Background
- Before 1959, Cuba was one of the most unequal societies in Latin America.
- The island’s economy was dominated by the United States, especially in sugar, tourism, and banking.
- Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship (1952–1959) was marked by corruption, censorship, and violent repression of dissent.
- These conditions created widespread frustration among peasants, students, and middle-class reformers, setting the stage for revolutionary change.
Political Causes
- Batista ruled as a military dictator, suspending the constitution and canceling elections in 1952.
- His regime relied on police brutality, censorship, and torture to silence opponents.
- The Auténtico and Ortodoxo parties, once symbols of democracy, were discredited by corruption.
- Fidel Castro, a young lawyer and nationalist, emerged as a critic of Batista’s illegal seizure of power.
- Cuba’s close relationship with the United States angered nationalists who viewed Batista as a puppet of foreign interests.
- Political institutions had lost credibility, and peaceful reform seemed impossible, leading to armed resistance.
Case study
Fidel Castro (Cuba)
Rise to Power
- Born in 1926, Fidel Castro studied law and became active in student politics.
- Opposed the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had taken power in 1952.
- In 1953, Castro led a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks, was captured, and imprisoned.
- After his release, he went into exile in Mexico, where he met Che Guevara and planned a revolution.
- Returned to Cuba in 1956 with 82 men on the Granma yacht, starting a guerrilla war from the Sierra Maestra Mountains.
- Gained support from peasants and students, promising land reform, education, and independence.
- Overthrew Batista on January 1, 1959, becoming Cuba’s new leader.
Policies and Reforms
- Nationalized U.S.-owned businesses, banks, and industries to reduce foreign control.
- Launched land reform, redistributing large estates to poor farmers.
- Created free education and healthcare systems, improving literacy and life expectancy.
- Promoted social equality, especially for women and Afro-Cubans.
- Established a one-party state, banned opposition, and controlled the media.
- Formed close ties with the Soviet Union, especially after the U.S. imposed a trade embargo in 1960.
Impact and Legacy
- Improved living standards through better healthcare and education.
- Ended U.S. economic dominance and inspired other revolutionary movements in Latin America.
- Caused tension with the United States, leading to events like the Bay of Pigs invasion (1961) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
- Critics argue that he restricted freedom of speech and used imprisonment to silence political opponents.
- Stayed in power for nearly 50 years, shaping Cuba’s identity as a communist state.
Definition
Guerrilla Warfare
- Small-group fighting against a larger army.
Definition
Communism
Political system where the state controls the economy and promotes equality.
Social Causes
- Huge inequality existed between urban elites and the rural poor.
- About 40 percent of Cubans lived in poverty, with limited access to education, housing, or healthcare.
- Rural workers, especially sugar laborers, faced seasonal unemployment and poor living conditions.
- In contrast, Havana’s upper class enjoyed wealth from tourism, gambling, and U.S. investment.
- Social unrest grew among students, intellectuals, and the Catholic Church, who criticized moral decline and inequality.
- The government ignored demands for reform, driving young Cubans toward revolutionary ideals.
Economic Causes
- Cuba’s economy was dependent on sugar exports, with about 80 percent of trade controlled by the United States.
- Foreign companies owned most of the island’s land, railways, and utilities, limiting Cuba’s economic sovereignty.
- Economic benefits were concentrated among elites, while rural areas remained underdeveloped.
- The sugar industry’s boom-and-bust cycle caused recurring unemployment and instability.
- Government corruption and unequal trade deals deepened resentment against both Batista’s regime and U.S. economic influence.
Exam technique
- Organize essays around the three key categories: political, social, and economic causes.
- Use specific examples: Batista’s coup (1952), sugar dependency, and rural poverty.
- Explain why peaceful reform was not possible, linking repression to revolution.
- Show how political corruption and U.S. dominance connected to social frustration.
Common Mistake
- Overemphasizing U.S. involvement and ignoring internal Cuban factors.
- Treating Castro’s rise as inevitable instead of explaining the specific conditions that made it possible.
- Forgetting to separate causes into political, social, and economic categories in essays.
- Ignoring the role of urban and student movements alongside rural guerrillas.
Theory of Knowledge
- Knowledge and Perspective: How does perception of corruption or injustice create revolutionary change?
- The Cuban Revolution shows how political legitimacy depends not only on power but also on public belief in fairness and independence.
Self review
- Examine the political, social, and economic causes of the Cuban Revolution.
- Assess how far the weaknesses of the Batista regime explain the outbreak of the revolution in 1959.
- To what extent was U.S. economic dominance responsible for the Cuban Revolution?
- Evaluate the role of inequality and nationalism in causing the Cuban Revolution.
