Cuban revolution Flashcards
When did Castro come to power?
1959
What were three reasons the USA considered Cuba to be a matter of national security?
Geographical proximity
Importance of the Caribbean to the Panama Canal
US trade
When was Cuba occupied by the US? What were the conditions like?
1898 - 1902
Governed effectively
Famine and disease were wiped out
Education and judicial system were improved
USA gained a stronghold on the Cuban economy, controlling the industries
What was the Platt Amendment 1900?
From 1906 to 1909
What was the relationship between Batista and the US?
Batista had close ties to the US government and US organised crime (Havana was basically built by the Mafia). Americans continued to dominate the economy. They also possessed the strategic port at Guantanamo Bay.
Why were Cuban Communists distrusted by other leftists in Cuba?
Frequently collaborated with Batista
Rejected sabotage as a means of getting rid of the government
Were hostile towards revolution (scared of US intervention)
Perceived as too pro-working class by the middle class.
What role did the University of Havana play in the radical tradition?
Student radicalism was commonplace. Castro and his brother were both student radicals; demanding the repeal of the Platt Amendment and nationalisation of sugar.
What were the three ‘traditions’ that led to the overthrow of Batista in 1959?
Nationalist tradition, radical tradition, tradition of violence
What happened in Castro’s 1953 uprising?
Planned an attack on two barracks and several public buildings.
He wanted the attacks to lead to a popular uprising against the Batista regime.
Castro led the attack against the Moncada barracks, where he was outnumbered 10 to 1.
Some evaded capture (like Castro) for a few days and were brought to trial.
How did the trials affect Castro?
It gained him more fame and support. He defended himself and smuggled his speech out in matchboxes.
What did Castro claim he would do, in his manifesto?
Redistribute land
‘Return power to the people’
Attack corruption
Improve education
Nationalise public utilities
Introduce rent controls
Diversify the economy
What was the most significant things from Castro’s stay in Mexico?
He met Che Guevara. They had immediate chemistry, Guevara gave Castro ideas about the potential of Latin America and Castro gave Guevara the opportunity to participate in the Cuban Revolution.
When did Castro return to Cuba?
1956, with 81 followers.
What happened when Castro and his followers sailed to Cuba, from Mexico?
They basically shipwrecked. Then they were chased by Batista’s officials. They went to the Sierra Maestra (rainforest), where they lay hidden and barely moving for days. They were desperate for water. Around 21 guerillas survived.
How did Castro’s guerrillas win over the peasant population?
Declared ‘liberated areas’ where peasants were given land and livestock confiscated from wealthy land owners.
Created infrastructure in the liberated territories
Created training centres for new recruits
If necessary, the guerrillas were merciless (towards spies etc)
Who were urban revolutionaries?
Revolutionaires based in Cuban cities, rather than in the mountains with Castro. They were equally important to the overthrow Batista.
Why did the Fin de Fidel offensive fail?
May 1958. Batista mobilised 10,000 soldiers for an offensive to capture Castro and his men (Castro had 321 men, his brother had 150).
Sierra Maestra was unmapped, so it was hard to find the revolutionaries.
2 generals in charge of the operation loathed each other.
Army had no experience of combat, or of guerilla warfare.
Morale in Batista’s army was low, with high desertion rates.
Bad weather
How many estimated acts of sabotage contributed to the overthrow of Batista?
What is an example of Che Guevara’s good military leadership?
30,000
December 1958 - he and 300 rebels took Santa Clara, a city with 150,000 population. Captured a full garrison of 2500 soldiers.
Which city did the Castro brothers capture in 1958?
Santiago. They captured 5000 shooters without having to fire a shot.
When did the Batista regime fall?
1 Jan 1959. Batista resigned and fled to the Dominican Republic. He took Cuba’s gold reserves with him.
How did the US administration contribute to the fall of Batista?
Eisenhower administration did little to support Batista in his overthrow
Castro had some moral support in the USA
By 1958, CIA saw that Batista was losing. Some suggest the CIA gave Castro arms.
Also claims that Castro had help from the Mafia, believing he would protect their business interests.
List reasons why Batista was overthrown in 1959?
Castro was an inspirational and well organised leader, who played on Cuban traditions.
Castro propaganda
Batista was unpopular, corrupt and had a weak army.
Urban revolutionaries
Guevara - military skill
No alternative leader to Castro
Guerilla warfare tactics succeeded.
Why was US-Cuban hostility inevitable?
Castro’s political and economic nationalism, and the traditional US domination of Cuban politics and economy.
What was the initial feeling towards Castro in America? How did this change?
Initially, American liberals liked Castro. He seemed preferable to Batista. In 1959 he visited the USA, but Eisenhower didn’t meet him. By late 1959, even liberals were uneasy about the prominence of Communists in Castro’s government.
What happened in February 1960, in terms of Cuban-American relations?
Castro signed a trade agreement with the USSR.
What happened in March 1960, in terms of Cuban-American relations?
Eisenhower decided Castro would have to go and approved a CIA operation to overthrow him.
