Rule of Castro

POLITICS

When did Castro rise to power?

1st January 1959

What was the name of the propaganda tour Castro went on in 1959? And where was it?

Goodwill Propaganda Tour, US

Castro promises there will be elections held in how many months?

18

Castro carries out show trials and public executions of how many Batista supporters?

500

Name of the president who was forced to resign

President Urrutia

What role did Castro, Che, and Vilma Espin take on?

Castro - Prime Minister, Che - Minister of Industries, Vilma - Minister of Women

What kind of constitution did Castro announce in 1979?

A “people power” constitution

ECONOMICS

What did Castro do to key industries in 1960?

nationalised them

How many peasants were given new land?

200 000

How many peasants gathered together to celebrate in the capital (Havana)?

1 million

Castro called this…

“true democracy”

What happened to the price of rent in the 1st year?

they halved

Who was the American president at the time?

Eisenhower

How does Ike react to Castro nationalizing US businesses in Cuba?

Ike forbids American oil companies in Cuba to process crude oil arriving from the USSR

What industry does Castro nationalise in response to this?

sugar

Who does Castro invite to Havana? (hint: Soviet)

Soviet Trade Minister, Mikoyan

Castro and Mikoyan reached a deal: the USSR would provide Cuba with ____ (1) in exchange for ___ (2)

(1) oil

(2) sugar

Who did Castro sign a deal with?

USSR and China

Name of the central agency imposed by Che in 1962

JUCEPLAN

Name of the coordinating committee of agriculture imposed by Che

Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA)

Che rejected incentives and called for a…

New Socialist Man

What did Che call his plane once it failed?

“absurd”

What initiative did Castro launch in 1968 which paid the same wage to everyone?

Revolutionary Offensive

Name of the other initiative Castro launched in 1968

Ten Million Ton Sugar Crop

What amount did Cuba actually produce?

8.5 million tons

Who did Castro hand off the economy to after that?

USSR

What did Cuba join in 1972?

COMECON

How much did the Soviets provide in subsidies for the rest of the decade?

$6billion

HEALTH, EDUCATION

What was the national literacy rate in 1961?

25%

What was the year 1961 declared as?

The Year of Education

What three things did Castro do in 1961 in terms of education?

• established free schooling

• nationalised private schools

• provided scholarships

How were the thousands of doctors who volunteered to serve in developing countries called?

The Army of White Coats

What disease did Castro manage to eradicate with a massive vaccination program?

polio

WOMEN

What organisation did Vilma lead?

Federation of Cuban Women (FMC)

Name of the plan that allowed women to leave a shopping list in the morning and pick it up read-packed in the evening

Plan Jaba (the “shopping-bag scheme”)

What did Castro make an imprisonable offense?

gender discrimination

What did Castro implement in 1975 which encouraged women into the workforce with paid maternity leave, and expanded abortion rights?

Family Code

How long was a prison sentence for Gender discrimination in the workforce, in public places or in housing?

2 years

By 1980, how many party members were women?

14%

MINORITIES

What did Castro put in place that outlawed segregation and fostered warm relations with Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela?

Proclamation against discrimination (1959)

What were the prison camps called where gay men were sent?

Military Units to Aid Production (UMAP)

When were UMAPs banned?

1968

When did Castro legalise homosexuality?

1978

When did Castro issue an apology to the LGBT community?

2010

Where did disaffected Cubans barge into begging for asylum?

Peruvian embassy

Name of the propaganda disaster which led to thousands of people emigrating to the US

Mariel Boatlift

ARTS AND CULTURE

Where did Castro outline his plans for culture in revolutionary Cuba in 1961?

the First Congress of Cuban Writers and Artists

Name two organisations that emerged as a result of Castro’s generous financial subsidies to the arts

1. Cuban National Ballet

2. Nueva Treva - musical movement

What poet was tortured into confessing that he was an “enemy of the people”?

Herberto Padilla

What was this period known as?

“Grey Period”

MILITARY / FOREIGN POLICY

In 1975, who suggested that trade and diplomatic relations between the USA and Cuba could be restored if Castro stops supporting revolutionaries abroad

Henry Kissinger

Name the two countries where Castro supported revolutionaries?

Angola and Nicaragua

Angola: in which operation did Castro help the revolutionaries?

Operation Carlota

How many troops did Castro deploy in this operation?

50 000

Name the two opposing parties in Angola

left-wing: MPLA, right-wing: UNITA

Who praised Castro for his support in Angola?

Mandela

Who did Castro execute after Angola because he was too popular?

Cuban General Ochoa

Who did Castro support in Nicaragua?

the Sandinistas

In 1979, who did the USSR want to invade?

Afghanistan

What was Castro elected leader of in the UN?

leader of the “non-aligned movement” of nationalistic countries

What was Castro’s response to this group organising a vote in the UN to condemn the brutal invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR?

refused to make a statement