Legal methods
Self review
- Consolidation and Maintenance of power
- Consolidation of power: Short phase where the leader eliminates opposition and neutralizes threats (even within his own party).
- Maintenance of power: Longer phase where rule continues until the leader is ousted or dies, though some resistance may still emerge.
- In Paper 2, consolidation and maintenance are treated together
- in Paper 3, you must give more detail and distinction.
Note
- The periods for the case study of Castro are as follows:
- Rise/Emergence to power: 1953-1959
- Consolidation of power: 1959-1962
- Maintenance: 1962-2008 (but for paper 2 you can safely study until 1991, when the USSR collapses)
The Triumph of the Revolution and the Consolidation of Power: Legal (and not so legal) methods
- Castro saw Batista’s fall as only the start; he aimed to reorganize Cuba’s social and economic systems.
- Key goal: end U.S. dominance over trade, land, and industry, which he blamed for inequality and poverty.
- Promises: land redistribution, higher wages, fairer work conditions, universal healthcare and education.
- Old regime purged: Batista’s officials arrested, imprisoned, or executed in rapid, controversial trials.
- Provisional government (1959): included moderates like Urrutia, but Castro, as head of the armed forces, held real power.
- From his base at the Havana Hilton, Castro sidelined moderates while the 26th of July Movement and PSP gained dominance.
- Provisional government collapse (1959): By July, PM José Miró Cardona resigned over radical reforms; Castro became prime minister.
- President Urrutia forced out (1959): Accused of blocking reforms, replaced by Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado, loyal to Castro.
- Consolidation of power (1961–65):
- Revolutionary factions merged into Integrated Revolutionary Organizations (ORI) (1961).
- Became United Party of the Socialist Revolution (1962).
- Transformed into the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) (1965), with Castro as First Secretary.
- PCC became sole legal party, controlling education, media, and youth groups (e.g., Granma).
- Suppression of dissent:
- Huber Matos resigned in 1959 over lack of elections and communist influence; arrested and sentenced to 20 years.
- Camilo Cienfuegos disappeared in 1959 after being sent to arrest Matos; officially a plane crash, but suspected purge.
Note
- Provisional government (Jan 1959)
- Formed after Batista’s fall as a transitional body to restore stability, show political inclusiveness, and reassure observers (especially the U.S.) that democratic norms would be respected while preparing for elections and reconstruction.
Case study
Huber Matos
- Background: Former schoolteacher from Camagüey; joined 26th of July Movement against Batista.
- Role in revolution: Key commander in Oriente, respected by fighters and civilians.
- Ideology: Democratic nationalist, expected post-revolutionary pluralism and civil liberties.
- Resignation (Oct 1959): Protested Castro’s communist turn and lack of free elections.
- Aftermath: Arrested, tried for treason, sentenced to 20 years; released in 1979 and exiled, later a strong critic of Castro.
Case study
Camilo Cienfuegos
- Born 1932, Havana; joined Castro’s Granma expedition (1956) and fought in the Sierra Maestra.
- Reputation: Brave, humble, and popular with both rebels and civilians.
- Military role: Led key offensives, including the capture of Yaguajay (Dec 1958).
- After 1959: Became Chief of Staff of the armed forces; trusted by Castro, tasked with arresting Huber Matos.
- Disappearance (28 Oct 1959): Plane vanished en route to Havana; officially a crash, but rumors suggest assassination.
- Legacy: Celebrated national hero, remembered for integrity, modesty, and loyalty; speculation persists about possible doubts over communism.
Exam technique
- As you can see, in authoritarian states there is a thin line between legal methods and use of force.
- Was it “legal” for Castro to put Matos on trial?
- Yes, but did Matos have a fair trial or was there coercion involved?
- In the absence of solid institutions, coercion, propaganda, legal and legitimacy issues overlap.
Other methods to consolidate power: early policies
- Charisma & populism: Castro used long public speeches (radio/TV), village visits, and manual labor to appear as a leader of the people.
- Anti-imperialist narrative: Framed Cuba as threatened by U.S. aggression, making loyalty to the revolution equal to patriotism.
- Agrarian Reform Law (1959): Limited land ownership, created cooperatives, and nationalized U.S.-owned estates. Welcomed by poor, opposed by elites and investors.
- Other reforms: Rent cuts, wage rises, import taxes on luxury goods; boosted workers but alienated middle/upper classes.
- Exodus (1959–62): About 250,000 emigrated, including Batista loyalists, professionals, and religious groups; dissenters often allowed to leave.
- U.S. relations: Deteriorated after land seizures; escalated into Bay of Pigs (1961) and Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
- 1976 Constitution: Cemented one-party communist state under PCC; elections tightly controlled, Castro concentrated power.
- 1992 reforms: During the Special Period, allowed limited liberalization and religion but kept authoritarian rule and state dominance.
Case study
The 1976 Cuban Constitution
- 1976 Constitution: Institutionalized Cuba as a socialist state based on Marxist-Leninist ideology.
- Declared the PCC the “highest leading force of society and the state”, guiding socialism and communism.
- Centralization of power: Fidel Castro held roles as head of state, head of government, PCC first secretary, and commander-in-chief, concentrating authority.
- National Assembly of People’s Power: Created as a legislature but met only twice a year, mainly to ratify executive decisions.
- Elections: All candidates required PCC approval; opposition parties banned; local assemblies tightly controlled.
- Civil liberties: Freedom of expression, assembly, and press restricted; media state-owned; dissent suppressed; emergency powers allowed Castro to bypass legal norms.
- Social rights codified: Constitution guaranteed universal education, free healthcare, and full employment.
Historiography
- Reasons for Fidel Castro’s consolidation of power
- Coercion view:
- Historians argue Castro consolidated power (1959–62) mainly through imprisonment, execution, and exile of Batista loyalists and opponents.
- Revolutionary tribunals ignored due process, while security forces and repression agencies dismantled rival power bases.
- Cooptation view:
- Others stress Castro’s broad-based support, built through agrarian reform, education, and social programs.
- He integrated revolutionaries, peasants, workers, and moderates into the new order, using mass organizations to legitimize his leadership.
- Overall: Castro combined repression and inclusion, silencing threats while fostering loyalty among marginalized groups.
- Coercion view:
Exam technique
- When studying historiographical perspectives, don’t forget to evaluate these points of view.
- Which one seems stronger? Why?
- This analysis will allow you to get your essays to the higher marking bands.
