IBDP History Paper 2 Cuba

Fidel Castro's rise to power

1959, after overthrowing Batista

26th of July Movement

Castro's revolutionary group formed to oppose Batista

Fulgencio Batista

The Cuban dictator overthrown by Castro

Moncada Barracks

1953 failed attack led by Castro; start of his revolutionary career

"History Will Absolve Me"

Castro's famous defense speech at his 1953 trial

Granma

Boat used by Castro and revolutionaries to return to Cuba in 1956

Sierra Maestra

Mountain base of Castro’s guerrilla campaign

Che Guevara

Argentine revolutionary who supported Castro

US withdrawal of support from Batista

Happened in 1958 due to repression and corruption

Batista’s flight from Cuba

January 1, 1959

Cuban Revolution

1953–1959 movement that brought Castro to power

Initial ideology of Castro

Nationalist and anti-imperialist

Declared Marxist-Leninist

Castro formally declared Cuba Marxist in 1961

Role of the USSR

Provided military and economic aid to Castro

U.S. embargo

Trade ban imposed in 1960 after nationalization of U.S. businesses

Social support for Castro

Peasants, workers, and students

Propaganda use

Extensive; Castro presented as a heroic revolutionary

Revolutionary Tribunals

Tried and punished former Batista officials

Committees for the Defense of the Revolution

Neighborhood watch groups supporting the regime

Political system under Castro

One-party state led by the Communist Party of Cuba

Nationalization of industries

Private and foreign businesses seized by the state

Censorship and media control

All press and media controlled by the government

Literacy Campaign of 1961

Massive effort to eliminate illiteracy and spread ideology

Changes to education

Free, universal, and ideologically driven

Reform of healthcare

Free healthcare and improved life expectancy

Land redistribution

Large estates broken up and given to peasants

Women’s rights in Cuba

Promoted through FMC and education access

Federation of Cuban Women (FMC)

Organization supporting gender equality and revolution

"Year of Education"

1961 literacy and education campaign

Cult of personality around Castro

Promoted as a humble, tireless leader of the revolution

Bay of Pigs Invasion

1961 failed U.S.-backed attack by Cuban exiles

Impact of Bay of Pigs

Strengthened Castro’s position and moved Cuba closer to USSR

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 conflict over Soviet missiles in Cuba

Result of Cuban Missile Crisis

Soviets removed missiles; Cuba felt betrayed by USSR

Non-Aligned Movement

Cuba’s attempt to remain independent in Cold War geopolitics

Cuban intervention in Angola

Sent troops to support socialist movement in 1975

Export of revolution

Cuba supported leftist insurgencies globally

Special Period

1990s economic crisis after collapse of USSR

Tourism industry

Cuba developed tourism to earn foreign exchange post-1991

Dual currency system

Cuban Peso and Convertible Peso used side-by-side

Mariel Boatlift

1980 mass emigration of over 100,000 Cubans to the U.S.

Gusanos

Derogatory term for anti-Castro Cuban exiles

State surveillance

Used to monitor and suppress opposition

Economic model

Centralized, planned economy

“Ten Million Ton Harvest”

Failed sugar production campaign in 1970

US-Soviet support tradeoff

Cuba depended on USSR after U.S. embargo

Cuban education outcomes

High literacy, free access, ideological indoctrination

Healthcare achievements

Improved life expectancy and infant mortality rates

Dollar stores

Shops selling imported goods only for U.S. dollars

Opposition to Castro

Severely repressed by the regime

Military loyalty

Ensured through purges and ideological education

Fidel Castro steps down

2008, due to health issues

Raúl Castro

Succeeded Fidel Castro as president

Reforms under Raúl

Allowed limited private business and eased travel restrictions

Castro’s death

2016

“Socialism or Death”

Key revolutionary slogan

Use of radio and TV

To broadcast Castro's speeches and reinforce loyalty

Role of youth organizations

Promoted socialist values in schools and youth

U.S.–Cuba relations restored

2015, under Obama administration

Fidel’s image in posters and murals

Often depicted as heroic and revolutionary

Cuban political structure

One-party Communist state under PCC control

Judicial independence

Undermined; courts served the revolution

Freedom of speech

Heavily restricted; dissent criminalized

Religious institutions

Monitored and marginalized by the regime

Catholic Church

Opposed initially, but later tolerated in limited form

U.S. Helms-Burton Act

1996 law strengthening U.S. embargo and penalizing foreign firms trading with Cuba

Mass organizations

State-sponsored groups to mobilize and monitor the population

Emigration pressure

Many Cubans fled due to economic hardship and repression

University education

Expanded, but controlled ideologically

Housing and infrastructure

Often poor quality; shortages were common

Worker incentives in socialism

Promoted moral over material incentives

Labor camps

Used for political prisoners and dissenters

UMAP camps

Forced labor camps in 1960s for “undesirables” (e.g., homosexuals, dissidents)

Homophobia in revolutionary Cuba

Government persecuted LGBTQ+ individuals in early decades

PCC (Communist Party of Cuba)

Sole legal party and center of political control

Playa Girón

Bay of Pigs landing site, symbol of victory over imperialism

Che Guevara’s economic role

Minister of Industry; promoted moral incentives and central planning

Che Guevara’s death

1967 in Bolivia; became a martyr for revolutionary movements

Cuban internationalism

Sent doctors and soldiers abroad as ideological solidarity

“Fatherland or Death”

Military slogan reinforcing revolutionary commitment

Agricultural reforms

Focused on cooperatives and mechanization; often inefficient

Black market economy

Grew during Special Period as state control weakened

Dollarization of economy

Legal use of U.S. dollars in the 1990s to attract remittances

Tourist apartheid

Separate facilities for foreigners and Cubans during Special Period

Internet access

Highly restricted until gradual loosening in 2010s

Youth indoctrination

Critical part of education policy; taught revolutionary values

"Venceremos" (We Will Overcome)

Revolutionary motto used in campaigns and speeches

Cuban Five

Spies imprisoned in the U.S.; became national heroes in Cuba

Legacy of Castro

Mixed: praised for healthcare and education, criticized for repression

2021 protests

Mass anti-government protests over shortages and lack of freedoms