- When US cuts off sugar, Cuba is dead, it’s their ownly source of income…
- Corruption skimmed off most of the government funds.
- Most of the money generated by the boom went into the pockets of wealthy individuals, and the distribution of wealth was skewed in favor of the wealthy.
5. 1947: Political reformers, led by Eddy Chibás, a former member of the Auténtico Party, established the Orthodoxo Party.
- Chibás made frequent radio broadcasts about the ideals of political integrity, democracy, and social reform. He accused the government of corruption and eroded Auténtico authority.
- Castro joined the Ortodoxo Party.
- Lead by Eddie Chibas that pushed for democratic reform and an end to corruption
- 5 Aug 1951: Chibás shot himself during a radio broadcast after he was accused of making false statements about an Auténtico cabinet member.
6. Castro tried to defeat the ruling party in the election. He failed, but he gained power and recognition in the Ortodoxo Party.
7. 1948: Castro dedicated himself to the presidential election in Cuba. Despite his efforts, the Ortodoxo Party's candidate lost the election.
8. 1952: Castro ran for a seat in the Cuban House of Representatives.
9. Before the elections, General Fulgencio Batista staged a bloodless coup d'état.
- Castro took the Batista government to court, charging it of violating the Cuban constitution.
- The court dismissed Castro's complaint and declared that revolution is the "font of the law."
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Castro rejected democracy (Batista’s government) and decided that armed revolutions were the only way.
- Castro formed one of several underground revolutionary groups.
10. 26 Jul 1953: Castro and about 150 revolutionaries attacked Cuba's 2"d largest military base that was manned with 1,000 soldiers.
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The attack failed. Half the revolutionaries were killed and the others were captured.
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Their heroism gained the general sympathy of the Cuban populace.
- The prisoners went to trial for trying to overthrow the Cuban government. Castro countered the charge by attacking Batista's illegitimate government in his famous "History Will Absolve Me" speech.
- Castro was sentenced to jail for 15 years, but he served less than two years.
- In jail, he read books on political philosophy, history, etc. and formed his ideological convictions.
11. 1954: Batista ran unopposed in the elections because all major parties withdrew their candidates in protest.
12. 1955: Batista felt confident enough to grant amnesty to all political prisoners, including Castro.
13. Castro left for Mexico and indoctrinated recruits with the ideals of social revolution.
- Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the Argentine Marxist joined Castro.
- Nov 1956: After a year's preparation, he took his Guerillas to Cuba in the vessel Granma.
- Batista's army met them at their landing, and only a dozen men, including Castro escaped prison and death.
14. Castro established himself in the Sierra Maestra (mountain range in south of Cuba).
- He and his supporters attacked small military units to gain territory, capture weapons and impress the people.
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He invited Herbert Matthews, a New York Times correspondent to report on the 26th of July movement. This brought the movement international attention. New recruits joined him and other guerilla groups became auxiliaries of Castro.
- The rebels lived amongst the peasantry who supported them with food, shelter and information.
- Castro learned the difficulties they faced and promised to redistribute land and provide free education and healthcare.
- Castro was bombed by the U.S. while in the mountains. Castro and his troops escaped unharmed but the peasants suffered heavy casualties.
15. mid-1958: Batista's government lost most support at home and abroad.
- The U.S. stopped shipping arms to the Cuban military.
- 1 Jan 1959: Batista fled Cuba.
- Castro stepped in to fill his place, based on his political ideas, his charisma and his youth.
Domestic Affairs
1. Castro first became head of the armed forces.
2. In his first nine months, he passed about 1,500 laws and decrees.
- Some of them took over U.S. property and assets.
- Some broke up large property holdings and redistributed them.
3. 1959: The Agrarian Reform Law and Urban Reform Law broke up large property holdings and redistributed them amongst the poor.
4. Jan 1960: He purged (radicalizes) moderate elements of Cuban labor unions.
5. May 1960: Cuban government asked U.S. refineries to process Soviet crude oil.
- The refineries refused on the urging of the U.S. government.
- Jun 1960: Castro nationalized the US Oil Refineries.
6. 1961: He became the prime minister, cancelled elections and suspended the Cuban constitution. He soon announced that Cuba would become a Socialist nation.
7. 1959 to 1962: Approximately 200,000 people emigrated to the U.S. 80% of them were well-educated professionals.
→ these are the people from who Castro took land etc… therefore they hate Castro
8. Transforming Cuba involved indoctrinating citizens with the "New Man Theory," under which people worked for the benefit of the state, not personal gain.
9. Political parties were dissolved; the press was controlled by the government; neighborhood watches checked for ideological purity.
→ Castro begins implementation of socialist policies through propaganda and education
10. People advanced in work based on their loyalty
11. Che and Castro planned to start revolutions throughout the world as well.
12. Castro tried to diversify the economy but failed.
- Cuban goods were poorly made.
- Sugar output fell by 50%.
- The amount of goods available declined.
- Inflation followed as Cubans had money but there was nothing to buy.
- During the shortages, the government effectively redistributed wealth and provided schools, clinics, public transport and retirement pensions:
- The poorest 40%'s per capita income rose.
13. 1962: Rationing was introduced and this added to the discontent.
14. 1965: He reversed his plan of economic diversification, focusing on agriculture and a few primary exports.
15. The Soviet Union became an ally of Cuba.
16. 1969 and 1970: Castro set a production goal of 10 million tons of sugar.
- Cubans were pressurized into 'volunteering' to perform unpaid work in the sugar fields.
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Only 8.5 million tons were produced (soviet begins to subsidies – gives money to – the Cuban economy)
- This cost the Soviet Union badly.
- They started to require Cuba to develop five-year and ten-year economic plans.
- Their financial aid helped Cuba recover during the 1 970s.
- However, Cuba became financially dependent on the Soviets.
17. 1970: The population grew form 6.55 million (1958) to 8.25 million, while the number unemployed fell from 686,000 to 75,000.
18. 1976: The Popular Peoples' Power Movement allowed people to vote for approved candidates to local government posts.
- These people in turn voted for members of the provincial and national assemblies.
- 1976: The newly elected National Assembly created the post of president of the State Council that combined the functions of head of government, head of state and head of the armed forces.
- Castro was given this post.
19. 1980: The port of Mariel was opened and 120,000 Cubans left.
20. 1975 to 1985: Castro allowed small-scale capitalist enterprise to sell excess produce.
21. 1986: He reversed his decision on the grounds that it disrupted the even distribution of wealth.
- People who had profited too much from their enterprises were arrested and fined.
Foreign Affairs
1. 1958: U.S. businesses owned 75% of Cuba's fertile land, 90% of its public services and 40% of the sugar industry.
2. 1959: American business interests and dissatisfied Cubans began sounded the alarm that Castro was a Communist.
3. Tensions began to rise as Castro seized U.S. businesses in Cuba.
4. 1960: The U.S. placed a partial trade embargo on Cuba, prohibiting the import of all items except food and medical supplies. They also recalled their ambassador, broke formal relations and began training exiles for an invasion of Cuba.
5. The Bay of Pigs:
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17 Apr 1961: About 1,500 Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs.
- The invasion was supported by the U.S. and the invaders had been trained by the CIA.
- The invasion failed and most Cubans rallied behind Castro, consolidating his power.
- It was a deep humiliation for Kennedy.
6. The Cuban Missile Crisis:
- Khrushchev secretly sent nuclear missiles to Cuba, that were in striking range of the U.S.
- Sep 1962: A U.S. spy plane identified the missiles.
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22 Oct 1962: Kennedy announced a naval blockade of Cuba and informed Khrushchev that any Soviet ship attempting to cross the blockade would prompt nuclear war.
- At the last minute, the two leaders resolved the missile crisis.
- Khrushchev recalled his ships and agreed to dismantle the missile sites.
- Kennedy agreed to end the blockade, not invade Cuba and dismantle missile sites in Turkey.
- However, the U.S. continued to support exiles secretly.
- Cuba was left out of the negotiations and this infuriated Castro.
- It was a huge political victory for Kennedy.
