Cuba Flashcards
economic conditions which lead to the emergence of an authoritarian state
-nationalization of US businesses
-poor economy so many Cuban people viewed Batista’s dictatorship in a bad way, causing them to favour democracy and revolution
-quota placed upon Cuban sugar exports by the USA, trade barrier caused sugar demand to fall drastically causing great fall in Cuba’s income
- January 1958 economic crisis cause 8.9% unemployment rate, December further rise to 18%
-Inflation caused decline in wealth and rising poverty for middle class caused support for alternative government
-During Batista rule GDP per capita fell to 18%
-1956-7 major inflation increasing food prices by 40%
political conditions which lead to the emergence of an authoritarian state
Guerilla attacks by July 26th movement mostly successful: attracted recruit from the local population, Castro organised bigger offensives
social conditions which lead to the emergence of an authoritarian state
1952 Batista’s coup met little resistance, promised elections for 1954
Moncada attack-Fidel and 165 youth attacked Moncada army barracks( fail)
- to obtain weapons
- half killed, wounded, arrested
-ones put on trial defended by Fidel(26 found guilty including Fidel for 15 years)
-During trial Castros’ History will absolve me’ speech helps him gain popularity
26th July movement:
May 15 1955- Fidel and others released from prison and started planning movement, Castro and supporters go to Mexico for planning
Failed armed rebellion on Dec. 2nd 1956: Castro and 81 revolutionaries- 2 days of fighting, only 16 remained free
main factor in Castro’s rose to power was guerilla war against Batista
ideological conditions which lead to the emergence of an authoritarian state
methods used to establish control: persuasion
Dec 1960: press controlled by INRA
methods used to establish control: use of force
Sep 1960: establishment of Committee for the defence of the revolution (CDRs)
methods used to establish control: ideological appeal
methods used to establish control: leader’s qualities
consolidation: legal
consolidation: propaganda
opposition
foreign policy: Bolivia
military dictatorship under Rene Barridendos (US backed):
→ Nov 1966 Che Guevara and other fighters went to help the ENL Guerrilla to overthrow the military dictatorship following the 1964 US-coup
→ Oct 1967 → Che Guevara was wounded and murdered by order of the CIA
→ despite the direct failure, Che Guevara became a world symbol for communism and revolution → enhanced Popularity for Castros regime
foreign policy: Chile
Castro supplied support to liberation groups through human mobilisation and weapons to the liberation groups of Chile
→ Allende (socialist) came to power in 1970 → Castro saw this as a victory for Cuba and the revolution → saw it as a means of ending Cuban isolationism and reducing US dominance in South America
→ Castro used Allende’s victory as a headline in Granma (Cuban gov. paper) “Anti-Imperialist victory in Chile”
→ HOWEVER, Cuba didn’t offer any assistance during the sep 1973 coup (US-backed) that lead to Pinoche’s military dictatorship
foreign policy: Cuban missile crisis
→ Soviet nuclear weapons being stored in Cuba 1962 bc US had missile in Turkey
→ U2 spy planes took pictures of missiles
13 day crisis
→ Kennedy didn’t invade but did impose a blockade → resolved w/ Castro furious that Kruschev bt/ USA and USSR
→ humiliation for Cuba → demonstrated weakness → felt betrayed by the USSR
→ Castro’s machismo and egoism meant that he wasn’t willing to negotiate by the USA
→ Castro didn’t get the levage he wanted by storing the missiles
domestic policies and their impact: economic
domestic policie and their impacts: political
domestic policies and their impact: social
June 1961: free school for all
1962: young communist league → involved indoctrination
1960: free healthcare & vaccination → infant mortality fell to 185/1000
→ this helped Castro gain support and legitimacy from the population
housing → less was built under Castro
schools and hospitals were built
domestic policies and their impact: cultural
domestic policies and their impact: women
domestic policies and their impact: minorities
