He limited freedom of press and took foriegn owned property without compensation. He openly denounce the US and started seeking support from Communist states (such as the Soviet Union). He reformed the economy so that Cuba became more independant, though it relied more on the Soviets.

What were Geuvara and Castros main ideology?

Centered on complete anti-imprealist idependence for US and foriegn domination of Latin America. They believed armed revolution was the only effective path to socialism as peaceful change couldn’t fix economic and social problems. They supported Third World revolutions such as those in Africa and Asia.
Guevara thought creating “New Socialist Man” would be motivated by morals rather that material incentives, working for group benifit instead of individual gain.

What influence did the revolutionary ideology have on Latin America?

It shaped Latin America during the 60s-80s. Revelutionaries from countries such as Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatamala, Argentia, Chile and Colombia either took inspiration from theories or used geurilla tactics and incorperated Guevara and Castros thinking.
These ideologies also pushed a lot of politics across the region leftward.

What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

A failed invasion of Cuba in April 1961 by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles, aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro's government. The operation, heavily supported by the U.S., collapsed within days due to poor planning and execution, resulting in the capture and imprisonment of over 1,100 exiles. It was thought by the US that the public and military would be in support of the invasion. The invasion's spectacular failure was a significant embarrassment for the Kennedy administration, strengthened Castro's regime, and pushed Cuba into closer alignment with the Soviet Union. 

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war after the discovery of Soviet nuclear-armed missile sites in Cuba after being photographed by two planes. Castro wanted Nikita Krushchev (the Soviet leader) to fire the missiles and sacrifice Cuba in nessacary, but Krushchev had already contacted JFK and agreed to remove the missiles without consulting Castro. Castro was furious.

What has been the legacy of the Cuban Revolution in Cuba?

Transformed Cuba into a one-party socialist state with significant achievements in healthcare and education, creating universal systems that became models for developing nations. The revolution eliminated extreme poverty and illiteracy while providing free medical care and schooling. However, it also established an authoritarian system with limited political freedoms, restricted press, and controlled economy. Many Cubans fled to the US, particularly the wealthy and middle classes, creating a large exile community in Miami. Economic problems persisted due to the US embargo, Soviet dependency, and centralized planning inefficiencies.

What has been the legacy of the Cuban Revolution internationaly?

became a symbol of successful anti-imperialist resistance and inspired revolutionary movements across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Cuba positioning itself as a leader of the Third World. It demonstrated that small nations could challenge superpower dominance, inspiring both admiration from the left and fear from established powers. The revolution's legacy remains polarizing, celebrated by some as anti-imperialist victory and criticized by others for authoritarian outcomes.