LAH3931 Cuban Revolution Midterm Flash Cards

most of them i think?

Fulgencio Batista (1934-40)

Authoritarian ruler of Cuba before the revolution whose government was overthrown by Fidel Castro and his guerrilla forces in 1959.

• 1933 Revolution brought down the U.S. backed dictatorship, establishing government of 100 days under provisional president Ramon Grace San Martin

• FDR’s lack of recognition (diplomatic denial) of post-1933 Provisional Revolutionary Government meant no standing in economy for Cuba.

• Batista’s Reign of Terror (34-40, 52-58)— ruled through a series of appointed puppet presidents, repressing revolutionary workers, students, and political activists from 1934-36 (Immediate U.S. recognition in 1934). Charged these people with “subversion” and “terrorism” without trial.

“New Batista” (1937-40)

• US withdrawals due to focus on WW2 and Great Depression lead to surprising projects from Batista (loving side of king von?)

• Freedom of political prisoners, legalization of political parties, school funding by taking sugar exports, creation of civic military academies in rural communities, calls for elections and promises to step down if not in power, legalization of the opposition, elections and a new constitution

• In election of 1940 Batista defeated Grau San Martin by 225,000 votes due to his courting and pledging of support towards the Communist Party (PSP). Between 1940-44, Batista enacted laws of the 1933 Revolution that he had once repressed.

Cuba 1940 Constitution (1940-42)

Following provisions:

• Discrimination on the basis of race and gender declared illegal (vote was unanimously in favor of this one)

• Labor Laws of 1933 Codified (8 hour workday, maternity leave, right to strike, equality in labor rights, minimum wage, limits on giant landholding)

• Creation of Ministry of Labor

• Established that at least 50% of all employees in any business had to be native Cubans (bc pre. batista government has subsidized white immigration and public sector jobs for Spaniards)

• Agrarian reform (limits to maximum landholding w/ compensation to owners)

• Freedom of speech, press, peaceful protests guaranteed

Carlos Prío Socarrás

• Democratically elected president of Cuba between 1948-52 before getting deposed by Batista’s coup-de-tat in 1952.

• Leader of the Cuban Auténtico party

• Criticized by sources such as Eddy Chibas who saw Socarras as a new elite and as involved in corruption as the rest of the government

Auténticos

Partido Revolucionario Cubano Auténtico

Political party in Cuba that operated between 1934-52 before Batista' coup and Fidel Castro’s regime change.

• Ramon Grau (1934-48) and Carlos Prío Socarrás (1948-52) both democratically elected Auténtico presidents

• Batista ran most party leadership into exile following March 10, 1952

• Helped catalyze Batista’s coup after meetings with party members and using Auténtico/Ortodoxo party relations to create violence and chaos on the streets and lead to more paranoia and fear

Ortodoxos

Partido del Pueblo Cubano – Ortodoxos

Cuban political party founded by politician Eddy Chibas, considered more of a ‘movement’ than a political party.

Founded in 1947, rising to prominence between 1948-51 before effectively being deposed by Batista’s 1952 coup.

PROGRAM:

• “Humility against Money!”

• No “pacifismo” or pacts with other parties

• Believed in socialism, goverment investment in infrastructure, schools, agrarian reform. Wanted the government to buy out all major utilities, including electrical grids, railways, and telephone companies.

• ANTI-IMPERIALISM

• NO IMPUNITY, wanted to prosecute and imprison corrupt politicians

FEU (Federación Estudiantil Universitaria)

Cuban organization representing revolutionary university students. Originally intended only for students at the University of Havana but quickly opened its doors to university students across the island. Founded 1922.

• Following Batista’s coup on March 10, 1952 it created within its own ranks a revolutionary directorate staunchly opposed to the new dictator.

• Jose Antonio Echevarria (President)

• members of revolutionary brigade tried to bait getting beat up by Batista officers to create public sympathetic image

• Mass March with candles to invoke the blackout of Eddy Chibas

• 1957 the University of Havana closed due to Batista’s restrictions and children and teachers went to the Sierra Maestra instead of school

• Jose Antonio Echevarria meets with Fidel Castro in 1955 in Mexico

26th of July Movement (M-26-7)

Cuban revolutionary organization named after the July 26, 1953, attack on the Batista Army-occupied Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba.

• Made up of members of the Ortodoxo Youth, including leader Fidel Castro and his brother Raul Castro.

• Attack originally had 129 attacking though only 18 survived, with Fidel arrested until 1955 after a two-year long political campaign for his release (History Will Absolve Me Speech iykyk), before fleeing to Mexico.

• December 2,1956 the exiled revolutionaries returned to Cuba on the Granma, where only 22 of the original 82-person boat group survived and made it to the Sierra Maestra mountain range.

• Movement mostly made up of professionals and engineers

• Fidel Castro as the “one face” of the M-26-7

• Batista claims Fidel Castro dead!!!

• July 1958 only about 400 members of the guerilla army

• M-26-7 start war against Batista in April 1958 by having general strikes in the population

MANIFESTO:

• “The causes that provoke class antagonism must be eliminated”

• Military police make life primitive; a new government must evolve and break free from the totalitarian regime of Batista

• The State is obliged to protect and provide means for jobs and economic opportunity

MORAL WAR!

• M-26-7 went to local peasant communities in the Sierra Maestra mountain range and made them take ‘loyalty oaths’

• Killed/Executed local sexual offenders and thieves (June 1957 onwards), Fidel and priest of guerrilla didnt take part in any executions

• Andrew St. George does 4 part series of interviews w/ the M-26-7, huge showstopper for the American and Cuban public when Fidel is pictured alive on the front page. (Evolution of the guerrilla army in recordings, photos, writing)

• M-26-7 were acting like a state by the Spring of 1958

  • Schools for peasant children

  • Charging tolls on local roads

  • Taxation office for coffee regional producers

  • requisition of trucks and jeeps (Batista army and general population)

  • destruction of trucks holding materials meant for Batista’s military — military turned themselves over to M-26-7

  • requisition and reconcentration of peasants into camps around cities

“Party of Batista” - March 10, 1952

Bloodless military coup occupying the University of Havana, all Cuban military garrisons, and all Batista-opposed newspaper offices. No private individuals were to use the radio (total censorship) and 1000 army officers were arrested immediately.

FEU students and faculty took back over the University of Havana, but the U.S. had an almost immediate recognition of Batista’s regime (by March 27).

• Used louspeakers of the school to denounce Batista’s regime, broadcasting in place of the fully censored radio

• Batista army broke in and beat and horrifically abused and tortured students

• Educators at the head of FEU created a document outlining Batista’s wrongdoings and denouncing his coup-de-tat but the U.S. ignored and made sure it wouldn’t be published.

Following the coup Batista ran most Autentico and Ortodoxo party leadership into exile.

BATISTA’S RULE (1952-58)

• Investment if millions of dollars into police station building in urban Cuba (colonial appearance and watchtowers)

• Reliance on young admirers

• Censorship of reports on poverty in Cuba, vast network of informants using payment as method

• IMAGE MAKING: Batista only in military garb once a year, paid publicity agent, orchestration of mass rallies

• Saw value in reaching into rural sectors and giving them leisure and power

• increasing under-employment

• stagnation of diversification of agriculture

• cronyism (appointment of friends and family) replacing free trade

• civil service doubles in size without the service, loyalty to Batista job requirement

Platt Amendment

U.S. Legislative measure enacted in 1901 following the Spanish-American War (1898) and the U.S. occupation of Cuba, during which the U.S. sought to establish and strengthen its influence in Cuba. Policymakers and politicians used it to restrict radical policy out of general fear of a U.S. invasion and reoccupation.

MEASURES:

• no treaty with foreign governments that will impair Cuban independence

• no foreign powers will colonize or control the island (monroe doctrine!)

• Cuban government cannot assume any foreign debt

• USA may intervene in Cuba for “Cuban Independence”

• All acts of the U.S. in Cuba during military occupation are ratified and validated

• U.S. permanent treaty to maintain these points

Los Clandestinos

Underground networks that opposed Batista’s rule between 1952-58.

• Printed pamphlets and newspapers in underground factories, distributed them secretly and documented what was nowhere else (ie otherwise censored by Batista)

• Civic resistance (distribution of postcards to tourists showing abused citizenry)

• July 26, 1957 red and black balloons released on Havana at 12 noon to show vast, visible membership

• sold bonds in the U.S. to finance the cause

M-26-7 were clandestinos, as were FEU and the Directorio Revolucionario.

Manuel “Manolo” Ray

Cuban Engineer and public works developer, as well as Secretary General of M-26-7’s Action and Sabotage Units. (1924-2013)

• Created the “Night of 100 Bombs” wherein 80+ bombs were placed in the elite nightclubs and going-out spots after hours (planned to go off in the middle of the night and not hurt/kill anyone)

  • designed to show the middle class that they needed to fight back against Batista too

  • December 1957

  • only 2 people killed (bomber and tourist)

• Escorted and kidnapped Grand Prix Winner Juan Miguel Fangio and discussed/feasted with him about the evils of Batista and praised the M-26-7, encouraging him to tell the world about Batista (Fangio invited to the island by Batista!!)

• Escaped by Manolo’s wife Aurora was arrested and her home was raided by Batista’s movement (SIM) 3 different times

• After Fidel’s rise, by November 1959, Ray resigned from his position due to his disagreement with the increasing Communist influence in the Cuban government. By November 1960 was forced into exile.

Fall of Batista!

November-December 1958 - DR’s guerilla forced controlled El Escambray in the center and the M-26-7 controlled most of the Oriente province in the east.

December 22, 1958, U.S. government privately abandons all support for Batista.

• U.S. desires Batista to capitulate to government caretakers to ensure Fidel Castro doesn’t come to power… Batista refused

Battle of Santa Clara, December 28-31, 1958, proved decisive only because Batista fled Cuba, ending the war (Batista leaves Jan 1 1959)

• all military personnel and bases surrender

• surrender of Camp Columbia (permanent garrison base during the U.S. military occupation (1898–1902) then training camp for Cuban army (1902–1959))

• DR take presidential palace and University of Havana

January 6, 1959, Fidel Castro 6 Hour Camp Columbia victory speech (white dove speech, nationally televised) / ALSO day that U.S. recognized the new regime

January 8, 1959, capture of Havana and instatement(?) of transitional President Manuel Urrutia w/ Commandants Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.

Confederacion de Trabajador de Cuba (CTC)

The Workers Central Union of Cuba, a trade federation founded in 1939 Havana. Originally headed by Communist leaders who supported and collaborated with Batista for the recognition of the Communist Party, Communists quickly lost control in the mid-1940’s.

• By 1958, the labor movement powerful force in Cuban society, swaths opposing Batista

• After Cuban Revolution in January 1959, CTC was brought in line under Cuban Communist Party with those in the leadership of the CTC becoming more supportive of the country's government after purges and reported marginalization

• Nationwide panic over the La Coubre explosion allowed radical reorganizaton of power in CTC, leader purged after staunch defense of his unions interests (accused of mujalismo).

• October 1964, reported split in the CTC between "new" and "old guard" Communists

1st Agrarian Reform Law (May 17, 1959)

May 17, 1959, written by the ‘Tarara Group’ - (Che Guevara, Raul Castro, Vilma Espin, Osvaldo Dorticos, Alforedo Guevara)

PROVISIONS:

• Set maximum and minimum sizes for landholding

• Compensation

(Land owners mad because compensation was spread across 25 years and the value of the land was MUCH higher than Cuban government compensation. The law only affected 3% of all landholders—but land was so concentrated among a small elite that overnight, the state gained control of 44% of all arable land.)

• abolished land rents and share-cropping arrangements

• 110,000 peasant families suddenly owners of the land

Suspected effort by the PSP to take control

Ernesto “Che” Guevara

Raul Castro

Directorio Revolucionario (DR)

Independent, student-led armed activist group. Emerged in 1955 in opposition Fulgencio Batista’s dictactorial regime in 1955 under Jose Echeverría until his murder in 1957. The group was dissolved and absorbed into the M-26-7 and PSP in 1961.

Guajiro Invasion of Havana

On the 6th anniversary of the M-26-7, 500,000 peasants were brought to Havana for the week-long celebration of the Agrarian Reform. (July 26, 1959)

• Wealthy Habaneros hosted them in their homes

• Fidel Castro resignation overshadowed by this

• Guajiros arrived by boats, planes, horse caravans

• Peasants cheered by Habaneros everywhere they went, “diplomats of the other Cuba”

  • CTC donated one days wages

  • Bakers donated 9 million loaves of bread, everyone joined in on festivities

• Thousands hosted at the University of Havana while Fidel Castro personally inspected their beds

Dulles Brothers (Allen and John Dulles)

Fidelismo

1959-Fall of 1961 (really summer 60-fall 61) revolutionary government nationalikzed all remaining foreign owned businesses/properties in Cuba, as well as locally owned infrastructure and businesses

PSP

Huber Matos (October 1959)

Cuban rebel, commandante, INRA enforcer, and political dissident who fought with the M-26-7, and whose arrest in October of 1959 represented a turning point in the Revolution’s transformation.

• Born in Oriente and went to the University of Havana

• Was appointed Commander of the army in Camagüey in January 1959

• In July 1959 denounced the direction the revolution was taking by giving openly anti-communist speeches in Camagüey. Months long fight with Fidel before Matos just resigned after replacement of Urrutia with Dorticos.

• October 1959, after letter of resignation, Fidel sent fellow revolutionary leader Camilo Cienfuegos to arrest Matos. Cienfuegos arrested him but refused to handcuff him.

• Manolo Ray, Cienfuegos, Che, and President Dorticos all thought this was a mistake and refused/tried to steer Fidel away from denouncing Matos as a traitor.

• This refusal led Fidel to call for a mass rally where he directly called Matos a traitor and called for Matos to be shot as one (court of public opinion)

• Held in prison for 20 years

• claimed he would “always be a revolutionary

Mikoyan Visits Cuba (February 1960)

In February of 1960, Soviet Vice Premier Anastas Mikoyan visited for a high-profile diplomatic reception, meant to inaugurate the traveling exhibit of Soviet culture and products that would be held at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Havana.

• Purely trumphalist view of the state-owned press

• Most Cubans opted to treat Mikoyan’s presence as a testament to Cuba’s newfound national sovereignty rather than any potential alliance.

• Cuban justification of developing a relationship with the Soviet’s based solely on belief in Fidel’s word

• $100 million dollar trade agreement with Soviets after the visit

• Student protest against Mikoyan visit “Fidel saved Cuba, Mikoyan will sink it!”— stopped by police for marching in portest without government permission

• Student protesters arressted after gunfire somewhere in crowd, crowd of revolutionary citizens attackjed and started beating them, arrested only so public wouldn’t kill them… scared

La Coubre Explosion (March 1960)

On March 4, 1960, the French Ship La Coubre exploded in Havana Harbor, killing over 75+ people. This was the first major terrorist attack after the revolution, and its brutality shocked Cubans.

Fidel and the rest of the revolutionary government believed it was a sabotage attack by the United States but the U.S. denied any involvement.

• La Coubre was a historical marker that helped create “two sides” (us v them mentality)

• All top commanders of the Revolution united in a massive public march repudiating the assault on Cuba.

• Fidel exploited the events to create a stronger Cuban nationalism, permanently changing the motto of the M-26-7 from “Fatherland or freedom” to “Fatherland or Death”

• This accusation of U.S. involvement greenlit the U.S. to take more visible/intense efforts against Cuba

National Newspapers Taken Over (May 1960)

Workers took over the remaining two national newspapers — Prensa Libre and Diario of Marina “in defense of the revolution”.

• Press close, Cubans in Havana celebrate by holding mock funerals of the independent press.

• These papers had been highly critical of Batista

“sociolismo”

“Buddyism” — rather than socialismo, or the economic, cultural, and political principle of Cuban racial and social equality.

• Fears around sociolismo came about when Cubans were running private enterprises that only benefited their local communities rather than the Cuban state at large.

• Zafra unintentionally brought about sociolismo, fostering brotherhood and a “euphoria” as the revolution in popular minds centered around community rather than in blind defense of Fidel.

To combat sociolismo, Fidel closed all bars, nightclubs, leisure and tourist facilities in March 1968.

• He additionally had 57,000 officially sanctioned remaining small businesses nationalized— no compensation to owners unlike 1960-61

• Cubans required to join mass organizations

• goals: to create a truly “communist economy” based entirely on volunteer labor

“radio bemba”

Lip Radio, the primary weapon against CDR members, as word of mouth and community connection helped to counteract CDR talking points. In opposition to Radio Bemba, CDRs deployed tapabocas, “mouth-shutters.”

2nd Agrarian Reform

Launched October 3, 1963, with the following provisions:

• Increased state control of farms and land

• Greater economic and political alignment with the Soviet Union

• Sugar production fell by 33% in 1963

• Law-Decree 285 stopped small farmers from selling extra

Columna Juvenil de Centenario (Centenary Youth Column)

Work camp project between 1968-70, meant to recruit young able-bodied women for voluntary, unpaid agricultural labor ("trabajo productivo") and to incorporate women to participate in informal economic Revolution efforts.

• David Stone and the Weather Underground short films show some of these women and the JC’s at their heads.

• Manual laborers at the camps were committed for at least three years, and were organized in military fashion into platoons and battalions headed by leaders of the Juventud Comunista (Communist Youth).

• Leaders were appointed and selected through rigorous auto-critica sessions and constant perfectionism

• Improvement of ‘cultural level’, selected all different types of girls from different walks of life

Voluntarism

Political principle that relies on voluntary actions by citizens

Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la Producción (UMAP)

Forced Labor Internment camps for homosexuals along with certain religious denominations introduced and used during the mid-to-late 1960’s.

emulacion (emulation)

autocritica (self criticism sessions)

Communist obligation for a public recognition of one’s own errors and the errors of others. Helped to select members of the Communist Youth AND create Che’s ideal of the “New Man”

La Offensiva Revolucionario