Viva la Revolucion
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| Fulgencio Batista |
The Cuban Revolution was a result of Fulgencio Batista’s
forcefully imposed government, and Castro’s rebel forces attempting to take
away his power through military force and guerilla warfare.
The events of the revolution were put into motion during
1952, when Fulgencio Batista seized power during an election. Most of Cuba was
disgusted at his power grab, and one man: Fidel Castro, decided to take action.
Castro had originally been a popular politician, and had the elections come to
take place, it is likely that he would have won.
The most important
events that shaped the results of the Cuban revolution were a chaotic series of
guerilla warfare skirmishes and propaganda battles. During this period, many of
the middle and upper class Cubans fled to the United States, while the poor in
remote villages fully supported Castro’s fight against Batista’s power seizure.
The events occurring in Cuba were also significant to the United States,
considering the fact that the island was both a trading partner for sugar, and
a popular tourist spot at the time.
Fidel Castro made his first move against Batista by
attacking the Moncada Barracks, on the 26th of July, 1953. The
attack was a grave failure and Fidel Castro was captured and held on trial for
his actions. However, Castro was a trained lawyer, and due to this was able to
turn the court to his favor by making the trial about Batista’s power seizure.
It is during these trials that Castro made his “History will absolve me”
speech. Although Castro was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, he had
managed to gain status as a national hero, and a well-recognized figure.
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| "History will absolve me." |
Three years later, Batista, gave in to international
pressure and released Castro along with many other remaining survivors from the
Moncada attack. Castro travelled to Mexico with his brother, Raul in order to
regroup and plan for their next move. Several new recruits joined Castro’s movement,
and among them were Camilo Cienfuegos and Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
Castro and dozens of his supporters finally set sail for
Cuba on 25 November 1956, crowded in the tiny yacht called the Granma. Their
return was met with an ambush from Batista’s forces, and only a handful of
survivors (including Fidel, Raul, Cienfuegos and Guevara) managed to escape,
making their way into the wooded highlands. In these areas, the rebels
regrouped once again, recruiting more members for their cause, and guerilla
warfare was begun in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra. Other rebel groups
somewhat allied with Castro also assisted in the general fight against Batista,
and it was becoming clear that the rebel movement was now gaining strength. The
hit-and-run tactics were devastating to Batista’s forces, and he was forced to
make a move back against the rebels.
In the summer of 1958, Batista responded to the growing
rebel threat by sending a large fraction of his army into the highlands, hoping
to cause a battle and force Castro out of hiding once and for all. Against the
odds, the vastly outnumbered rebels managed to repel the invaders, inflicting
heavy casualties on Batista’s army and eventually driving them back.
By late 1958, Castro was actively moving into the plains,
rather than staying hidden in the mountains. Castro divided his forces into two
small armies, each led by Cienfuegos and Guevara, while Castro followed with
his remaining rebels. The guerilla columns captured towns and attacked military
targets, and were greeted by the locals as heroic liberators. One of the greater victories was won by Guevara in the
Battle of Santa Clara. During this battle, 300 weary rebels overcame Batista’s
most crucial line of defense outside Havana. The outcome of this battle
revealed that Batista’s days as the president were slowly coming to a close.
With Castro's victory inevitable, Batista and his inner circle fled. Cienfuegos and Guevara had reached Havana on January 2, taking to disarming the remnants of Batista's military installations. Castro, on the other hand, took his time to pause in every town or village, giving speeches and to his adoring crowd, before finally reaching Havana on January 9.
This, of course, was just the beginning. Castro would soon reveal himself to be a Communist, beginning a new chapter in Cuba's tumultuous history. However, for the time immediately after his triumph, Castro would bring rise to new potential revolutionaries, triggering a rush of idealistic revolutionaries, seeking to change their country for the better (or for their own benefit).
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