How did Fidel Castro come to power in

How did Fidel Castro come to power in Cuba? L/O – To identify and analyse the methods Castro used in his rise to power

The Rise of Fidel Castro • In the rise to power of authoritarian leaders, specific historical conditions must have been present that enabled and contributed to their rise. • In Cuba, this could be attributed to a series of political, economic and social problems. It was Batista’s seizure of power in 1952 and the suspension of the constitution that galvanised Castro and others into outright rebellion. • It is in the context of these crisis conditions that Castro rose to power. First as a political activist, and later as a revolutionary leader of the M-26 -7.

The Rise of Fidel Castro • In analysing the role played by Castro in the Cuban Revolution, it is easier to divided his rise to power into four stages or turning points: • 1945 -52: Early involvement with political activism as a student and armed rebellion. • 1953: Attack against the Moncada Barracks, which raised his profile and launch of M-26 -7. • 1956: Landing of the Granma expedition and beginning of the armed struggle. • 1956 -59: Campaign in the Sierra Maestra, ending with his triumphal entry to Havana.

Castro’s Early Life • Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born in 1926 to a wealthy landowning family in the eastern province of Oriente to Spanish parents. • He received a Jesuit education in Santiago which instilled self-discipline, enterprise and tenacity in him. In October 1945 he enrolled in law school at the University of Havana. • The University at the time was literally beyond the control of government. Activism, violence and gang fights were common.

Castro’s Early Life • It was at the University where Castro became known as an outstanding orator and talented athlete, joining the anti-communist Orthodox Party of Eduardo Chibás in 1947. • Chibas was known for his anti-corruption radio shows, campaigns for social justice and demands for reform. • After joining the Party, Castro began to give public speeches, denouncing the corruption and violence of President Grau’s government.

Castro’s Early Life • In June 1947, Castro demonstrated his commitment to social justice and political freedom by joining a military expedition to oust the US-backed military junta of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. • The invasion failed and Castro evaded arrest by Grau’s government. Becoming increasingly impatient with conventional politics, in April 1948, he travelled to Columbia to take part in protests against the governing conservatives. • The populist left-wing leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala had been assassinated. Castro worked with student groups to steal weapons before returning to University, graduating in September 1950.

Castro’s Early Life • Castro would later state that his time in Columbia was hugely influential – ‘the spectacle of an absolutely spontaneous popular revolution has to have exercised a great influence on me. ’ • Working within the Orthodox Party, Castro sought to run for Congress in the June 1952 elections and was expected to do well. • However in March 1952, General Fulgencio Batista seized power in a military coup. He cancelled elections and suspended the constitution – this forced Castro to consider other ways to oust the regime.

Castro’s First Rebellion • After the coup, Castro formed a group called ‘The Movement’ which began to arm and train anti-Batista recruits. By mid-1953, he had over 1, 200 followers in 150 cells in Havana and the provinces. • On 26 th July 1953, Castro attacked the huge Moncada barracks outside Santiago de Cuba in Oriente. • The plan was to take the barracks to trigger a popular uprising in a province with over 30% unemployment. He would call for the implementation of the 1940 constitution, land reform, educational reform and more.

Castro’s First Rebellion • The attack was a complete failure. With 140 men, Castro launched the surprise attack. Yet the defending garrison was able to pin most of the attackers down with machine gun fire. • In retreat, Raúl Castro captured the Palace of Justice nearby before the government stormed the building and capture the rebels. • In the aftermath, Batista executed 69 of the rebels, using torture and summary executions. Castro was lucky to be transported to a prison north of Santiago.

Castro’s First Rebellion • At his trial on 21 st September 1953, Castro acted as his own counsel. Playing on the sympathy of the judges, he persuaded them to remove the defendants handcuffs. • He argued that he was not the author of the attack but José Martí was! He went on to argue that the charge of organising an uprising against the State was incorrect because they had risen up against Batista, not the State! • The trial went on to embarrass the army further as testimony revealed the gruesome details of the torture used by the army to kill many rebels like Abel Santamaría.

Castro’s First Rebellion • The trial ended on 5 th October with relatively light sentences given. At his sentencing on 16 th October, Castro delivered his famous ‘History Will Absolve Me’ speech which lasted for over 2 hours! • Like his hero José Martí, Castro was sent to the Isle of Pines prison, where he formed the 26 th July Movement (M-26 -7). • He was released in May 1955 as part of a general amnesty by Batista’s government, spending only 19 months in prison.

‘I know that imprisonment will be harder for me than it has even been for anyone, filled with cowardly threats and hideous cruelty. But I do not fear prison, as I do not fear the fury of the miserable tyrant who took the lives of 70 of my comrades. Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve (pardon) me. ’

Castro’s Preparations for Revolution • After his release from prison, in 1955 he went to Mexico where he met Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara who gave Castro a wider perspective on revolution. • Guevara was an Argentinian medical student who had dedicated his life to revolution against American imperialism, which he witnessed first hand in Guatemala in 1954. • Gaining financial support from US-Cuban sympathisers like former President Prío, Castro formally broke with the Orthodox Party and began to develop plans for another attempt at revolution in Cuba.

The Granma Expedition • On November 26 th 1956, Che and Fidel setout with 82 guerrillas at 1 am on their 1, 200 mile voyage from Tuxpan, Mexico to Playa Las Coloradas in Cuba on the boat Granma. • With 90 rifles, 3 submachine guns, 2 artillery pieces and 40 pistols, the plan was to land in Cuba after 5 days on 30 th November. • On that day, M-26 -7 cells led by Frank País, would lead a diversionary uprising in Santiago and Manzanillo.

The Granma Expedition • However the journey was plagued by storms and the overloaded boat landed 2 days late on 2 nd December 1956 – failing to link up with Frank País’ urban resistance. • The expedition landed in mangrove swamps 60 yards from shore. Abandoning their ammunition, the guerrillas waded ashore but were soon attacked by Batista’s troops. • Only 12 of the original 82 guerrillas made it inland to the safety of the Sierra Maestra. Among them were the Castros, Che, Camilo Cienfuegos, Celia Sánchéz, Haydée Santamaria and Vilma Espín.

Campaign in the Sierra Maestra 195659 • Hiding out in the mountains, the group began to attack isolated army outposts to gain weaponry. • Their group slowly gained the trust of locals. Treating peasants with respect and always paying for their food, the rebels helped with field work and used their medical doctors to help peasants. Any soldier breaking their codes of conduct would be executed. • By the summer of 1957, their forces had grown to over 200.

The Role of Ideology • Whilst small-scale military victories in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra were important, Castro was helped by the ideology of the M-26 -7. • Castro himself was not overtly communist. In his ‘History Will Absolve Me’ speech, Castro called for land redistribution and profit sharing for industrial workers. • In July 1957 he met with members of the Orthodox Party to sign the ‘Sierra Maestra Manifesto’ which promised agrarian and educational reform. This was hugely popular amongst peasants and workers.

Failure of Batista’s Tactics • This focus on gaining the sympathy of the peasants was in contrast to Batista’s policies. To defeat the M-26 -7, Batista forcibly moved peasants away from their farms. • He also sent in death squads known as ‘Los Tigres’ to execute anyone associated with the rebels. In the cities, he increasingly used torture and violence to silence the urban resistance, killing Frank País in July 1957. • These tactics only served to increase opposition to Batista.

The Role of Propaganda and Publicity • Castro also focused on using publicity and propaganda to great effect. In February 1957, Castro gave an interview to the experience war reporter Herbert Matthews of the New York Times: • “The personality of the man in overpowering. It is easy to see that his men adore him and also why he has caught the imagination of the youth of Cuba all over the island. Here was a dedicated fanatic, a man of ideals, of courage, and of remarkable qualities of leadership. ”

The Role of Propaganda and Publicity • The article helped to create an image of Castro as a valiant romantic leader. With worldwide circulation, it made Castro appear as the only legitimate opposition to Batista and made the M-26 -7 appear more powerful than it was. • In April 1957, Castro was also interviewed on film for CBS in the USA. The documentary was entitled ‘The Story of Cuba’s Jungle Fighter’ and again showed Castro in a good light. • The M-26 -7 also had its own newspapers like El Cubano Libre and Revolución and even its own radio station, Radio Rebelde which broadcast news of rebel progress and Castro’s own speeches to the Cuban people.

Withdrawal of US Support • The combination of popular policies, positive propaganda and military victory ensured that support for Castro continued to grow. • By 1958, Batista found himself under increasing pressure due to his military failures and criticisms over press censorship, torture and use of summary executions. • In March 1958, the US government stopped arms shipments to Batista which seriously undermined army and middle class support for his regime.

Economic Collapse • Middle class support was further eroded by the campaigns of economic sabotage launched by the M-26 -7 in February 1958 with over 30, 000 attacks launched that year. • 2 million tons of sugar were lost in arson attacks and millions of dollars in damage caused against industry and transport. This further scared off tourism. • It was clear to the middle classes that Batista had to go and many in the business community started to send funds to Castro.

Batista’s Last Offensive • Batista responded to this loss with a last allout attack on the Sierra Maestra, codenamed Operation Verano in July 1958. • The air force bombed villages suspected of harbouring rebels and 12, 000 soldiers were sent in to attack rebel encampments. • The army had no experience of guerrilla warfare. Many were ambushed and hundreds deserted or surrendered. The rebels counterattacked and by November, had taken over half of Cuba.

Support of Other Political Groups • At the same time, Castro had concluded the Pact of Caracas in July 1958 with all other student, labour, guerrilla and political groups. • Castro was aware of the need to gain the support of other political parties. In the pact, all parties recognised the leadership of Castro, even the communist PSP which was critical of him. • The pact was a huge blow to Batista, who was now politically isolated and without the support of the US.

Triumph of the Revolution • By December 1958 it was clear that Batista had lost the war. In the decisive Battle of Santa Clara, 300 rebel troops led by Che Guevara defeated a government army 10 times the size. • The rebels divided their army into three columns led by Castro, Guevara and Cienfugos. Sweeping down on Havana and Santiago, Batista was forced to flee. • On 1 st January 1959, Batista fled the country and the M-26 -7 took over in Havana. Fidel Castro had taken power.

Plenary 1. What methods did Castro use to win the revolutionary war? 2. What role did ideology play in Castro’s victory? 3. How important was Castro’s personal appeal and charisma to the success of his movement? 4. To what extent were Batista’s failures the main reason for Castro’s victory? 5. What part did propaganda and the use of mass media play in Castro’s victory? 6. To what extent is Castro’s role in the M-26 -7 overemphasised? Did we meet our learning objective? L/O – To identify and analyse the methods Castro used in his rise to power