Word count: Date: 13/03/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: In 1953 Castro declared: History will absolve me. To what extent do you agree with his claim? The statement Castro, History will absolve me, after his attack on the Moncada barracks in July 1953 implies while the court holds the decision of finding him guilty or not, the value of history will free him from any possible guilt he felt because of what he had done. Having observed the complete efforts of Castro on Cuba in his reign, it is seen to a large extent through a local Cuban perspective that he has been absolved by History. The prior nature of the Cuban regime justified Castros actions to renew the country through a change of government including his humane way of dealing with the opposition, such as Batistas soldiers whose circumstances supports Castros reasons for using violent methods, as displayed in the July 26th Movement. Once in power, his domestic policies confirmed how his actions removed his sense of guilt of overthrowing a regime because of his achievements in various fields; healthcare standards notably increased, literacy campaigns raised literacy rates exponentially while land reform ensured a fairer distribution of land and the prevention of extremely large land ownership held by the upper classes regardless of Cubas many ethical races and minorities. To begin with, his initial intention of disposing a regime based on underground casinos, the red-light district as well as the strong presence of corruption from grass root levels and the generous US support of the dictator Batista justifies his action. This meant there was no social mobility, growing poverty and unemployment rates because the majority of the countrys capital was tied up in the black sector. People were unable to increase their standards of living by finding better jobs because of the corruption of nearly all state officials. Wealth was derived from strong connections with politicians and the elite, spelling a fixed high upper class who had inherited authority rather than through legal and ethical methods. Batista is thought to have received 30 % of profits made in the casinos, hotels and night entertainment venues in Cuba and also had links with US triads. Furthermore, US support placed Batista into a protective shield and placing many US corporations such as oil refineries in Cuba. The Cuban economy was dependent on the US as they exported as much as 42 % of the total harvest of sugar yielded. The US assigned a fixed system of market prices to Cuba which included tariffs that was advantageous to itself. This was a drawback in terms of the economy and Cubas social status as its reputation is known for notoriety; tourists visited Havana for brothels and nightclubs, not for its beautiful scenery. Castro hence was convinced the use of force was the only solution to resolve these problems as reforms were seen useless. One distinguishing factor in Castros revolution which differed from other revolutionaries overthrowing power was how the public and the soldiers of Batista were treated. Although Castro made no attempts to imply they were not against Batista, his men were disciplined and acted civilized in the eyes of the public as if they were not in times of a civil war. The guerillas paid for what they bought from farmers and vendors. Even the opposition was treated well. Once captured, soldiers were well-fed and kept in humane conditions. As a result, the majority of the Batistas forces switched to the sides of the revolutionaries. Once again, this step in history absolves him from more responsibility as he did not choose to move forward on a full scale. His moves were strategic, to achieve the maximum result with the less amount of force needed. The absence of killing soldiers more than necessary portrays Castro as a revolutionary who had a very conscious intention of what he was doing.

Word count: Date: 13/03/2011

Li Chun Ho (Alvin) IB History HL

Essay Question: In 1953 Castro declared: History will absolve me. To what extent do you agree with his claim? Once in power, Castros various reforms in domestic policies increased the majority of the publics aspects of society. He held great literacy campaigns by sending in an army of intellectuals such as teachers and students targeting the whole of Cuba in 1961, successfully eradicating illiteracy within a year. Literacy rate in modern Cuba is 99.8%, when compared to Batistas regime, where the majority of the country couldnt read or write. This continuous success up to now emphasizes its achievement on the timelines of history. In addition, land was mainly locked in the upper classes beforehand. Castro therefore distributed the land and divided land that was more than 1000 acres together. These lands were diverted for various purposes, such as sugar caning and other agricultural planting as well as housing Cubans since housing was a problem back in Batistas era. Because farmers had a minimum wages, this helped lessen the effects of the black market on the Cuban economy. By 1977, 700,000 housing units were built based on the land reformed. Improved healthcare was also an achievement under Castros rule, offering one of the finest in the world. This could be emphasized by Cubans higher life expectancy when compared to other countries such as the US. History has also absolved Castro in this instance when he invested healthcare as not only building one very expensive hospital staffed by foreign doctors accessible only to the countrys elite, but also to the who le public of Cuba as well as foreign visitors to Cuba. In addition, healthcare has had a positive impact on Cubas economy, as each year, 40 million dollars are profited from foreign patients seeking healthcare inside Cuba. Looking at smaller factors, we could see Castros system of ruling did not involve discrimination within the Cuban society. He even wanted to improve gender equality as women were seen as a tool in Batistas red-light districts for money other than as humans. By doing so, Castro encouraged former prostitutes to find other sources of work when shutting down the illegal sector but gave them advice and time. Moreover, contraception and abortion regulations were modified to specific circumstances, which were deemed prohibited during Batistas regime. The fact 62% of the local Cuban workforce are made up of women shows how gender equality has improved, from the state where they used to only work in brothels. This point suggests not only was Castro conscious of improving the economy through land reforms and literacy campaigns and also healthcare, the ideals of equality and ethnic harmony was also displayed during his rule in Cuba. However on the other hand, Castros policies nevertheless included flaws. Although he was conservative in using force to obtain power, killing thousands of Batista supporters who were important aides and senior state officials loyal to the prior regime is not justifiable to a large extent. This event might have been used as a political tool to imply supporters of Batista in the public should not further support him anymore. Instead of killing, they could have been sent to prison if Castro perceived them as political enemies of the state. History might not entirely forgive him in this sense, although it is clear how many lives were enriched financially. Although there are many other perspectives viewing Castro such as through the Americans, to a larger extent Castros achievements have brought a more meaningful life to Cuban citizens and set an example to other single party states of how an autocratic regime may still become one of a role model as history to a large extent has forgiven him when looking at the whole tineline.