Cuba under Castro
Bookmark this page

Cuba after 1953 — Fidel Castro

1. Fidel Castro Ruz (1927-)
1. Son of a wealthy spanish farmer in northwest of Cuba
2. Attended famous Jesuit school — fine athlete
3. Attended University of Havana from 1945
1. Became involved in violent politics
2. 1947 he participated in ill-fated invasion of the Dominican Republic
3. Became a follower of Eddie Chibás and belonged to his Orthodox party from 1947-1952
2. July 26^th 1953 Castro attacked Moncada barracks
1. In hope of sparking revolution
2. With lower-middle-class and working-class rebels
3. Programme:
1. Return to constitution of 1940
2. Educational reform
3. Land reform
4. End to Corruption
5. End to large weapon expenditure
4. The attack failed
1. Most killed, others imprisoned and tortured
2. Castro was captured seven days later and set on trial
1. Defence speech ("History will Absolve me") made him national hero
5. The struggle and the governmental repression helped nationalism
6. Castro went to prison for 19 month
1. His popularity grew while he was there
2. Came free under general amnesty
1. Escaped to Mexican exile
3. Started to plan new attack
1. Received support from Venezuelan exile Rómulo Betancourt and ex-president Píro
2. Met Ernesto (Ché) Guevara in 1955
3. Left for Cuba with 22 people on board of newly bought yacht Granma in 1956
1. Included Guevara, Fidel’s brother Raúl and Juan Almeida
4. Castro wanted to coordinate landing with uprising in Santiago
1. Landing encountered logistical and scheulding problems
2. They were betrayed
5. Most were killed, others hid in Sierra Maestra and fought off governmental troops
6. Castro granted interview to renowned journalist Hebert Matthews Feb. 1957
1. A New York Times reporter
2. Article gave Castro credibility in US
3. Sent message out that Castro was still alive in the mountains
4. As the articles overstated numbers and success it won much support
7. Castro continued local raids throughout spring of 1957
1. Increased sympathy
2. Picked up new recruits
3. Created support from peasants in Oriente
1. Gave information about government troops and supplies
8. Violence increased in mid-1957, ex. in Havana; Civil War
1. Groups mostly unaffiliated with Castro’s "26^th of July Movement"
2. Uprising of Junior officers in fall at Ciefuegos
1. Batista crushed revolt with bombers and other military equipment
1. Alienated US, as they did not allow domestic weapon use in arms-trade agreement.
9. Change in circumstances against Batista in 1958
1. US suspended arms shipment to Cuban government in March 1958
2. Middle class abandoned Batista
3. Church actively supported Castro
4. Major offensive against Castro failed
1. Heavy losses in government forces
2. Army was corrupt and leadership incompetent
10. Setback for Castro was low response to general strike in April 1958
4. However, rebels began their final putsch in August 1958
1. Three different army’s under the leadership of Castro, Guevara and Camilo Cienfugeos set out to cut island in two
2. Emissaries were dispatched to agree cooperation with other rebel groups
1. Especially Communists who controlled labour union.
3. All last-minute rescue attempts made by Batista failed due to growing pressure
1. Some plans involved US
4. Batista’s days were counted
1. Rebel forces bardudos (the bearded ones) arrived at outskirts of Havana Dec. 1958
2. Batista fled with his closest allies on Jan. 1^st 1959 to Miami
5. Remaining threat to Castro’s troop came from old army:
1. Esp. Col. Ramón Berquín who lead unsuccessful coup in ‘56 posed threat
2. However overwhelming superiority of Castro’s forces made him retreat
6. Then, on Jan. 1^st and 2^nd, Guevara and Cienfugeos entered Havana
1. Castro called for general strike simultaneously to support revolution
2. Castro arrived in Havana a week later under cheers.
5. Þ A band of 300 at the beginning and 3000 at its peak beat an entire regime; due to:
1. persistance
2. Discipline
3. They gained universal sympathy, form peasants, workers and middle class
4. They faced corrupt and incompetent army
5. Faced incompetent leader
6. Castro’s army was organised and the officers were full of idealism

The Revolution in Power, 1959-1991

6. The Revolution in Power
1. In the first four years (1959-1962) the government consolidated its position
1. "Parliamentary democracy inappropriate for Cuba at the time"
1. Legislative power in the executive
2. Castro became prime minister and first secretary, so most important man in state
2. Suppressed freedom of speech
3. Took autonomy of Havana University
4. Show trials and public executions of Batista supporters
2. Made many reforms, in general moved revolution leftward to achieve goals:
1. Land reform
2. Income redistribution
3. Agricultural diversification
4. Economic independence
3. Alienated middle-class support
1. In part due to radicalism of economic programme
2. Also due to concentration of power
3. Example for this is President Manuel Urrutia who resigned in July 1959
4. A moderate-radical split became apparent as military leader of revolution (Muber Matos) and anticommunist was arrested and set on trial
5. Castro allied with the Popular Socialist party for help in administration
6. Purged moderate elements of Cuban labour unions in Jan. 1960
7. Conflict with US now inevitable
1. Closer ties with USSR
1. As Russia’s deputy premier came in Jan 1960:
1. Russia purchases sugar for first $425000 (Jan 60) then $1m
2. Resume of diplomatic relations in May 1960.
7. United States — Cuban Relations
1. US relations already tense after the show trials and confiscation of large farms
2. Peaked in May 1960
1. Cuban government asked major oil refineries to process soviet crude oil.
2. Refineries owned by Texaco, Standard Oil and Royal Dutch Shell
3. Soviet oil was cheaper that theirs
4. The companies refused after urge from US government
5. Þ Castro nationalised the refineries in June 1960
3. Nationalisation of refineries sparked series of hostile actions by two governments
1. President Eisenhower withdrew Cuban sugar quota
2. Castro nationalised most American-owned properties
3. President Eisenhower banned all exports to Cuba in October 1960
4. Again, this sparked off another wave of nationalisation.

Þ Relations deteriorated and cut off by Eisenhower on Jan 3, 1961

4. CIA started to back exile groups for arms and training
1. Set up a training camp for invasion force in Guatemala, summer 1960
2. President Kennedy gave go-ahead for expeditionary force 3 month later
5. Bay of Pigs started on April 15^th 1961
1. Poorly planned and executed
2. Based on idea that people would rise to revolt once exiles landed
3. The invasion failed

Þ Increased Castro’s prestige and sparked radical reforms in economy and politics

1. Castro proclaimed allegiance with socialism 1 month after Bay of Pigs
6. USSR pledged to defend Cuba — missile crisis of 1962
1. Increased weapon delivery:
1. Cuba now capable of delivering atomic weapons to most of America
2. US said this to be offensive but USSR and Cuba argued that this was a deterrent and defensive
2. Kennedy ordered quarantine of all offensive weapons to Cuba, 22.10.62
1. Also demanded dismantling of missile sites
2. Seemed as if he lost control of army, how were pressing for force
3. Two superpowers reached compromise
1. Russia to withdraw missiles from Cuba
2. US to:
1. Withdraw own weapons from Turkey
2. Pledge not to invade Cuba
1. However in secret US continued to support exiles
8. Revolutionary Economics
1. In comparison to other revolutions, Cuba/Castro had many advantages:
1. Relatively short guerrilla war
1. Caused little destruction, loss of lives and poverty
2. Possessed good communications and transportation system
1. Good and extensive train & Road systems
3. Character of rural population easy to deal with
1. Didn’t demand own land but pay rise and higher working conditions
4. Cuba had considerable unused industrial and agricultural capacity
5. By 1959, great support from socialist allies
2. But it also had economic problems:
1. Inexperienced in economic matters
2. Change to socialist policies caused economic disruption
3. American embargo caused shortages and disruption
4. Beginning difficulties with new trading partners
5. Able technicians among first to flee
6. Usage of moral rather than material incentives damaged economy at first, but was stopped in 1969.
3. First goal was the redistribution of income to working class
1. Success: They raised wages by 40% & purchasing power by 20%
2. Unemployment was also virtually wiped out
4. Success esp. in areas outside Havana - regime held against super-urbanisation
5. Agricultural reforms
1. First Law of Agrarian Reform decreed in May 1959
1. Restricted size of land holdings
2. Gave government right to nationalise excess amount
2. Nationalised land distributed in small amounts or put in cooperatives
3. Redistribution especially affected Oriente Province
4. 85% of all Cuban farms nationalised, at least to part
5. Slow tempo of land reforms accelerated = internal & external pressures
6. Estates related to Batista taken over first, then cattle farms finally US b.
7. Regime experimented with management of farms:
1. All became granjas del pueblo (state farms)
1. Administered by Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA)
2. Same workers, but better wages and working conditions
6. Industrial reforms
1. Began slowly
2. Only one major company taken over at first: Disliked telephone company
3. Conflict with US led to sweep in nationalisations:
1. Oil refineries
2. Factories
3. Utilities
4. Sugar mills
5. Then, foreign owned banks
6. Urban housing
7. Finally, native owned businesses
7. Redistribution of income created problems:
1. Increased wages created a excess demand for consumer goods
1. Meat for example experienced a 100% rise in demand
2. This led to overkill of cattle
1. Created inability to supply it in future
3. Government increased problems by:
1. Lowering rents
2. Lowering utility rates
3. Increased number of free services

Þ Cuba did not import consumer goods and could therefore not meet demand

4. Rationing was introduced by 1962.
1. Increased discontent
2. Wasted scare resources due extreme spending and poor planning
8. Less success full reforms included agricultural diversification and industrialisation
1. Government wanted to become more self sufficient
1. Change land from sugar growing to cotton, vegetable oils, cotton etc
1. Would save on foreign exchange as otherwise imported
2. Industrialisation programs proved to difficult and were abandoned 1963
9. Problems in Agriculture occurred due to inefficient planning and administration
1. Castro set up central planning agency (JUCEPLAN) in February 1961
1. Castro ignored or bypassed it with special programmes
2. Also ignored private agricultural sector
1. _ of farms still in private hands
2. Finally, in early 1961, the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) was established
1. Coordinated production of small farms with national plans
2. They also gave credit, set up stores & organised associations
10. Þ Revolutionary government spent huge amounts on investment from 1962 to 1970
1. Largely wasted due to poor planning and inefficient administration
9. The Return to Sugar, 1963-1970: The Ten Million Harvest
1. Missing experience and the resulting inefficiency persuaded Castro to re-emphasis on the sugar production, 1963
1. Increased agricultural earnings were to finance industrialisation
2. Symbol for this was the goal of 10m tons of sugar to be harvested 1970
2. Sugar had previously suffered
1. Harvests 1960 & 61 only successful because of good weather and peace
2. Well-meant but short-sighted policies harmed crops
1. Diversification had led to destruction of best crops
2. Had not replanted in two years
3. Equipment & Manpower badly administered
4. Chaos in transport and distribution
5. Sugar mills were damaged and un-repaired
3. Þ The Harvests from 1962 onwards were more than disappointing.
3. Ten million tons harvest was not reached:
1. The usable mills could produce 6 million tons at maximum
2. In 1968 only 1/5 of the prof. cane cutters of 1958 figure were working
4. Government intervention tried to change situation
1. Second Agrarian Law of 1963 nationalised most medium-sized farms:
1. 70% of all farms now under state control
2. Forced small farmers to sell crops to it at low prices
3. Castro stressed socialism, centralisation and moral incentives to increase production from 1965-1967.
4. USSR increased support Cuba by absorbing trade deficits of $1bn between 1961-1967
10. Cuba and Latin American Guerrilla Movements
1. During mid.60’s Cuban government made moves to export revolution
1. Started guerrilla warfare against capitalist states, and supported groups
2. Stopped as Ché Guevara was killed by Bolivian troops in Oct. 1967
11. Failure and Reassessment, 1970-1975
1. The ‘Ten million tons’ programme did much damage to Cuba
1. To reach goal revolutionaries virtually ruined sugar industry
1. Future harvests disappointing
2. Resources and manpower pulled from other industries
1. Caused disruption and turmoil
3. Failure to reach goal (8.5m t. collected) hit revolution and Cuba hard
2. Castro admitted failures on July 26^th, 1970
1. Re-emphasised hardship and Labour, although revolution would go on
2. Vowed that changes would be made, which Depersonalised & Institutionalised the government
1. Delegated power to new executive committee the ‘Council of Ministers’
2. Gave bureaucracy wider scope of action and more influence
3. Veterans, President Osvaldo Dorticós and Carlos Rafael Rodríguez took charge of economic development
4. Clearly separated the army, the bureaucracy and the party
5. Restructured army along traditional hierarchical lines
6. Judicial system changed
7. Attempts to broaden popular base and strengthen party
8. Labour movements revitalised (larger role for trade unions etc.)
3. Also changed many economic aspects
1. Sophisticated computerised planning techniques introduced
2. System of material rather than moral incentives introduced
3. Work quota system introduced between 1971 and 73
1. In 1972 alone this resulted in a 20% increase in productivity
4. Differentiation in wages between jobs
1. People paid not according to need but to productivity and complexity of job

Þ Reforms led to a dramatic increase in productivity and a annual GDP growth rate of over 10% from 1971-1975 (3.9% from 1966-70)

12. The Institutionalised Revolution
1. 1^st Communist Party congress (Dec75) completed institutionalisation of revolution
1. Nationwide referendum in Feb. 1976 approved this
2. Depersonalised government through pyramid of elected bodies
1. Fidel Castro (although now elected) still head of party and state

Þ All this however created severe economic difficulties

3. Economic difficulties:
1. Inefficiency
2. Low productivity — i.e. lack of:
1. Of professionnel management
2. Quality control
3. Labour discipline
3. Still heavily dependent on sugar
4. Growth rate from 1976 to 1980 averaged disappointing four percent
5. As Cuba continued dependence on sugar, a modernisation of industry began:
1. Sugar cane now harvested by cane
2. New mills have been built

Þ Created harvests of 8 million tons+ since 1982

3. But there are also problems
1. Production figures still fall short of goals
2. Creates balance of trade and foreign exchange deficit
3. Still reliant on heavily fluctuating world market prices
1. Vary from 60 US cents (1974) to 7 cent in 1982
6. Cuba also has great debt
1. Owes $7 billion to western countries
2. Owes $10 billion to Russia
3. These debts are frequently rescheduled
4. Offers an answer why Cuba is at the forefront for debt relief programmes
5. Debt is huge in comparison to size and economic possibility
7. Many people also flee from Cuba
1. Especially during the so-called Mariel exodus (April-Sept. 1980):
1. Fidel Castro angry that Peruvian Embassy wouldn’t turn in 6 refugees
2. Allowed all Cubans who wanted to, to leave the country
3. Various country’s started to accept refugees
2. Þ 125000 people fled from Cuba during that time
1. Most fled through Mariel port
3. Not to forget:
1. During American Revolution 10 percent of population fled
13. Achievements:
1. Great record in:
1. Employment
1. Lowest Unemployment figures in Latin America
2. Equal distribution of income
3. Public health
1. Basically no hunger and starvation
2. Free medical care
3. Lowest doctor/patient ratio in Latin America
4. Infant mortality rate (11.9% in 1989) among lowest in world
5. Life expectancy 75 years (58.2 in III world countries)
4. Education
1. Free for all
2. Educational budget 7% of GNP
3. Illiteracy wiped out
4. Population average of ninth-grade education
5. Standard of living
1. Inequality dramatically reduced since Batista
2. Lower classes especially benefited:
1. Rents controlled, not more than 10% of income
2. Fair rationing of food
3. Income increased from $100 (1959) to $550-$850 (1977)
4. State farms furnished with televisions and relaxation area
5. Þ No beggars
14. Cuba and the World
1. Cuba sent much military aid to third world countries - helped:
1. Algerian independence
2. Guerrilla groups in Zaire
3. Portuguese African colonies
4. Tanzania during 1960’s
2. Death of Ché Guevara and bad economic situation limited aid in 60’s
3. Improved US-Cuba relations and prosperous economy increased it again—helped:
1. Eleven thousand Cubans helped Ethiopia against Somalia invasion 1978
2. Fifty thousand Cubans helped Angola against rebels supported by US etc.
3. Cuban-Anglo army defeated South Africa at Cuito Cuanavale:
1. Treaty of 1988 allowed independence of Namibia
4. Cuba now engages in civil aid with 16000 Cuban:
1. Doctors, teachers, construction engineers, agronomists, economists
2. Serves 32 third world countries
3. Includes free education in Cuba
4. Þ Motive "International solidarity" and providing foreign currency
1. Fees on ability to pay
2. Some fore free
3. Foreign construction projects major income producers
5. Good relations throughout
1. Especially with Latin America
2. Vote into UN security council with largest percentage ever
3. Attempts to normalise relations with US have not been returned

Other Notes in this Category

1. Characteristics and Appeal of Fascism
2. Cuba before the rise of Castro
3. Cuba under Castro
4. Fascism in Germany
5. Fascism in Italy
6. Rise of Communism in Cuba
7. Rise of the Nazis in Germany
8. Spanish Civil War

Didn't find this useful?

• Visit Coursework.Info for over 14,000 GCSE, A-Level and University Essays