Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution
Fidel Castro Ruz was born on august 13 1926 in Biran, Cuba. His family, owning sugar plantations, were fairly wealthy, this money providing him with extensive education oppurtunities. In 1945 Castro gained a law degree after attending the University of Havana and started a practice, devoting himself to serving the poor. Castro had always been a rebel, his main interest in university being politics, involving himself in various protest groups. In 1952 he intended to run for parliament, but in a coup d’etat, General Fulgencio Batista overthrew the existing government, marking the end of democracy in Cuba and cancelling the election. These actions on Batista’s part fueled Castro’s desire for revolution and in 1953 he started to organise a revolt. The revolutionary movement started on July 26 1953 and after many trials and tribulations Castro finally rose to power on January 1 1959. Batista had fled the country allowing Castro’s forces to move in and take Havana. Castro became president of Cuba and remains in this position today. . . .
For his participation in the attack of Moncada Castro was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and whilst he was in jail the growth of support was overwhelming. This becomes obvious through the fact that during the revolutionary period there were attempts by other individuals to overthrow Batista, all of which were unsuccessful. ” It was this enthusiasm and drive that rose him above Batista and ultimately lead to his victory in 1959. On the 26th of July 1953 Castro launched an attack on the Moncada Army Barracks. There were many difficult stages for Castro in which he could have easily backed down and Cuba would not have seen a successful revolution. After release Castro exiled himself to Mexico, allowing further support to grow. As Castro has said “The duty of every revolutionary is to make the revolution. It was during this period that Castro initiated guerilla warfare. These military defeats placed increasing pressure on Batista and political support was becomng weak, so on January 1 1959 he fled the country. However, Castro did not break under pressure, instead his defeat seemed to only make him stronger and more driven to conquer. Castro was dedicated and determined to win, as said by Tad Szulc in ‘Fidel: a Critical Portrait’ – “It was the obsession of Fidel Castro to do away with human, social and economic underdevelopement in Cuba. Without someone as determined as Castro, true revolutionary thoughts would not have been aroused and the people would have continued to unwillingly live under Batista’s government. ” Fidel Castro’s political style emphasised active engagement and self-discipline. This therefore allowed Castro to move into Havana and take power.
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