Political turning points in modern Cuban history: 3 revolutions

  • 1898: US intervention in the Cuban war for independence--Jose Marti’s failed revolution

    • Platt Amendment mentality: sell-out to the Yankees
    • Gerardo Machado dictatorship, 1925-33

  • 1934: The unfinished revolution--revolutionary junta overthrown by the army

    • Fulgencio Batista eras: 1934-40 (military), 40-44 (constitutional president), 52-58 (dictator)
    • Democratic interlude: 1940-52

  • 1959: Socialist revolution against Batista, the United States, and Cuban elites

Chronology of the Cuban Revolution

  • 1952, March 10: Fulgencio Batista seized power

  • 1953, July 26: Fidel Castro attacks the Moncada Barracks and fails.

  • 1956, Nov: Urban insurrections in Havana and the Oriente fail.

  • 1956, Dec. 2: Granma landing in the Oriente is a disaster, but the foco survives.

  • 1957, March, July: Assassinations (13/iii), general strikes and urban insurrections fail.

  • 1958, May-June: Army offensive against guerrillas fails.

  • 1959, Jan 1: Victory of the revolutionaries!

Cuba: Revolutionary Isle

    Havana urban insurrection (Mar 10, 1952-Dec 31 ‘58)

    Guantanamo

    Sierra Maestra (Dec. 2, 1956 -Dec. 31, ‘58

    Escambray (Feb 13,1958-)

1955: Eisenhower administration bestows its blessing on Batista, but in ‘58 began to distance itself from B.

General amnesty: Fidel and compatriots of the Moncada assault released from prison (May 1955)

The Granma landing in the Oriente, Dec. 2, 1956: a disaster

Che and Fidel, Masters of improvisation (1964 foto)

Oriente: The rural foco, Dec. 1956-Dec. 1958

    ?July 26, 57 Estrada Sugar mill

    Dec 11, ‘58 ? San Luis (Town)

Che Guevara and guerrilla warfare p. 41 on outline

  • Political strategy: “The first duty of the revolutionary is to make revolution.”

  • Che’s seven rules of guerrilla warfare: terrain, peasants, sanctuaries, hit/run, urban support, international support, destroy morale of enemy.

  • Guerrilla tactics (myth of the heroic guerrilla): “The guerrillero must ‘feel’ that the people will triumph.”

  • Success in Cuba contradicts lessons Che taught:

    • Batista’s was a weak regime
    • Urban insurrectionaries struck most powerful blows
    • Conditions in L.A. would never be the same again

Frank Pais, founder of ANR, commander of Urban Front of M-26-7, and martyr (July 30, 1957)

Chronology of urban insurrection

  • 1952, May 20: MNR formed; Orthodoxo youth

  • 1953, Apr 5: Attack on Columbia barracks fails.

  • 1954, Mar 3-10: Bombings in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, elsewhere by FEU, AAA fail.

  • 1955, Aug-Sep: Nation-wide bombings by FEAP

  • 1955, Nov. 27: Student general strike

  • 1956, Feb-Nov: Bombings, strikes

  • 1956, Nov 27-30: General strike fails, DR, M-26-7

  • 1957, March 13: DR attacks Presidential Palace

  • 1957, Sept. 5: Cienfuegos naval mutiny

  • 1958, Jan-Dec: Bombings, attacks, strikes: DR...

Happy New Year 1958! Batista’s last

“Battle” of Santa Clara, Dec. 31, ‘58

Fidel Castro: guerrillero, revolucionario, orator, maximum leader. Cuba: from “siempre fiel” to “siempre Fidel”

Che with his CIA captor before execu-tion 9/x/ 1967

Previous slide Back to first slide View graphic version

Home Page