26th of July Revolution
Unit 3: Revolution Central Question
● What were the motivations behind the 26th of July Revolution? ● What is the historical context that set the stage for this to occur? ● What were the goals of the revolutionaries? ● Did they succeed in their goals? Vocabulary
Imperialism: the practice of a country extending its influence over another through military and/or diplomatic force Historical Context
● Cuba became independent from the U.S. in 1902, but only after the U.S. forced the Platt Amendment on Cuba ○ Platt Amendment: Stipulated conditions Cuba was required to write into their constitution ■ U.S. gained a permanent lease on Guantanamo Bay ■ U.S. allowed to unilaterally (something done by one side without the other’s input) intervene in Cuban affairs ● The Platt Amendment defined the terms of Cuban-U.S. relations to be one of unequal dominance of the U.S. over Cuba
Historical Context
● In 1933, a military coup d’etat led by Fulgencio Batista overthrew the Cuban president ○ Coup d’etat: Sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government ● In 1952, Batista leads another coup and seizes power for himself ○ Batista invited corruption into his gov’t; had strong ties to American Mafia ● U.S. supported Batista with cash and weapons because: ○ Batista allowed U.S. companies to dominate Cuba’s economy ○ Batista was anti-Communist ● Average Cuban citizen in poverty; begin to despise U.S. for their role in poor quality of life
Motivations Motivations
● Belief that Batista’s regime was illegitimate since he was not elected ● Dissatisfaction with quality of life under Batista ● Anger over U.S. involvement in Cuban affairs Early Stages
● Fidel Castro, young lawyer, sued Batista’s administration claiming his power is unconstitutional ○ Dismissed by Cuban courts ○ Castro realizes Batista cannot be replaced legally ● July 26, 1953: Start of the revolution ○ Castro and his brother Raul led 135 men to attack the Moncada Barracks ■ Hope to broadcast their revolutionary goals over the radio ■ Complete failure; half are killed, Castro brothers and the rest captured ● Castros exiled to Mexico where they meet Che Guevara
Revolution Heats Up
● Castro brothers and Che Guevara sail from Mexico to Cuba with 80 men on the Granma ○ Granma only built to carry a maximum of 25 passengers ● Batista predicted their landing, killed ~60 of the 80 men ● Castro brothers, Guevara, and other survivors flee into the Sierra Maestra mountain range ○ Begin guerilla war against Batista’s forces
Victory for Castro
● Batista led a brutal campaign to find and destroy guerillas leading to ○ Loss of U.S. support ■ Cuban army undersupplied, ineffective without aid ○ Loss of public support ● An impatient Batista sent untrained soldiers in uncoordinated attacks ○ Guerillas easily won most battles and captured critical supplies ● Guerillas used pirate radio to gain public support ● Batista fled Cuba in 1959 ● Castro marches into capital unopposed, takes power
Success: Did the Castro-led rebels succeed in their goals? Successes of the 26th of July Revolution
Goal: Overthrow Batista’s dictatorship and give power back to the people
● Success ○ The 26th of July-ers successfully overthrew Batista because of ■ Geography: ● The Sierra Maestra mountain range is massive, covered in foliage, and spread out ○ Perfect place for a guerilla army ■ An undersupplied and uncoordinated enemy force ● The U.S. withdrawal of foreign aid crippled Batista’s army ● Batista’s impatience made for ineffective offensives ■ Guerilla tactics Successes of the 26th of July Revolution
Goal: Overthrow Batista’s dictatorship and give power back to the people
● Failure ○ Cubans under Castro were generally much better off, but Castro became exactly what he fought to overthrow: a dictator Successes of the 26th of July Revolution
Goal: Rid Cuba of capitalist and imperialist influence
● Success ○ Fidel Castro created a socialist form of government, expelled all U.S. businesses, and severed diplomatic ties with the U.S. Successes of the 26th of July Revolution
Goal: Unify all Cubans under a government they could trust and believe in
● Both a success... ○ Many Cubans didn’t always approve of Castro’s policies, but Cuban nationalism (the good kind) flourished under his rule ● ...and a failure ○ Approval of Castro himself is mixed and complicated ○ Many Cubans are in poverty and have little access to material goods ○ Government owns and operates the media ○ 1 million exiles live outside Cuba (out of 11m total pop.) Successes of the 26th of July Revolution
Goal: Improve education and healthcare in Cuba which floundered under Batista
● Success ○ Cuba has one of the strongest healthcare systems in the entire hemisphere ■ Doctor:Patient ratio ● Cuba - 1:155 ● U.S. - 1:396 ■ Sends doctors all over the world to train others ○ Literacy rate increased significantly ■ 1953: 56% ■ 1986: 99%