CASTRO TOPICS REVIEW CUBAAAAAHHHHHHH

Batista Leadership

Fulgencio Batista's authoritarian military rule in Cuba created the corrupt, repressive conditions that drove Castro's revolutionary movement.

Good Neighbor Policy

FDR's policy of non-intervention in Latin American affairs limited direct U.S. opposition to Batista's regime, allowing Castro's movement to gain traction.

Batista: 1952 Coup

Batista's seizure of power through a military coup established the dictatorial government that Castro would ultimately overthrow.

Herbert L. Matthews

The American New York Times journalist's sympathetic coverage of Castro in the Sierra Maestras helped legitimize the revolutionary movement internationally.

Platt Amendment

This clause granting the U.S. intervention rights in Cuba symbolized American dominance and fueled Cuban nationalism that Castro exploited.

'A second independence'

Castro framed his revolution as liberating Cuba from both Batista's dictatorship and U.S. economic and political control.

US-Cuban Economic Relationship

American economic dominance and exploitation of Cuba's sugar economy motivated nationalist sentiment that Castro channeled into his revolutionary ideology.

Cuban Autocracy

Batista's authoritarian rule provided the oppressive conditions necessary for Castro to mobilize popular support for revolution.

Moncada Barracks

Castro's failed 1953 attack on this military installation marked the beginning of his armed struggle and earned him national prominence

"History Will Absolve Me"

Castro's famous courtroom speech after the Moncada attack articulated his revolutionary vision and transformed him into a symbol of resistance.

Role of Nationalism

Cuban nationalism, rooted in anti-imperialism and desire for sovereignty, became the ideological fuel for Castro's revolutionary movement.

July 26th Movement

Named after the Moncada Barracks attack, this organization became the primary vehicle for Castro's armed struggle against Batista.

Sierra Maestras

These mountains became Castro's base for guerrilla warfare, where he built support among peasants and gradually weakened Batista's government.

Radio Rebelde

Castro's underground radio station broadcast revolutionary propaganda to the Cuban people, building popular support during the insurgency.

US Embargo against Batista

Limited American arms sales to Batista weakened his military capacity, inadvertently aiding Castro's revolutionary forces.

Huber Matos

A revolutionary commander who later opposed Castro's communist turn, Matos's fate exemplified Castro's intolerance of dissent within the revolution.

Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR)

These neighborhood surveillance organizations consolidated Castro's control by monitoring and suppressing internal opposition after taking power.

Agrarian Reform Law 1959

Castro's land redistribution program addressed peasant grievances that had fueled the revolution, though it also accelerated U.S.-Cuban tensions.

National Literacy Campaign 1961

This ambitious educational initiative demonstrated Castro's commitment to social transformation and mobilized youth in service of the revolutionary state.

Healthcare

Castro's expansion of medical services to rural areas fulfilled revolutionary promises and became a primary point of his social agenda.

US Embargo

The American economic blockade, implemented after Castro's revolution, pushed Cuba toward Soviet dependence and hardened Castro's anti-American stance.

Bay of Pigs

The failed 1961 CIA-backed invasion attempt to overthrow Castro actually strengthened his position by validating claims of American imperialism.

Cuban Missile Crisis

This nuclear standoff between the U.S. and Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba demonstrated Castro's dependence on Soviet protection and Cold War tensions.

Role of Khrushchev

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's support provided Castro with military aid and economic assistance essential to Cuba's survival against U.S. pressure.

Non-Aligned Movement

Castro positioned Cuba within this Cold War coalition of nations rejecting both Soviet and American dominance, though Cuba remained firmly Soviet-aligned.

Angola

Castro's military intervention in Angola's civil war demonstrated his commitment to exporting revolution and supporting anti-colonial movements globally.