Causes of Cuban Revolution
Political Causes
Government during the 1920s and 1930s was among the most corrupt and brutal of the
republic’s history
Gerardo Machado gained the presidency by election and soon used his executive powers to
make himself forever unbeatable at the ballot box
During the 1800s, Creole discontent grew and was heightened by a developing national and
class consciousness
The Creole elite rejected various reform proposals offered by a weak Spanish government that
was battered by internal dissension and economic difficulties
It became increasingly clear to the Creoles that Spanish economic and political polices were
severely restricting Cuban development
Economic Causes
Trade and investment were almost exclusively with the United States
Sugar dominated Cuba’s economy
Principal need for labor is for the harvest, the rest of the year is known as the “dead season” of
widespread unemployment and underemployment
As a result of enormous plantations, workers could not lease or purchase small-scale plots of
land for their own use
United States built up more and more control over the Cuban economy
Cuba was dependent upon U.S. decisions for the date of its major industry
With the collapse of the world economy in 1929-1930, the U.S. Congress, under pressure from
the domestic sugar-beet producers passed the Smoot-Hawley tariff in 1930, burdening Cuban
sugars with new duties
This increased the pressure on the staggering Cuban sugar economy, which contracted severely
Encountered serious problems in agriculture after 1961 because of their inability to organize,
plan, and administer the economy
Social Causes
Top of the social pyramid was not occupied by resident landlords, but by foreign entrepreneurs
or Cuban owners who often lived in Havana
Upper class was absentee
Sizable middle class by it was an amorphous stratum that lacked cohesion and self-
consciousness
By the 1950s, a North American-style consumer culture had taken hold in Havana and the larger
provincial cities
Working-class Cubans held higher expectations of living standards, measuring their standard of
living against North American workers
Further contributed to a sense of decline and disenchantment
This dilemma was compounded for Cubans who were employed by U.S. firms: these Cubans
were paid better than their countrymen, but worse than their North American coworkers
Men and woman of colour were forced to endure the brutal racism of the period
Given the structure of the Cuban economy and the endemic frustration of Cuban expectations, it
is clear that any attempt to transform Cuban society would run up against the Unites States
Most importantly was that the United States seldom paid attention to Cuba, which was of
marginal importance to the continental power stretching across North America
The most underprivileged, the rural poor have never counted for anything in the electoral
system
Working class in the cities and towns had precious little more weight
Role of Foreign Intervention
Trade and investment were almost exclusively with the United States
Washington became deeply worried over the sharp leftward turn by Cuba
U.S. navy ships took up stations off the Cuban coast
CIA funnelled money to various exile groups for arms and set up a training camp in Guatemala
to prepare an invasion force
Soviet Union pledged to defend Cuba is the event of another U.S. attack and increased flow of
arms to the island
Include missile emplacements and aircraft capable of delivering atomic weapons
U.S. claimed missiles were offensive weapons, ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba, and
demanded the dismantling of the missile sites
United States continued to subvert and harass the Cuban Revolution with the aid of
counterrevolutionary Cuban exiles after removal of missiles
Included CIA-sponsored raids against refineries and ports, infiltration of enemy agents, and even
some bizarre attempts to assassinate Castro.
By 1959, there existed a number of developed socialist states that could offer Cuba substantial
assistance, thus offsetting the severe negative effects of the U.S. embargo on exports
General Overview
Revolution called for a return to the constitution of 1940, land reform, educational reform, and
an end to the vast waste caused by government corruption and large weapons expenditures
Cuban Revolution benefited from advantages few other socialist revolutions have enjoyed
First goal of the revolutionary government was to redistribute income to the rural and urban
working class
Resulted in some long-term problems
Despite its mixed economical record, the revolution’s achievements in the areas of employment,
equitable distribution of income, public health, and education were remarkable
