Group+3+Cuban+Revolution


 * Castro's Rise to Power, and the Effects upon Cuba's Economy **

During the mid 1900's, the people of Cuba faced many hardships. They had lived for sixty years under a semicolonial relationship with the United States, beginning with the Platt Amendment of 1904 (O'Connor). The economy, industrial, educational and health care systems had suffered since Batista's 1952 military coup. Thousands of Cubans were unemployed or underemployed, and thousands of Cuban families lived in shacks, while millions were in debt (Castro).

While many cowered under Batista's iron rule, Fidel Castro organized several revolts against the dictator, beginning with a band of young men and women during the 1953 26th of July Movement. He gained fame for his speech "History Will Absolve Me" during his trial (Hickson). The revolution culminated in the eventual victory over Batista on January 1, 1959, after three years of guerrilla warfare deep inside the Sierra Maestra (Hickson, Encarta). With Castro's new government in place, he placed several former revolutionary leaders as heads of several economic reform policies, including Che Guevara. Together they began the gradual collectivization of land throughout the country, beginning the First Agrarian Law Reform of 1959 (Mesa-Lago). The new regime turned to the Soviet Union for assisstance and adopted its policies of industry. The lack of professional economists was unfortunate, since many of Che's and Castro's policies ended in failure, most notably the Ten Million Ton Harvest (Mesa-Lago). The new regime also faced constant threat from the United States, including the Crude Oil Crisis and the embargo. Despite these set-backs, several successes emerged from the Castro regime, including the universal health care system and education (Mesa-Lago). toc



= The Economic Situation of Cuba before Castro =

= Castro's Rise to Power; Plans to Fix the Economy =

The Cuban Revolution would overthrow Fulgencio Batista, and bring an end to over a half century of United States Imperialism. Fidel Castro would lead Cuba to become the only communist state in the Western Hemisphere (Encarta).


 * Timeline of Events**
 * 26 July 1953: Attack on Moncada Barracks
 * 16 October 1953: “History Will Absolve Me” Speech
 * 2 December 1956: Gramna Boat Landing
 * 1 January 1959: Castro Victory


 * Moncada Barracks—“The Day that Launched the Cuban Revolution”** (Hickson)

“//We were convinced that it would be the spark that would loose a revolutionary tempest over the entire country.”—//Raul Castro 10 March 1952—Batista staged a military coup and welcomed sugar barons, gambling sndicates, and United States corporations. He responded to opposition with assassinations, broke strikes with machine guns, and continued to exploit the sugar laborers (Hickson).

Fidel Castro gathered a group of young men and women willing to revolt against Fulgencio Batista and restore democracy to Cuba. The Movement consisted of 1500, almost all of whom were under 30, and was completely financed by its members. The objective was the armory at the Moncada barracks, the second largest military garrison in the country. If they were successful, they would take the weapons and ammunition, use the radio station to call upon the people to join the revolution, and head to the mountains to continue the revolt (Hickson).

The attack consisted of 125 men and women, and was a failure. Half the forces got lost and never made it to battle, many were eventually captured and killed. The other half had to withdraw. Fidel and 18 comrades fled to the mountains and were captured a week later. Many of the casualties resulted from the torture and brutality of the captured revolutionaries, not from the actual battle (Hickson).


 * “History Will Absolve Me”**

Castro appeared before a court to justify the actions of the July 26 Movement. Using his background as a lawyer, he successfully defended 29 of his fellow rebels. Castro was sentenced to 15 years in prison (Skierka). He was released in 1955 following amnesty from the Cuban Congress, a result of mass public support for Castro (Ghaddar). His four-hour-long speech became the authoritative political manifesto of “Castroism” (Skierka).

During his speech, Castro addresses the people of Cuba, “the vast unredeemed masses, those to whom everyone makes promises and who are deceived by all” (Castro). He specifically mentions several groups who have suffered under the Batista regime.


 * Six hundred thousand Unemployed who are being forced to migrate.
 * Five hundred thousand Farm laborers who work four months out of the year, live in shack, and don’t own a single inch of land.
 * Four hundred thousand Industrial workers who are losing their retirement funds and benefits, live in wretched houses, are in great debt, and face pay reduction and dismissal.
 * One hundred thousand Small farmers who work on land that isn’t theirs, and face eviction.
 * 30 thousand teachers who are “so badly treated and paid”.
 * 20 thousand Small-businessmen who are in debt.
 * Ten thousand young professional people—doctors, engineers, lawyers, veterinarians, newspapermen, pharmacists, artists—who are presented with no opportunities (Castro).

Castro also defines what he believes to the “six problems we would take immediate steps to solve” (Castro).
 * **Land**: Castro delivers many disturbing facts. Eighty-five percent of small farmers pay rent and are threatened of eviction. Over half of the most productive land is foreign-run. Two hundred thousand peasant families don’t have a single acre of land. Finally, nearly 10 million acres of cultivatable land owned by foreigners remains unused (Castro).


 * **Industrialization**: Cuba is a producer of raw materials, and it’s economic sector is dominated by the sugar monoculture. Castro states “the urgent need to industrialize the nation” and build steel, paper, and chemical industries; improve tourism, cattle, and grain production; and compete with European nations and the United States. He criticizes Batista for his lack of action as his office “sits back with its arms crossed and industrialization can wait forever” (Castro).


 * **Housing**: Castro mentions the landlords who demand rents that take one third of the population’s income and the utilities monopolies whose only concern is making a profit. As a result, two hundred thousand Cubans live in huts, four hundred thousand families live in tenements without the minimum sanitary requirements, and two million eight hundred thousand lack electricity (Castro).


 * **Unemployment**: Castro points out that over a million of Cuba’s population of five and a half million are unemployed, and still many more are only employed for four months out the year (Castro).


 * **Education**: Castro talks about the poor conditions faced by the schoolhouses and students and the poor benefits the teachers receive, that they “must buy necessary school materials from [their] own salary” (Castro).


 * **People’s Health:** Castro sheds light on “so many thousands of children who die every year from lack of facilities” (Castro). Ninety percent of rural children are infected by parasites. Poor families can’t afford to buy clothing and medicine, and public hospitals are always full, and only accept patients recommended by politicians (Castro).

Castro summarizes by saying, “What is inconceivable is that anyone should go to bed hungry while there is a single inch of unproductive land; that children should die for lack of medical attention; what is inconceivable is that 30 percent of our farm people cannot write their names and that 99 percent of them know nothing of Cuba’s history.”


 * Granma Boat Landing**

//“We will return when we can bring to our people the liberty and the right to love decently without despotism and without hunger.”//—Fidel Castro

After being released from prison, Fidel and Raul Castro fled to Mexico City to continue to organize the fight against Batista. Shortly after arriving in Mexico, the brothers were introduced to Ernesto “Che” Guevara, an Argentine physician who signed on as the revolutionary army’s official doctor. For the next seventeen months, they would train their forces and raise money, while facing the Mexican police, Cuban treachery, and Batista agents (Sierra).

Castro purchased a leisure yacht named Granma. Although it was seaworthy, it was badly worn down, and its radio could only receive messages. Even though the Granma was built to support 12 passengers, 82 revolutionaries were cramped onto the boat. The ship’s tanks could only hold 1,200 gallons of fuel, which was not enough to make the trip to Cuba, so 2,000 more gallons of fuel were stored on the decks (Sierra).

Granma’s landing in December 1956 was meant to re-enact Jose Marti’s route during the 1895 Cuban war of Independence. The target location was Niguero, in the Oriente province, where Celia Sanches was waiting for them with trucks, jeeps, food, weapons, and about 50 men (Sierra). However, Granma was spotted by a helicopter and forced to land at Playa de los Colorados. The swampy surroundings made it impossible for the rebels to unload most of their weapons (Sierra).

The rebels began to move towards the Sierra Maestra, and were supported by local peasants and farmers. On December 5 they were ambushed at Alegria de Pio, betrayed by their guide. Many were killed in battle, or as they were surrendering. On December 18, after evading Batista’s army, 12 of the remaining 82 rebels regrouped deep inside the Sierra Maestra (Sierra).

Che Guevara recalls this stage through his memoirs: “We had been through seven days of constant hunger and sickness during the sea crossing, topped by three still more terrible days on land. Exactly 10 days after out departure from Mexico, during the early morning hours of December 5, following a night-long march interrupted by fainting and frequent rest periods, we reached a spot paradoxically known as Alegria de Pio (Rejoicing of the Pious).”


 * January 1, 1959**

The guerrillas of the Sierra Maestra took the name 26th of July Movement. By mid-1958, the rebels under Castro’s command numbered 400, but these guerrillas were able to hold of Batista’s army of 12,000, with the help of urban organized anti-Batista forces, where rebels sabotaged Batista’s army and provided arms to the 26th of July Movement (Encarta).

Other organizations took part in the campaign against Batista. The Revolutionary Directorate, organized by university students and led by Jose Antonio Ecchevarria, nearly succeeded to assassinate Batista in March 1957; but many, including Ecchevarria, were killed in the attempt. In 1958, guerrillas from the Directorate and the Second Front at Escambray, led by Gutierrez Menoyo, fought from the Escambray mountains of central Cuba. Several of Batista’s military officers, who had conspired to overthrow Batista several times, staged a major military uprising in September 1957, temporarily seizing the naval base at Cienfuegos. The conspirers were arrested (Encarta).

In March 1958, Castro called for a nationwide strike. It failed because the Cuban Confederation of Labor supported Batista. However, in the same month, the United States cut off support to Batista and suggested he peacefully step down (Encarta).

Violent resistance escalated, several of Batista’s leading henchmen were assassinated and government buildings were bombed. Batista responded by assassinating several leading urban revolutionaries. Castro sent Che and Camilo Cienfuegos to central Cuba to coordinate with the other guerilla groups. In December 1958, the major battle of the war for control of Santa Clara took place in central Cuba. Batista’s regime collapse and Batista fled to Miami on January 1, 1959 (Encarta).

During the campaign of the Sierra Maestra, Castro’s program was moderate, promising elections, a constitutional government and land reform. He also stated that he was not a communist (Encarta). Castro’s //Program Manifesto of the 26th of July Movement// (November 1956) outlines his ideas of reform for Cuba, including his goals of National Sovereignty, Economic Independence, and Education (Bonachea, Valdes).
 * __Plans For Economic Reform__**


 * **National Sovereignty**: Castro stressed the need of a nation to shape its own destiny. He strives to achieve this through international politics, especially by confronting the results of the Platt Amendment. He also strives to relieve Cuba of foreign bases, economic pressures, and international interference in Cuba’s internal affairs (Bonachea, Valdes)
 * **Economic Independence**: Castro defines this as “the capacity of a country to take care of itself within the natural system of international relations” (Bonachea, Valdes). Castro realizes Cuba’s potential resources and plans for steady economic growth that is self-sustaining (Bonachea, Valdes).
 * **Work**: Castro believes it is the State’s duty to provide its people with the means to earn an honest living. He says, “… work is considered a right and a way to achieve individual progress…” (Bonachea, Valdes).
 * **Social Order**: Castro outlines plans to have a society in which the common good is promoted over self interest, “without privilege or exception, to the advantages and responsibilities of progress” (Bonachea, Valdes). He plans on accomplishing this through equal distribution of land and capital, and promoting the dignity of labor (Bonachea, Valdes).
 * **Education**: Castro plans to provide an education to Cubans that teaches subjective goals, such as the principle of the dignity of man, and objective goals, such as cultural, vocational, and technical teachings so they can help solve Cuba’s social and economic problems.
 * **International Positition**: Castro plans to create a relationship with the United States based on “mutual respect, particularly in the economic and cultural areas” (Bonachea, Valdes). He strives to become an economic and even political ally with the United States, diverging from its history of economic dependence and political interference (Bonachea, Valdes).

As can be seen in the first few years of Castro’s regime, he stayed true to several of his ideals, but others, such as unity with the United States, were never realized.

= Economic Situation After Castro came into Power =

= Economic Legacy, etc. =

media type="youtube" key="kB4C4AWBY3Q" height="385" width="480" This video is an excerpt from a Barbara Walters 20/20 interview with Fidel Castro, concerning the future of Cuba and its leader. They discuss the US embargo, and Cuba’s potential growth when Castro is gone. Castro—“Even if the embargo is not lifted, Cuba will continue to advance.” Castro—“What would be the damage if the US had lifted the embargo? What is the glory of the US keeping the embargo here?” Walters—“When Castro is gone, the embargo will probably be lifted. Cuba will be flooded with American tourists and their money. There may also be an invasion of American businessmen, a McDonald’s on every corner, a Hilton Hotel. Will the country then become a democracy as we know it? Or will the people want to keep the socialist government they have now? Castro thinks so.” Walters—“The future of Cuba is uncertain.”

= Resources Cited =

Bonachea, Rolando E. and Veldes, Nelson P, eds. //Cuba in Revolution// (New York: Anchor, 1972), pp 113-40.

Castro, Fidel. //History Will Absolve Me//. (Havana: Editorial de Ciencas Sociales, 1975).

"Cuban Revolution - MSN Encarta." //MSN Encarta : Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Homework//. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .

Ghaddar, Jamile. "The Marxist-Leninist Daily." //Commemorate the July 26th Movement and the Gains of the Cuban Revolution//. 26 July 2007. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .

Hickson, Jill. “The day that launched the Cuban Revolution." //Hartford// //Web Publishing//. 23 July 1996. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .

Mesa-Lago, Carmelo. //The Economy of Socialist Cuba: A Two-Decade Proposal// (Alburquerque, N.M.: Univ. of New Mexico Press, 1981), pp. 7 -32.

O'Connor, James. "Cuba: Its Political Economy," om Rolando E. Bonchea and Nelson P. Valdes (eds), //Cuba in Revolution// (N.Y.:Anchor, 1972), pp, 52-81.

Sierra, J.A. "Cuban history - The Landing of the Granma." //Cuban history begins here//. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .