Comprehensive Study Guide on the Cuban Revolution and Brazilian Military Coup in Brazil

Overview of Cold War Proximity and the Pre-Revolutionary Cuban State

• Geographic Significance of Cuba: Cuba is located only $90\,\text{miles}$ off the coast of Florida. Its central location and extreme proximity to the United States made developments within the country during the Cold War appear as significant threats to American national security.

• The Batista Dictatorship: Before the revolution, Cuba was under the control of Fulgencio Batista. This period was characterized by several defining factors:

  • Loss of Civil Liberties: Cubans were stripped of basic civil rights under the regime.
  • Corruption: The dictatorship was widely known for its systemic corruption.
  • Anti-Communist Campaign: Batista maintained a staunch anti-communist stance, which involved the frequent torture and execution of suspected communists.
  • Alliance with the United States: Because Batista was anti-communist, the United States viewed his dictatorship positively and maintained a stronger alliance with him than they would with other Latin American political figures.

The Cuban Revolution: 1953–1959

• Historical Significance: The Cuban Revolution is regarded as one of the most significant events of the $20\text{th}$ century.

• The Attack on Moncada Barracks (July 26, 1953): This attack took place in Santiago de Cuba, located on the southern edge of the country.

  • Objective: Fidel Castro and his followers hoped the attack would spark a national rebellion.
  • Outcome: The attack was a resounding defeat. Many rebels fled to the Sierra Maestra Mountains, while others were executed by the Batista regime.

• The 26th of July Movement:

  • Fidel and Raúl Castro were arrested following the Moncada attack, but facing national pressure, Batista released them into exile in Mexico.
  • In Mexico, the brothers formed the "26th of July Movement," named after the date of the failed barracks attack.
  • In late $1956$, the Castro brothers and their supporters snuck back into Cuba and established a base in the Sierra Maestra Mountains, from which they launched guerrilla attacks against Batista's military for several years.
  • US Involvement: During this period, Batista’s forces received weapons and supplies from the United States for their defense.

• The Revolutionary Triumph (January 1, 1959):

  • In $1958$ and $1959$, the rebels launched an offensive that ultimately led to the collapse of the Batista regime.
  • Manuel Urrutia Lleó (referred to in the transcript as Manuel Leo) became the President of Cuba, while Fidel Castro took the role of Prime Minister.
  • President Lleó attempted to distance himself from Fidel Castro and the ideology of communism.

Consolidation of Power and Revolutionary Ideals

• Internal Purges: Castro conducted trials and executed hundreds of individuals he deemed responsible for the violence committed under the Batista dictatorship.

• Land Reform and Nationalization: By May $1959$, a new law limited land ownership to $1,000\,\text{acres}$. Nationalization of plantations followed, which significantly impacted US investors who owned much of that land. This was an economic strategy intentionally designed to push back against United States influence.

• Consolidation of Power (July 1959):

  • Castro initially denied being a communist, though he filled his cabinet with socialists.
  • In July $1959$, Castro supporters stormed the palace to demand President Lleó’s resignation. Castro then resumed the Prime Ministership, arrested hundreds of counterrevolutionaries, and consolidated his control.

• Social and Cultural Shifts:

  • Literacy Campaign: The revolutionary government sought to end illiteracy, resulting in nearly $1,000,000$ new readers.
  • The "New Man" and "New Woman": These were ideals of Cuban citizenship. Ideal citizens were expected to possess a revolutionary consciousness and the willingness to sacrifice for the nation.

Women in the Cuban Revolution

• Active Participation: Women comprised approximately $10\text{\%}$ to $15\text{\%}$ of Fidel Castro’s rebel army.

• Prominent Figures:

  • Celia Sanchez: A key figure in the 26th of July Movement who helped coordinate the return of the Castro brothers to Cuba.
  • Vilma Espín: The sister-in-law of Fidel Castro and President of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC). The FMC was a group centered on the revolutionary government that encouraged women to participate in the new society.

• Legal Reform: The shift in gender roles required years of struggle and legal reform. One specific example mentioned is the "Law on People’s Rights" aimed at changing social attitudes.

Cold War Escalation: Bay of Pigs and the Missile Crisis

• Break in Diplomatic Relations (January 1961): Castro ordered the US embassy to cut its staff by half to reduce American presence. In retaliation, the US ended diplomatic relations with Cuba, an act seen as a precursor to war.

• The Bay of Pigs Invasion (April 17, 1961):

  • The CIA developed a plan to overthrow Castro by recruiting and training $1,400$ anti-Castro exiles in Central America.
  • The attack occurred at Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs) on the southwest coast.
  • The Cubans knew of the attack in advance and were prepared. The invasion was a disaster for the US and the exiles, with $114$ exiles killed and many others captured.
  • Consequence: It was only after the Bay of Pigs that Castro explicitly declared the revolution to be communist.

• The Cuban Missile Crisis:

  • This event represented the closest the world has ever come to nuclear warfare.
  • Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove missiles from Cuba on the condition that the United States, under President John F. Kennedy, promised never to invade Cuba.

The Brazilian Military Coup of 1964

• João Goulart (Jango): Goulart was the son of a wealthy rancher and a protege of Getúlio Vargas. He served as the Minister of Labor and Vice President before becoming President of Brazil in $1961$.

  • Political Stance: Goulart sought unity, democracy, and "basic reforms."
  • Instability: He governed during a period of economic and military crisis. He attempted to appease both the political right and left, which led to distrust from his leftist supporters. Conservatives labeled his radical left-wing policies as communist.

• The 1964 Coup:

  • Operation Brother Sam: This was the US-backed plan using the US Navy and Air Force to support the overthrow of Goulart.
  • The Rebellion (March 31 – April 1, 1964): Military officers rebelled; mass defections from the military weakened Goulart, who fled into exile.
  • Result: A military dictatorship was established that lasted from $1964$ until $1985$. It was supported by high-ranking military members, conservatives, and anti-communists.

• Life Under the Dictatorship:

  • The Brazilian Miracle (1969–1973): This was a period of rapid economic growth driven by government investment in industrial development.
  • Economic Cost: This success led to a massive national debt of approximately $92,000,000,000$.
  • Political Repression: Despite economic growth, the period saw severe human rights violations, including torture, disappearances, and strict censorship.

Questions & Discussion

• Primary Source Analysis: Student Group Documents:

  • Group 1 (History Will Absolve Me): Castro’s document describes Batista as a tyrant responsible for killing comrades.
  • Group 2 (Statement by the Cuban Exile, Mario Zayas): Written decades later (60th anniversary), the document shows the cockiness and confidence of those trained by the CIA. It documents that the invasion failed despite US funding and training, resulting in $114$ deaths and the capture of Zayas and his comrades.
  • Group 3 (Vilma Espín Speech, 1960): Explains how the revolution supposedly improved women’s lives through involvement in roles like nursing and uniform making. The document is biased toward the revolutionary government, as Espín was Castro’s sister-in-law.

• Question: Do you think the Cuban revolution was nationalist, socialist, or anti-imperialist?

  • Nationalist Argument: Students argued it was nationalist because it focused on "Cuba for Cubans" and involved mobilizing the pride of the entire community, including women.
  • Socialist Argument: Students noted that the idea of everyone sharing the burden and working for equality pointed toward socialism.
  • Anti-Imperialist Argument: Students pointed out that Cuba made it clear they did not want external powers (specifically the US) controlling them. The US had maintained a protectorate over Cuba since the Spanish-American War.

• Debate: Was the Cuban Revolution successful?

  • Arguments Against Success: The revolution replaced one dictatorship with another (socialist/communist), removed political freedoms and human rights, caused economic difficulty, made the country dependent on the Soviet Union for $30\,\text{years}$, and led to mass immigration/asylum seeking. It was argued that the country remains one of the poorest in the world.
  • Arguments For Success (Counter-arguments): Mentioned efforts to provide free healthcare and high vaccination rates, education reform, and the pursuit of independence from imperial powers.

• Question: Is economic growth worth political repression?

  • Student Discussion: One student noted that the US might currently be experiencing political suppression for economic growth. Others argued that it is never worth it because if people are not genuinely free, growth is unsustainable, people will not invest, and it constitutes a "double-edged sword" that takes away established rights.