Castro

Question 1

Why did Castro come to power?
Ideology?
Actions?
Weakness of opposition?

Answer 1

Ideology: Marxist-Leninist, believed strongly in converting Cuba and wider world from capitalist to Socialist.
Actions: strong opposition leader to Batista by using mass media. Attack on Moncada Barracks was a complete fail but it gave Castro the perfect opportunity to become known.
Weakness of opposition: Batista knew he wasn’t going to win election against Castro and so ordered military coup to seize control instead and allowed American control which angered Cuban people

Question 2

How did Castro consolidate his power?
Propaganda?
Removal of Opposition?

Answer 2

Propaganda: mass media used to sell image of victim and true fighter of Cuba’s interests “history will absolve me” speech. His face was plastered everywhere from posters to billboards to walls so people were constantly reminded for his and his ideals. Used the arts to portray Cuba in a favourable way.
Removal of Opposition: executions occurred but he was smart about keeping it hidden to continue portraying Cuba in a favourable way

Question 3

How effective were Castro’s social and economic policies?
Success?
Failures?

Answer 3

Success: cracked down on prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking, instated universal health care
Failures: When Castro took control of the economy back from America, US influence was evicted and they stopped buying Cuba’s sugar and tobacco so Cuba had no source to export until USSR stepped in but then USSR basically took control of Cuba also so Cuba didn’t become independent.

Question 4

How were women, minorities and education treated?

Answer 4

Women:equalised opportunity for women, 50% of doctors were women, irked FMC to help women throughout Cuba.
Minorities:Labour camps established in 1965 for social deviants bUt was closed in ‘67 after international outcry. Cuba was declared atheist and religious places were spied on and harassed
Education: abolished academic autonomy of the University of Havana. Literacy improved from 67% to 97% in 2000 from his ruling. In his first decade the number of teachers tripled. Free education