The Cuban revolution headed by Fidel Castro succeeded in overthrowing Batista and establishing a Communist dictatorship in Cuba. Throughout this struggle for change Fidel Castro played a crucial role not only in contributing to the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 but extending the revolution beyond the seizure of power into a genuine social revolution which transformed Cuban society.
During the period after Batista's military coup, popular reaction was guarded and no major demonstrations occurred. Cuba's apparent calm was shattered in the morning of July 26, 1953 when Fidel Castro began the first revolutionary movements by leading a group of insurgents to attack the Moncada Army barracks. The attack was a failure in principle with many of the rebels being killed and Castro himself being imprisoned. However the Moncada incident catapulted Castro to national celebrity The Moncada event inspired the rise of other rebel groups which aided Castro in the future as well as propelling Castro as the figurehead or leader of the revolution movement.
After receiving an amnesty in 1955, Castro left to Mexico to continue his revolutionary plans and in the following two years he gathered a small revolutionary army of 82 men. The rebels headed by Castro re-entered Cuba on 2nd December, 1956 and made for the mountains of Sierra Maestra. The success of the revolution was largely due to Castro's strategic brilliance in the following three years where he cleverly manipulated propaganda by using broadcasts over his rebel radio station and also performing an interview which was published in the New York Times. These forms of propaganda lent stature and legitimacy to the rebel cause and won Castro new support in Cuba and the USA. This combined with Batista's failed attempts to capture the rebel leader made Castro a growing legend in Cuba. During...
Modern History
This is a great essay for modern history students especially in NSw, Australia. The essay is an evaluation meaning that it accounts for not only Castro's role but those of other forces such as the socail/political climate of cuba
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