Fidel Castro college application essay help Architecture essay help

Fidel Castro “Analyse the involvement of Fidel Castro in creating a Revolutionary Cuba” Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926, near his father‘s farm in Biran, in southeast Cuba. Castro’s father was an immigrant from Spain, who had provided for the family through sugarcane farming. Castro spent most of his younger years on his family farm, but spent most of his childhood in catholic boarding schools. In 1950, Castro graduated from law school and began practicing law. Keeping a strong interest in politics, Castro became a candidate for a seat in Cuba’s House of Representatives during the election of June 1952.

However before the election was held, Batista toppled the previous government, cancelling the election. From the start of Batista’s rule, Castro fought against him in any means possible. To start, he took Batista to the courts and tried to out-do him legally. However, when that failed, he began to organize an underground group of rebels. On the 26th of July in 1953, Fidel Castro launched an attack on the Moncada army barracks. Castro, his brother Raul, and a group of about 160 armed men attacked the second largest military base in Cuba.

They were confronted with hundreds of trained soldiers and there was little chance that the attack could have succeeded. Sixty of Castros men were killed, Castro and Raul were captured and given a trial. At this trial Castro delivered his famous speech “History Will Absolve Me”. His speech ended: “Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me,” Castro was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. He was releases two years later in May 1955. He then went into exile in Mexico for a year, where he trained and assembled the 26th of July Movement.

He gained support from Che Guevara, a Marxist Militant from Argentinia. On December 2nd, 1956, Castro and his men returned to Cuba with the intention of starting a revolution. They were met by heavy Batista defenses and nearly everyone on the movement was killed, with a handful escaping, including Castro, Raul and Che Guevara. For the next two years Castro continued guerilla attacks and succeeded in gaining large numbers of volunteers. Using guerilla warfare tactics, Castro and his supporters attacked Batista’s forces, overtaking town after town.

Batista quickly lost popular support and suffered numerous defeats. The rebel forces began to rely on the peasants for support. Batista took to ruthlessly attacking pro-Castro towns, which only stirred up more support for the rebel leader. A movement in the cities began as well. Frank Pais, whom Castro left in charge whist he was in exile, began to attack the Batista government in various ways. A group of students not associated with Castro, unsuccessfully led an armed assault on the Presidential Palace. On May 24th, 1958, Batista launched operation Verano.

With seventeen battalions, tanks, planes and ships, they planned to enter the Sierra Maestra and force a showdown with Castro’s rebels. Though greatly outnumbered, the rebels repeatedly inflicted heavy casualties on the army and drove them back. Armed forces commanded by Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Raul Castro, Camilo Cienfuegos, and others, took on army units many times their size. Batistas army was unprepared for the fighting conditions and the guerilla style of warfare. Eventually Batista decided the situation was hopeless.

His generals had arrived at the same conclusion, and were glad when Batista decided to give up the fight. Batista fled to Spain, by then having amassed a fortune of $300 million through bribery and embezzlement. The rebel forces of Fidel Castro had moved swiftly to seize power throughout the island. At the age of 32, Castro had successfully masterminded a classic guerilla campaign from his headquarters in the Sierra Maestra and ousted Batista. Law Professor Jose Miro Cardona created a new government with himself as Prime Minister and Manuel Urrutia Lleo as president on January 5.

The United States officially recognized the new government two days later. Castro himself arrived in Havana to cheering crowds and assumed the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on January 8. On January 8, 1959, Castro’s army rolled victoriously into Havana and would shortly thereafter declare that “power does not interest me, and I will not take it. ” As news of the fall of Batista’s government spread, the crowds poured into the streets. The black and red flag of July 26th Movement waved on automobiles and buildings.

The atmosphere was chaotic. Fidel Castro sought to oust liberals and democrats, such as Jose Miro Caardona and Manuel Urrutia Lleo. In February professor Jose Miro Cardona had to resign because of Castro’s attacks. On February 16, 1959, Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba. Professor Miro soon went into exile in the United States and would later participate in the Bay of Pigs invasion against Castro’s form of government. President Manuel Urritia Lleo wanted to restore elections, but Castro opposed free elections.

Castro’s slogan was “Revolution first, elections later” Castro started to organize attacks on President Manuel Urrutia Lleo. Castro himself resigned as Prime Minister of Cuba and later that day appeared on television to deliver a lengthy denouncement of Urrutia “complicated” government, and that his “fevered anti-communism” was having a detrimental effect. Castro’s sentiments received widespread support as organized crowds surrounded the presidential palace demanding Urrutia’s resignation, which was duly received.

On July 23, Castro resumed his position as premier and appointed Osvaldo Dorticos as the new president. Castro had used his degree in law and his manipulation skills to overtake Cuba and transform his country into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Bibliography: http://www2. truman. edu/~marc/webpages/revsfall99/cuba/. (Accessed 9/7/11) http://history1900s. about. com/od/people//p/castro. htm . (Accessed 9/7/11) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fidel_Castro. (Accessed 9/7/11) http://library. thinkquest. org/18355/fidel_castro. html. (Accessed 9/7/11) Samantha DoolingMrs Rayward11MHA