Cuban Revoution Case Study: 20th Century Wars and Authoritarian Rulers

Platt Amendment (1901)

permitted US involvement within Cuba international and domestic affairs for enforcement of Cuban independence

Bastista Regime

regime caused social division within Cuba, with the wealth being concentrated in the Pro-American and landowner part of society

- 70% of Cuban industry owned by the US

- Batista policies aided wealthy landowners and did not do much for the normal, making wealth gap larger

- served as a strong economy due sugar, making it a Banana Republic

- Smoot-Hawley tariff from Great Depressions caused lack of Cuban exports elsewhere, meaning that the economy dipped; this dependency on the US alienated ordinary workers since loss of export income

Batista as a Military Dictator

Batista was the president from 1940-1944 beforehand and was the leader of the military - in 1952, he led a coup and held power until 1959, operating as a military dictator

- Suspended constitution that held reforms, and he favored the US and wealthy again

- Mafia involved in Cuban politics and led organized crime

- As things got worse, the oppression of opposition was suppressed of civil liberties

Moncada Barracks in July 26, 1953

Attacked by Castro to take out Batista regime before it could consolidate power

- Failed, with many of the rebel forces dying. Castro and Raul were arrested

Fidel Castro

Joined Orthodox Party in the 1940s to run for a seat in the Cuban House of Representatives for the 1952 election, which never happened.

- After his trial in the Mocada Barracks, he gave a "History will Absolve me" speech - this promoted free healthcare and education as well as widespread land access.

- 2 yr prison

- nationalist who wanted an independent Cuba. He was anti-American and imperialistic, and very, very pro-Cuban

- Influenced early by writer Jose Marti, who was a Cuban writer that was foundational in Cuban independence

- Did not become socialist until later in his term - he leaned in socialism due to his orthodox affiliation and his association with Che, who was socialist

M.26.7 movement

Worked with Che in Mexico for the M.26.7 Movement (Che was a Marxist revolutionaire that worked within the revolution)

- hated the US and liked guerilla warfare tactics. He was there during the coup against the Guatemalan government.

1952 Granma Yacht campaign

He and others sailed from Cuba → Mexico with the aim of overthrowing him

- Fled to the Sierra Maestra mountains and led the Sierra Maestra campaign, where he gained support from the poor and laborers

- Propaganda such as the 1957 CBS News "Cuba's Jungle Fighters" made Castro in a good light compared to Batista. Another example is the El Cubano Libre

Consolidation of Power: Social

The Granma was a state sanctioned newspaper that paid Castro's events as a success

- Radio Havana also put out ideological things that were pro-communism and kept revolutionary spirit alive

- Posters, graffiti, etc spread ideological messages but were restricted

- built a cult of personality

- Broke the Latifundio system, distributing large land away from landowners and to peasants and state reserves via the 1953 and 1963 laws

- Succeeded in the 1961 Cuban Literary Campaign, which decreased illiteracy to ~3% from ~23%

- More gender equality: 1975 Family Code took down gender roles and encouraged men to stay in the house and women could join the economy

Consolidation of Power: Political

Established the Council of Ministers to be the highest branch of Cuban Government, with people from the M267 movement and communists placed into power in replacement of union leaders

- 1940 constitution was said to be revived, but was not done until 1976; done to persuade the people

- Held public show trials for Bastistanos where they were put on "trial" but never saw trials and instead were just killed.

- People who did not match Revolution or agree with it were persecuted - they were allowed to leave to the US

- Set up the Committee for Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) that reported opposition

- Examples: Huber Matos was someone close to Castro that protested against him after he converted to communism. Put in jail for 20 years. Then Armando Valladares refused a pro-Castro sign on his desk and received jail time

Consolidation of Power: Economic

-1. Agrarian Reform Law (1959)

- Limited landownership and expropriated large estates, especially U.S.-owned sugar plantations.

- Maximum private holdings were capped; surplus land redistributed to peasants or state farms.

- Increased state presence in countryside through the INRA (National Institute of Agrarian Reform),

2. Nationalization of Industry (1960-61)

- Castro nationalized:

U.S.-owned oil refineries

Sugar mills

Banks

Utilities

Foreign businesses

Later most Cuban private businesses

- This removed the wealthy/business class as a source of opposition.

- Put the economy directly under government control.

2. Urban Reform Laws of 1960-1961

- Implemented different kinds of government programs to make housing and rent more affordable

Minorities under Cuba

Black Cubans were still impoverished.

- Homosexuals were put into labor camps called uMAPS, which ended in 1960.

- Jehovah's Witnesses also placed in uMAPs.

- Those who were religious were not wanted in the government or in political organization; religious freedom in Christianity was allowed

Foreign Policy

After 1959 - expelled American industry and nationalized all oil refineries and sugar industry parts, eradicating US involvement in the economy.

- US resents Cuba because they are trying to be independent of the US - then, Castro signed a trade agreement with Nikita Kruschev, motivating Eisenhower to plan the Bay of Pigs invasion. This was called The Agreement on Trade and Payments (1960)

- Castro asked for defensive weapons to be sent to Cuba from the USSR to defend against the US. The USSR sent over defensive weapons, and the US was okay with it because they were defensive and not offensive. Suprise -- actually Cuban Missiles!

- Nuclear warheads and medium-range intercontinental missiles sent to Cuba, prompting the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis in October

- Castro helped out Argentina, Africa, Somalia etc to help in the revolutionary movements that involved Communism. Also helped Sandinistas in Nicaragua, placing him in an indirect battle with the US.

- Major part of Non-Aligned Movement (organization wanting independence from major int. organizations) and led several meetings

US on Cuba

Cuba alignment with USSR motivated Eisenhower to plan the Bay of Pigs invasion.

- Used the CIA to train Cuban exiles in the US and arm them to go into Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro. Many were killed.

-JFK was reluctant to sign Bay of Pigs, but was convinced by advisors to sign it.