Until 1958 President Batista governed in Cuba. The revolution (= Guerrilla war) by Fidel Castro and Ernest Che Guevara overthrew Batista and Castro came to power (8th January 1959).
"Long time ago there was a little island where many people were let to starve and everywhere was great hardship. Then came a former non-commissioned officer, admitted the president and made him the head of the state. Then there was much more corruption and despotism. The big neighbour from the north looked confidently at it, because he could now rule in that country. A young advocate appeared with more than 100 men and stormed a barrack to rebel against the head. The attempt failed and the advocate survived but was arrested. After his prison sentence he left Cuba to get ready for the decisive attack. [...] After years of fighting for their rights, the rebels achieved the abdication of the dictator.
Fidel Castro becomes the leader of Cuba as a resul...
Fidel Castro, president of Cuba, at a meeting of t...
English: Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos, Havan...The advocate became leader of the state. But then the fight started. The neighbour from the north wanted to hold on to his power on the isle but the advocate didn't agree. He took the neighbour's oil refinery and sugar cane plantations and gave them to the people on the island. The factories, shops, fields belonged to everybody. Everything was distributed, and nobody had to starve, and there was no misery, and rich people weren't there at all. Then the neighbour from the north shouted: COMMUNISM, SOCIALISM!! And many people were shocked, because socialism was a dreadful ghost. It has not taken two years yet and nearly everybody was a revolutionary on the tiny little island. They all agreed with their socialist revolution, and if they have not died yet, they are still revolutionaries today."
In the beginning the new government of Fidel Castro made reforms in society and agriculture.