Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
CR occurred in 1959.
Prior, there were concerted attempts of Cuba to wrestle control over
their country from the Spanish.
Cuba, a prime example of Spanish imperialism.
The last Spanish stronghold and the source of Spanish wealth.
General dissatisfaction caused various forms of opposition.
1. Those who wanted internal self-government (autonomists)
2. Those who wanted independence (independentists)
3. Those who who supported annexation to the US (annexationists)
The first attempt of autonomy through revolution occurred on 10
October 1868 with the outbreak of the Ten Years War, led by sugar mill
owner Carlos Manuel de Cespedes.
This was the beginning of the demand for independence from external
control through revolutionary means, but Spain won and were able to
reestablish control and the Pacte de Zanjon was signed in which Spain
promised reform.
Increasing dissatisfaction with Spanish rule (resentment) grew as the
economic prosperity of Cuba increased, particularly after the Cuban
sugar rev in the late 18thc to early 19th c.
Another development, increasing involvement of a newly independent
USA in the affairs of Cuba in the early period.
As Spain proved increasingly unable to provide the necessary
developmental supports, the USA became a surrogate mother country.
Cuba's revolution has its origins in the struggle against Spanish
colonialism, which intensified in the second half of the 19th century. An
uprising in 1895 sealed the fate of Spanish colonialism, but victory was
snatched from the people by a US expeditionary force in 1898 once
they won the Spanish-American War 1898 and the Treat of Paris was
signed.
Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti, who had travelled in the USA, wrote
of the occupiers: 'I have lived inside the monster and I know its
entrails...Shall we bring the country dear to our hearts, virgin and
fruitful, to this frenzied pack of rich against poor,...white against
black.... Shall we deliver it into this oven of wrath, into these sharp-
toothed jaws, into this smoking crater?'
The English poet Rudyard Kipling celebrated the event in a poem
inviting the USA to 'Take up the white man's burden'. But Mark Twain
wrote of the US imperialist expedition that the stripes of the US flag
should be painted over in black and the stars replaced by a skull and
crossbones.
Cuba became an economic colony of the USA, with US troops
returning to suppress revolts. USA became Cuba major trading partner,
purchasing most of Cubas sugar and investing in the Cuban sugar
industry.
By 1920, US investors owned two thirds of the arable land. The Mafia
moved into Havana's gambling and tourist business in the 1930s. After
the Second World War, Cuba became a transshipment stage for 'French
Connection' heroin into the USA, and a degenerate playground, brothel
and casino for US imperialism. Spain became increasingly obsolete;
since wealth was no longer being transferred to their treasuries.
Historians described Cuba after 1902 as having de jure independence
but being transformed de facto into an American protectorate.
On 25 November 1956, the tiny yacht Granma set sail for Cuba. Castro
said, 'We will be free, or we will be martyrs.' 82 waded ashore to do battle
with Batista's thousands of US-equipped troops. They were immediately
strafed by Batista's planes. Tramping through swamps, sucking sugar cane
for moisture and nutrition, they were betrayed by their guide and ambushed.
12 partisans regrouped and began guerrilla warfare in the mountains of the
Sierra Maestra. On 21 August 1958, Castro ordered Che and Camilo
Cienfuegos to lead two columns down from the Sierra Maestra.
Batista fled Havana at 2am on 1 January 1959. A military junta replaced
him. Camilo and Che continued to lead their guerrilla columns into Havana.
Workers and peasants all over Cuba responded to Castro's call for a general
strike. The Revolution triumphed.
20,000 people had been killed in the liberation war. As he entered Havana
on 8 January, 32-year-old Castro reportedly ordered 50,000 rifles and
machine guns to be imported to defend the Revolution.
At the time of the Revolution, the largely rural population had an average
annual income per person of $91.25 - an eight of that of Mississippi, the
poorest state in the USA. Only 11% of Cuba drank milk, 4% ate meat, 2-3%
had running water, and 9.1% had electricity. 36% had intestinal parasites,
14% had tuberculosis, and 43% were illiterate.
On 2 January 1959, the government announced that 50-60% of casino
profits would be directed to welfare programmes. The first of a series of land
reforms was enacted on 17 May. Large estates were expropriated and turned
into state farms. The US United Fruit Company was dispossessed without
compensation. Land was turned over to small farmers, sugar cane farms
were made into cooperatives.
The Cuban government offered to discuss compensation for US-owned
farms and mineral properties. The US Secretary of State declined the offer.