The
Cuban
Revolution
Background
Cuba was a Spanish Colony
One of the wealthiest in Latin America
Economy based on Sugar exports to US and Europe
Spanish controlled the nation politically, economically and
socially
Large underclass of Blacks (descendants of Slaves) and
poor mestizos
Spanish-American War
US occupies Cuba 1899-1902
US helped to write new Cuban Constitution
modeled on US version
Platt Amendment was added—Gave US the
right to intervene in Cuban Affairs, also
Guantanamo Bay became US Naval base
Post War
US sent troops several times from 1902-
1953
Huge US investment in Sugar ($200
Million by 1913
1/5th of all US investment in Latin
America at the time
Attempted Revolution of 1933
200,000 sugar workers led an
uprising in 1933
In the chaos, a group of military
leaders took control
Led by Fulgencio Batista
He continued to rule behind the
scenes in Cuba until 1952
Batista
Took over in a coup in 1952
pro-US
Anti labor
Cuban Elites liked Batista
Most Cubans did not
Was a dictator
Maintained social system, economic dependence on Sugar, strong ties to
US
This was the time that Havana was the “hot” spot for US tourists--night
clubs, gambling
The Cuban Revolution
The Revolution itself
It began with the assault on the Moncada
Barracks on July 26, 1953, and ended on
January 1, 1959, when Batista was driven
from the country and the cities Santa Clara
and Santiago de Cuba were seized by rebels,
led by Che Guevara and Fidel Castro's
surrogates Raul Castro and Huber Matos,
respectively.
Fidel Castro
He led the revolution and shortly after was sworn in
as the Prime Minister of Cuba.
Castro became First Secretary of the Communist
Party of Cuba in 1965, and led the transformation
of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic.
Castro became popular for his anti-US policies
because Cubans saw US as imperialistic.
Long Term Causes #1: Sugar
The Cuban economy was based primarily on Sugar—not
diversified
Economy rose and fell on Sugar
Most of the Sugar plantations were in the hands of
Foreign (US mostly) investors or wealthy upper class
Cubans
Seasonal unemployment high
Created structural inequalities in the Cuban population
Markets tied to the US
Long Term Causes #2:
Anti-US resentment
Since the Spanish-American War
and Cuban Independence, a great
deal of resentment towards US
control/effect on Cuban economy
and politics
Long Term Causes #3:
Political Instability
From Independence on Cuba had no real stable
political experience
Some attempts at reform from time to time, but not
much accomplished
Power in the hands of the elites
US essentially ran Cuba 3 different times from
1900s-1930s
Long Term Causes #4:
Social / Economic Inequities
Large economic gap between rich and poor
Rich elites were white, small % of the pop.
Rest of nation was mestizos, Afro-Cuban
Land in the hands of elites or foreign interests
Workers did try to unionize, but not particularly
successful
Short Term Causes #1:
Batista’s Regime
1952-1959
Did not bring about reforms
Repression
At first the U.S. supported the Batista regime, but
as conditions worsened in Cuba, US pulled
support
Even middle class went against Batista
Short Term Cause #2:
Rise of Castro
Attack on Mocada army barracks 1953 failure
Castro arrested, but freed later gives the
revolutionaries some hope and momentum
Creation of 26th of July Movement
Defeats of Batista’s forces
Appeal, both in Cuba and US, of Castro’s
movement brought more support
The Cuban Revolution
Aims
and
Achievements
Implementing the revolution
Historians do not agree as to whether
Castro was communist from the beginning
or not
But beginning in 1959 Castro began to
move Cuba towards a more
socialist/communist state
He had several goals:
Economic Goals:
Nationalization
Nationalized US companies: Oil refineries,
telephone, private companies
By October of 1959 all US owned
businesses were nationalized
US under Eisenhower begins economic
embargo as a retaliation
John F Kennedy later cuts diplomatic ties
with Cuba
Economic Aims:
Industrial Production
-- At first Castro
attempted to increase
Cuba’s industrial
production
-- Failed because of
mismanagement, corruption
Economic Aims
Sugar Production
In 1970 Castro called for Cuba to produce 10 Million
tons of Sugar
Mobilized resources across the nation
Fell short--8.5 million tons produced--biggest sugar
production ever in Cuba
Took resources away from other sectors of the
economy
Pushed Cuba to have to embrace USSR in order to
survive
Economic Aim
Soviet-style economic
management
After Sugar failure, Castro turned to USSR
USSR agreed to help but wanted greater control in return
Soviet-style economic management with Soviet advisors making
decisions
State made policies and decisions
Allowed some small private enterprises
State run business could pay bonuses and fire employees
Until about 1976 economy grew, but price of sugar fell to 8¢ pound in
‘77 and economy dropped
Social Aims
Free universal education
Universal Health care
Child care
Government subsidized housing
Social security programs
Cuba had the most equal distribution of wealth in the
Americas
Borrowed heavily from Canada, Europe Japan--
unable to pay back in the 1980s
Political Aims
Cuba as leader of revolutionary movements around the world
Castro wanted to export the revolution around the globe
Help other revolutions against imperialist/colonial powers
Central America, Africa, Vietnam
Cuba sent troops and support
Helped to bring about a Marxist government in Angola
1980s
helped to bring a Socialist government to Nicaragua in
1979
Effects of these attempts?
Successful in bringing about revolutions in
a few places
failed in others (Bolivia for example)
Castro support for Marxist rebel group
MPLA in Angola hurt chances for an
improvement in US-Cuban relations when
the US was ready
Support of USSR in their war in
Afghanistan damaged Cuba’s position as
the leader of the Non-Aligned Nations
(Countries not tied to US or USSR
during the Cold War)
Created a large group of Cubans serving
as aid workers and doctors around the
world (by 1979 14,000 Cubans were
working overseas)
Political Aims - Control Dissent within Cuba
Thousands of Cubans were arrested
and detained for speaking out against
the Revolution or government policies
Created anger and resentment among
many Cubans and human rights groups
The Cuban Revolution
• In Cuba, social and economic trends led to a revolution. There,
social inequality and heavy U.S. influence led to a revolt that
brought communism to this large Caribbean island.
Reasons for Revolt Rich and Poor U.S. Support
• Cuba very • Valuable exports • Business interests
dependent on U.S. from plantations encouraged U.S.
• Little land for government
• 1950s, hotels,
peasants to farm support of corrupt
casinos owned by
dictators
wealthy • Cuba one of richest
Americans, Cuba’s Latin American • Anticommunist
elite countries Fulgencio Batista
took power in 1952
• U.S. owned sugar, • Most Cubans could military coup
tobacco not earn living
plantations
The Cuban Revolution
• The coming of Castro
• Batista’s Cuba
• “A rich country with too many poor people”
• Batista’s coup stirred discontent, nationalism among poor
• Revolutionaries under Castro
• Led unsuccessful attack, 1953; guerrilla war became full-
scale revolution, 1955
• Batista fled 1959; Castro took control
The Cuban Revolution
Goals of the Revolution Castro’s Programs
• Broad support for revolution to • Castro focused on ending U.S.
remove Batista dominance, redistributing
wealth, reforming society
• Most did not know what kind of
revolution Castro would lead • Energies went to restructuring
economy, society, government,
• Middle-class Cubans supported foreign policy
moderate democratic reforms
• 1961, program virtually
• Many Castro revolutionaries, eliminated illiteracy in one year
including Che Guevara, wanted
Marxist regime • Created medical care system,
raised life expectancy
The Cuban Revolution
• Changes under Castro
• Limited size of landholdings
• Nationalized private property, businesses
• To ensure he had power to make changes
• Took full control of government
• Took away freedom of press
• Result of radical actions
• Led Cuba more toward communism
• Led Cuba toward confrontation with U.S.
The Cuban Revolution
• U.S. Involvement
• Cuba’s move toward communism troubled U.S. leaders
• Viewed Latin America as part of U.S. sphere of influence
• Wanted to keep communism out of region
• Organization of American States
• Set up shortly after World War II to promote economic, military cooperation
• 1961, U.S.-trained invasion force of Cuban exiles landed at Bay of Pigs
• Mission to spark nationwide uprising against Castro; mission failed
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• 1962, CIA learned Soviet Union building nuclear missile site in Cuba
• President John Kennedy ordered naval blockage to keep Soviet ships out
• World came close to nuclear war before compromise, missiles removed
The Cuban Revolution
Results of the Revolution Economic Effects of Revolution
• Mixed results since Cold War; • Mixed results as well; economy
good access to health care, suffered from U.S. embargo
education
• Castro’s policies led many
• People’s civil liberties restricted Cubans to leave country, many
under one-party system for U.S.; caused economy to
struggle
• Government jails opponents,
spies on citizens • Castro relied on Soviet Union
for economic support; Soviet
collapse in 1991 hurt economy
