Analyse the factors that contributed to Castro’s rise to power in 1959.

Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba on January 9th 1959 when he marched into
the city of Havana following a two year war against the armed forces of dictator
Fulgencio Batista. At this point, Castro was a well-known figure amongst the Cuban
people, and had defied all odds by continuing to resist against the troops of the
government, which at one point outnumbered his own men fifteen to one. However, it
could be argued that the success of Castro’s movement was inevitable in a Cuba where
the majority of the population supported him and simultaneously sought for Batista to be
removed from power. With many different factors in question, and taking into account
the impending doom ​(overwhelming asymmetrical nature of the war in the Sierra
Maestra)​ that chased the guerrilla forces in the Sierra Maestra, the question remains -
how was Fidel Castro able to defeat Batista? In short, it seems like the main reason was
because Fidel Castro was a people’s leader. ​(Good.)

The first factor to take into account is the discontent of the Cuban people with
then dictator, Fulgencio Batista. Batista had originally been elected democratically and
ruled Cuba lawfully until he staged a coup and cancelled the national elections in 1952.
It was during these elections that the sergeant would have run against Fidel Castro
himself, but it was evident that Cuban support leaned against him and therefore power
was taken by force. Almost immediately, the 1940 constitution was suspended and the
population was relieved of many civil rights, such as the right to protest. This violation of
civil integrity was then followed by a reign of terror and repression under which it was
estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 Cubans were murdered, with countless more tortured
or harmed. Many events terrorised the population and left many hopeless for change in
the regime. One of the most notable ones was “Operation Christmas Present”, during
which 23 young revolutionaries were taken from their homes to be tortured, left dead on
highways and hanging from trees between the 23rd and 26th of December 1956. It then
makes sense that Castro was seen as a saviour for so many Cubans, who admired him
for his seemingly untouchable valour and who clung to him in hopes that the killings and
terror Batista imposed onto the civilians would cease. This is what caused so many
Cubans to support Fidel Castro, some eventually joining him in battle against the
government or aiding him by providing food and shelter after his escape to the Sierra
Maestra. Celia Sanchez perhaps said it best when she stated “We rebels get far too
much credit for winning the revolution. Our enemies deserve most of the credit, for
being greedy cowards and idiots”. Evidently, Cubans were reaching their limits while
dealing with the repressive regime, as well as continually losing their brothers, fathers
and friends to a force that insatiably and violently killed those that spoke against it.
Historian A. Kapacia reinforces the importance of these situations by saying that
“Castro’s ability to read the popular scene allowed him to gain popular support.”
Shaping widespread hate for Batista due to his violent regime into support for himself
was, therefore, a key aspect in Castro’s rise to power.​ Excellent.

However, independent to the terror, cruelty, and injustice that Batista’s

government imposed upon the Cuban people were the terrible conditions that civilians
lived in at the time. Granted, Cuba was ranked fifth in per capita income for the
hemisphere and second in per capita ownership of automobiles and telephones.
However, this was proof of the immense wealth gap and divide of social classes that
affected the poorest population in Cuba and prevented their economic situation from
improving. About 70% of land in Cuba was owned by Americans, the rest going to
wealthy Cuban landowners, all of who employed Cuban peasants to work on their sugar
plantations. To these ‘macheteros’, it seemed as if their lands had been stolen from
them by the Americans, and consequently work was hard, scarce, and underpaid. The
sugar harvest lasted for only four months every year which caused fifteen percent of the
population in rural areas to live in abject poverty. It wasn’t just the macheteros that
endured harsh conditions though. It is estimated that weekly household incomes in all of
Cuba were around six dollars a week, while Havana was the fourth most expensive city
in the world. This, in addition to the fact that healthcare was difficult to obtain and basic
services like running water were only found in one third of homes, made it seem like
only the elite in Cuba could make the money needed to feed their families. For those in
positions of power and economic privilege, Cuba was a dream that they didn’t want to
wake up from, and they sought to stay in these comfortable living conditions, even at
the expense of the rest of the population. On the other hand, for the average Cuban, it
seemed as though they were being backstabbed by their own leaders and left to endure
hunger so that Americans could drive expensive cars around the streets of Havana. It
should come as no surprise that when Fidel Castro preached ideas of economic
equality and Cuban prosperity, the average civilian became entrapped in the hope of a
better future. Fidel’s promises can be summed up in his affirmation “I speak for all the
children in the world who don’t even have a piece of bread.” The widespread economic
and social crisis posed the perfect opportunity for his rise to power, as it made the
Cuban people more likely to attach themselves to him when looking for a better future
for them and their families. However, as historian Susan Eckstein said, “Social problems
provided the necessary conditions, but Castro provided the spark.” As a result, it must
be understood that the living situation in Cuba was an important factor in Castro’s rise to
power, but not more significant than Castro himself and his leadership. ​Excellent!

The historic relationship that Cuba had with the United States was also a point of
tension for the Cuban people, many of whom still remembered the tendency that the
USA had of controlling and exploiting Cuba. American businesses were, after all, very
involved in Cuba and had invested large sums of money by 1985. It was worrying to
these investors that Cuban nationalists were present in Cuba, and the United States
government was feeling the pressure to defend their interests on the island. Eventually,
war was declared and American forces replaced the Spanish by August 1898. From the
end of the Spanish American War, the United States had not hidden their clear
intentions of establishing some sort of control over Cuba, the extent of which could even
lead to invasion and colonisation. This was later consolidated by the Platt Amendment
of 1901, which allowed the USA to intervene in Cuba with their military whenever they
deemed fit, even when Cuba was declared independent in 1902. With interference and
dominance from the USA seemingly just rising through the years, Cubans were starting
to resent the country. Low wages from American landowners toppled with the ever
increasing intervention in Cuba from the mafia - notably from Meyer Lansky- further
consolidated the idea that the United States had a single goal of further impoverishing
the people in Cuba. Casinos were built in the Hotel Nacional de Cuba for Americans to
have illicit meetings in, brothels in Havana arised to entertain the white man and yet the
cuban worker saw no benefit gained from the “booming” economy of Cuba’s golden
years. Cubans felt like they were robbed of their country and their autonomy, instead
being branded as the “Latin Las Vegas” or an American playground. As a result, Castro
was able to take advantage of the deep hate that the average Cuban had for the United
States and its line of puppet leaders, therefore creating a common enemy and uniting
the people against it. This was a narrative that allowed Castro to once again appeal to
the people and utilise his persuasive skills to sway Cuba into supporting him and unite
against US efforts to control the island. ​Good. Think about what you are going to be
able to write in 45 minutes.

In terms of warfare, Castro’s acquisition of Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s guerrilla

knowledge in Mexico 1956 was, arguably, the strongest reason as to why he was able
to keep the revolution alive in the Sierra Maestra. Che’s expertise on guerilla warfare
meant that even with only 12 men having escaped to the Sierra Maestra from the
Granma landing in Oreste, November 1956, hopes of achieving revolutionary traction
were still present. Guerrilla warfare tactics allowed Castro and his men to use their
small numbers to their advantage, exploiting their mobility to retreat when Batista
attacked, attack when his army tired and pursue when they retreated. The guerrilla army
that was organised understood and fulfilled key points to ensure their success, such as
having a clear end goal and adjusting their organisation based on the conditions of the
settings of battle. Consequently, tasks were carried out diligently and efficiently, with a
different guerrilla taking care of each task such as sanitation and intelligence, keeping
focus and specialization. Success for the guerrillas and these tactics can be seen best
in Operation Verano, during which most of Cuba’s armed forces were sent to Oriente on
a mission to defeat Castro once and for all. Almost 5,000 troops, close air attacks and
naval gunfire were part of this offensive. However, even when it seemed that the rebels’
end was near after 13 maneuvering units surrounded them in a territory of about four
square miles, Castro’s now expert handling of guerrilla tactics proved victorious. His
lookout troops soon informed him of the army’s weakened state due to bad weather,
battling against guerrilla tactics and disease. At Castro’s command, him and his brother
Raul launched two simultaneous offensives that would kill 600 soldiers, gain them
weaponry and yield them Canadian and American prisoners from government outposts.
This was a key move for the final stages of the revolutionary war. For guerrilla fighters,
the feeling of defeating a great number of armed, trained army men when they
themselves were, for the most part, poorly equipped peasants was unmatchable in
glory. On the other hand, Batista soldiers were truly feeling the effects of low morale
and harsh conditions, growing frustrated at the idea that a small guerrilla could be
defeating them. Lowered morale only made defeating Batista’s troops easier for the
revolutionaries. As Castro later said, “It does not matter how small you are if you have
faith and a plan of action.” The plan of action was provided by guerrilla tactics, but the
faith was all Fidel Castro. ​Excellent!

Propaganda and the effective use of it was surely one of the strongest reasons
that Castro was able to gain as much popular support as he did. It was, after all, Fidel’s
speech after his trial: “History Will Absolve Me” that resonated profoundly with the
socially battered and bruised Cuban population, the same people who had yearned for
an escape to their current living conditions for years. Castro’s eloquent dialogue,
seemingly clear and straightforward reform plan and background as a law student
placed him as a trustworthy figure for macheteros and workers alike. Eventually, Castro
himself became a figure of propaganda, along with Che Guevara. He was seen as the
saviour of the people and was the key icon of the M-27-7, as well as the revolution in
and of itself. Propaganda was also spread by actions - notably, Raul Castro treated
American and Canadian citizens well when they came to be under his wing, later letting
them go. Che Guevara said “We want their arms, not their lives” when referring to
Batista’s soldiers, which also increased popularity within the dictator’s own armed
forces, whom were growing tired and demoralised in the Sierra Maestra. Castro and his
men genuinely seemed to want the greater good for Cubans and displayed themselves
as merciful as well as empathetic. This created a harsh contrast between revolutionary
troops and the national army, the latter viewing peasants as lesser, commonly leading
to violence and rape. Instead, Che Guevara provided healthcare and surgeries to the
macheteros, with many others from the troops helping to teach them how to read.
Castro and his men’s actions were the biggest form of propaganda, they made the
people trust their good intentions, believing that these forces were to be the ones to
lead Cuba to an improved future. Nonetheless, none of these actions would have had
the same impact without Fidel Castro’s backing and careful planning that allowed for a
maximisation of positive results.

However, all of the causes mentioned previously for Castro’s rise to power have
one thing in common - they were opportunities that Fidel turned into actions and,
eventually, a successful revolution. If it hadn’t been for his great oratory skills and his
ability to unite people from across the island under one cause and one objective, then
the revolution would not have been more than a dream. The harsh reality of popular
living conditions, the oppression from Batista and other puppet leaders, US efforts to
control Cuba - these causes were present for decades before Castro started to push
back and staged an attack in 1953. We are therefore lead to believe that the one
decisive factor for the revolution was Castro himself, more explicitly his attributes as a
speaker, charisma and understanding of the pains of the Cuban people. Che Guevara
said “We are the fish, the people are the sea.” In that case, Fidel Castro was the sand. .

Excellent essay. You have a strong argument throughout, it is packed with high
level factual detail and there is an explicit explanation of key turning points in the
revolution. Well done!