Elen East

History

Analyse the reasons for Castro's rise to power in Cuba – Elen East
Cuba, located in central America is a small but powerful nation that managed to scare the ‘almighty’ USA. The
nation was subjected to suppression since the late 1400s after it’s colonization by Spain. Even after it’s
liberation after the Second war of Independence, the nation finds itself in the grasp the hands of the American
government, notably President Dwight. D. Eisenhower. Nevertheless, a middle-class lawyer with political
ambitions rises to the top and gains mass support from all over. I will explore the conditions and methods in
which Castro rose to power. By doing so I will analyse, political, economic, diplomatic and social conditions,
then moving onto, propaganda, political and military methods.

One key reason for a dictator’s rise to power is the economic, political and social conditions in which the
nation is living, in the case of Cuba, one reason was that the struggling nation trying to get back on its feet and
claim independence after a series of horrific battles. Cuba had been under Spanish control after its colonization
in early 1492, they tried to break free in an unsuccessful revolt in 1868-98 in the first war of independence.
José Marti, a poet, lawyer and political figure was one of the revolutions supporters that was exiled to New
York. After 15 years he returned and led the Second war of independence. He was later known as the father
and Apostle of Cuban independence. Castro admired him, claiming 1“the only intellectual author of this
revolution is José Marti, the apostle of independence”. It has been said that Castro wanted to emulate Marti.
Furthermore, just as the rebels seemed to be on the road to victory, the US jumped in and defeated Spain,
making them give the nation up. Soon after Cuba was place under the Platt Amendment, allowing the US to
meddle in Cuban politics.

The United States involvement in Cuba’s industries created an exploitation of Cuba’s monoculture economy,
which despite producing tobacco, rice and coffee, it’s main source of income was the sugar industry, thus,
making Cuba known as the ‘sugar bowl of the world’. The people of Cuba were heavily dependent on the
sugar that was produced and traded, as it allowed their nation to prosper, with their product being prices
higher on the international market than others. The US, as always invested and bought a large percentage of
Cuba’s sugar in exchange for products to be accessed by the Americans. Now that Cuba’s economy was
increasingly growing, and so was its services and utilities, it became more and more entangled with the US’.
Meaning if the US decided to lower the percentage of sugar bought, Cuba’s economy would suffer. In 1934,
the US had removed tariffs, which caused the Cuban economy to halt develop. According to Cambridge’s
Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller, 2“by 1957, 17% of the labour
force were unemployed, while a further 13% were underemployed.”
Between 1952 and 1954, the price of sugar reduced and caused multiple recessions in the Cuban economy
causing wide spread poverty and more than half of Cubans malnourished.
The living conditions at the time for the Cuban worker were hazardous, with low wages and limited housing.
The access to health care and education was none existent, leaving over 50% of those in the country side
illiterate and only a couple rural towns or villages had access to water and electricity.
As the sugar industry was a seasonally based, it meant that their workers would be left with 9 months of
unsteady employment.

These economic factors are sometimes the cause; however, they could be caused by the political leader of that
nations such as Batista. Batista was put in place by the American government to allow them to have ‘puppet
presidents’ and to 3“’protect’ US economic and political interests in Cuba.” Batista claimed immense military
power and imposed on Cuba’s presidents, measures created by himself and the USA. However, this created
disruption amongst the politically engaged youths who heavily protested during 1934-35. Batista soon turned
to eliminating his opponents, then imprisoning and torturing anyone suspected of being a rebel. To try and
lessen support for the rebels, he ordered peasants to vacate country areas and those left would be considered
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Quote from Castro
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Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
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Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
4
Pearson’s Authoritarian States textbook by Eunice Price and Daniela Senés.
5
Quote from Castro
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Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
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Quote from Castro
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Quote from Castro
Elen East
History

traitors. To further his campaign against them, he wiped out rebels by setting fire to crops or entire
plantations, not only killing them but destroying the work and livelihood of many innocent workers. However,
the peasants became more and more attracted to the rebels in spite of Batista.
The 1958 elections held a fix win for Batista’s presidential candidate, Andrés Rivero. Yet, unlike Batista’s
previous contestants, he did not get backing from the US as not only were they embarrassed but appalled of
his violent actions against the Cubans. 4“The United states imposed an arms embargo on Cuba in March 1958.”
Batista still remained stubborn and opposed negotiation, rejecting a proposal from the United States to
“capitulate to a caretaker government.”
Batista’s government failed due to his heartless brutality and infatuation with power and strength, creating a
pandora’s box, allowing the perfect conditions for the rise of a revolutionary hero.

Not only does the conditions claim an important role in the rise of a dictator, but also their methods in which
they achieve their goals. Castro’s methods were the main reason of his rapid success, he was charismatic and
spoke in a way that electrified the people of Cuba and gave them hope of freedom. He used his intellect from
reading books of Marx, Lenin and other prominent national figures to convey a defined idea of the future of
Cuba, not only in his propaganda but in his speeches and interviews that were broadcasted all over even to
America. He regarded Manifestos as an essential aspect of his revolution, 5“Propaganda must not be
abandoned for a minute, for it is the soul of every struggle.” Hidden in the netourious mountain range where
they say, “Nobody survives in the Sierra Meastra” , Castro and his men used mimeographs to create posters of
propaganda which contained images of a heroic Castro leading the revolution, some images even portrayed
the people, making them feel heard. Castro also invited American journalists to present his want for freedom
from the us and his strength. This gave him another leg up with the people, who were getting poorer day by
day by the Americans, who owned and controlled most of the nation at that point. Their control was disguised
as investment in industries and as a holiday. However, what really gave hope to the Cuban people was Castro’s
“History will absolve me” speech, Castro’s trial was televised which gave him the opportunity to communicate
his motivation and said that he did the right, patriotic thing and that he was defending the constitution and
independence. Two white doves had also landed on his soldiers during the speech which made the people
think that he was their savoir and the chosen one, he was then known as the ‘Obatala’. The man who would
make Cuba great again. This allowed him to be popular among the people who were tired by America’s and
Batista’s suppression. Not only did this make him popular but also Che Guevara, who was Castro’s Argentinian
right hand man. He became so popular, he returned to Argentina to start his own revolution, but died shortly
after his return.

Castro’s ideology danced on the line between socialism and nationalism, while leaning more and more into the
latter. At the age of fifteen, he studied at a Christian boarding school where he not only conversed with Jesuits
but it was where he ideological and political mind was formed. He began with the idea of creating a
nationalistic Christian world which would eradicate the then Anglo-Saxon Cuba. He began to associate himself
with a more radical form of nationalism that dates back to the First War of Independence, 1868 and the aim of
Cubiana. Cubiana is the first time used by 19th century rebels who strived for Cuban independence and
references to the collective national interest of Cuba. He believed that Cuba needed to achieve 6“Cuban
independence and modernisation.”

The US had not only economic but political control over Cuba since 1898, after Spain was left defeated by the
US in the Spanish-American war. The US owned many of the Cuban’s industries such as the agricultural sector
and creating the United Fruit Company, who was then an economical force. Notably, the US invested in sugar
plantations, where mass amounts of sugar would be produced and exported out of Cuba. The US would exploit
1
Quote from Castro
2
Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
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Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
4
Pearson’s Authoritarian States textbook by Eunice Price and Daniela Senés.
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Quote from Castro
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Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
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Quote from Castro
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Quote from Castro
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History

Cuba’s political turmoil and place their own chosen government officials, such as Batista. The US had also
added the ‘Platt Amendment’ to Cuba’s institution. It also gave Castro even more motivation to create an
independent Cuba, and to break free from the shackles of the US.
As Castro gained more and more support, the US grew embarrassed of Batista, and sent a financier from the
US State department to persuade Batista to retire, but failed. Then, the US slowly withdrew financial support
from Cuba. The superpower also now regarded Castro as a communist threat and made it difficult to resist
Castro’s forces. Castro’s declaration of independence from the US caught the eye of many communist nations,
such as the USSR. In 1960, Kruschev had sent Anastas Mikoyan, his deputy to understand Castro’s Cuba more
after being refused a meeting with President Eisenhower in Washington D.C. They soon established diplomatic
ties soon after the Cuban Revolution and the USSR was purchasing Cuban sugar in exchange for the Soviet’s
fuel. This made Cuba increasingly dependent on Russia’s economic markets and military support. During the
cold war Cuba had even joined the COMECON in 1972.
Castro also gained support from revolutionary groups such as those in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Bolivia and
Venezuela who’s President, Hugo Chàves, was later an admirer of his. Chàves signed trade deals which
benefited Cuba immensely.

Castro military methods to his rise of power were heavily dependent on guerrilla warfare and the mass
support he achieved. After losing to Batista in his first campaign, Castro had decided 7“I have to deliver a blow.
I have to deliver a revolution.” And he soon attacked the Moncada Barrack of Santiago de Cuba. This coup
failed miserably, half the of the men died brutally and the other half, along with Castro were imprisoned. After
the images of the mutilated bodies were published, this horrified the people of Cuba and Castro declared that
10 men should die for every 1 of his soldiers, growing his support and declaring him a Hero. He was then
sentenced for 15 years in prison, where he read political books and sharpened his ideology.
After his release in, he fled to Mexico where he continued to grow his support and his campaign. Later, in
1956, he and a group of exiles left Mexico to Cuba on the Ganma planning to bring down Batista’s dictatorship
of Cuba. After running out of fuel and being beached on the wrong coast, they were ambushed and fled into
the Sierra Mountains. Despite everyone’s doubt f their survival in the harsh conditions, they persevered and
began gaining more and more support. They began to capture weapons from demoralised soldiers, who some
even gave them up in large numbers. Castro wanted to inflict as less damage and loss of life as possible, in a
mater interview he states 8“The triumph of the revolution was an example of order. There was no luting, no
one was dragged across the streets, there was no murders, no crimes. There was perfect order.”
Castro not only was a figure head of the revolution but gave an example in which soldiers followed.

Although, the conditions which were created were ideal for a political leader like Castro to emerge, it was his
methods and coincidences that made him stand out from the others. Such as after the rebels had pushed
Batista out, Castro went on a tour to Havana, speaking to the Cubans at every stop and when he arrived in
Havana there millions of people celebrating him. As he was saying his speech of the second version of his
manifesto, “History will Absolve me”, two white doves landed on his shoulders. For Cuban religion, white
doves are a significant aspect in which gave the people the sign that he was the ‘deliverer’ the ‘Obatala’. He
was seen as the man who was going to turn Cuba into a strong nation.

1
Quote from Castro
2
Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
3
Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
4
Pearson’s Authoritarian States textbook by Eunice Price and Daniela Senés.
5
Quote from Castro
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Cambridge’s Authoritarian and Single-Party States textbook by Allan Todd and Sally Waller
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Quote from Castro
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Quote from Castro