Ch2 Cuba Castro

Nikita Khrushchev

(1894-1971) He was a politician who led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964. He was responsible for the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union, for backing the progress of the early Soviet space program, and for several relatively liberal reforms in areas of domestic policy. His party colleagues removed him from power in 1964, replacing him with Leonid Brezhnev as First Secretary and Alexei Kosygin as Premier. During the Russian Civil war he was a political commissar and worked his way up the Soviet hierarchy. His domestic policies, aimed at bettering the lives of ordinary citizens, were often ineffective, especially in agriculture. Hoping eventually to rely on missiles for national defense, he ordered major cuts in conventional forces. The flaws in his policies eroded his popularity and emboldened his potential opponents. Died of heart disease in 1971.

Fulgencio Batista

(1901-1973) He was the elected President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944, and U.S.-backed dictator from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown during the Cuban Revolution. initially rose to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of the Sergeants that overthrew the authoritarian rule of Gerardo Machado. He then appointed himself chief of the armed forces, with the rank of colonel, and effectively controlled the five-member Presidency. He maintained this control through a string of puppet presidents until 1940, when he was himself elected President of Cuba on a populist platform. After finishing his term he lived in Florida, returning to Cuba to run for president in 1952. Facing certain electoral defeat, he led a military coup that preempted the election. He was back in power and suspended the 1940 constitution and revoked many political liberties. In 1959 he was defeated by rebels under the command of Che Guevara and fled the island.

Carlos Prio

(1903-1977) He was the President of Cuba from 1948 until he was deposed by a military coup led by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952, three months before new elections were to be held.He was the first president of Cuba to be born in an independent Cuba and the last to gain his post through universal, contested elections. He was committed to a rule marked by civility, primarily in its respect for freedom of expression. Several public works projects and the establishment of a National Bank and Tribunal of Accounts count among his successes. He spent his final years as a developer and businessman in Miami (also with business in construction in Puerto Rico). He allegedly committed suicide by gunshot in 1977 while being wanted for questioning by the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations

Richard Bissell

(1909-1994) He was a Central Intelligence Agency officer responsible for major projects such as the U-2 spy plane and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. He worked closely with the OPC, which had helped to organize guerrilla fighting, sabotage and espionage during World War II. He also joined the CIA and was the deputy director for plans. He came up with the plans for the Bay of Pigs, it took him a couple tries for Kennedy to pass his request. He removed guerrilla fallback from the operation. This invasion ended up being a great failure.

Major Hubert Matos

(1918-2014) He was a Cuban military leader, political dissident, activist and writer. He opposed the dictatorship of Batista from its inception in 1952 and fought alongside Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other members of the 26th of July Movement to overthrow it. Following the success of the Cuban Revolution that brought Castro into power, he criticized of the regime's shift in favor of Marxist principles and ties to the Communist Party of Cuba. He was convicted of treason and sedition by the post-revolutionary government, and spent 20 years in prison (1959-1979). He then divided his time between Miami, Florida, and Costa Rica while continuing to protest the policies of the Cuban government. Became involved with the resistance movement follwing Batista's coup. Flew a five-ton air cargo with ammunition and weapons to Castro's rebels. He was appointed commander of the Army in the province Camaguey.

Fidel Castro

(1926-2016) He was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. Politically a Marxist-Leninist and Cuban nationalist, he also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011. Under his administration, Cuba became a one-party socialist state; industry and business were nationalized, and state socialist reforms were implemented throughout society. Born in Birán, Oriente as the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer, Castro adopted leftist anti-imperialist politics while studying law at the University of Havana. After participating in rebellions against right-wing governments in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, he planned the overthrow of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, launching a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953. He was then imprisoned and traveled to Mexico where he formed his revolutionary group. Led a movement of guerrilla warfare in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. US opposed his government, and tried to remove him through the failed attack of the Bay of Pigs. He developed Cuba into a commnist state and supported anti-imperialist groups.

Ernesto "Che" Guevara

(1928-1967) also known as El Che, he was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia in popular culture. In Mexico, he met Raúl and Fidel Castro, joined their 26th of July Movement, and sailed to Cuba aboard the yacht Granma, with the intention of overthrowing U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Batista. He soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to second-in-command, and played a pivotal role in the victorious two-year guerrilla campaign that deposed the Batista regime. Performed a number of key roles in the new government following the Cuban revolution such as, agrarian land reform, firing squads, director of Cuba's armed forces, etc. Played a central role in training the militia who repelled the Bay of Pigs and brought soviet nuclear armed missiles to Cuba.

Camilo Cienfuegos

(1932-1959) He was a Cuban revolutionary born in Havana into a working class family that emigrated from Spain after the Spanish civil war. His father influenced left-wing political principals on him as a child. He was a member of the Granma expedition, which launched Castro's armed insurgency against Batista. He was one of Castro's top guerrilla commanders-"Hero of Yaguajay"- won the ket battle of the Cuban Revolution. Shortly after he was appointed head of Cuba's armed forces. In 1959 he was presumed dead when a small plane disappeared during a night flight to Havana. He is still known as a hero of the revolution, with monuments, memorials and an annual celebration in his honor.

National Association of Small Farms

Also known as ANAP. They are a cooperative federation dedicated to promoting the interests of small farmers in Cuba with over 300,000 members. Created in 1961, initially it was limited to those who had land less than 67 hectares and provided free loans to its members. Currently ANAP members produce 52% of the vegetables, 67% of the corn, and 85% of the tobacco grown in Cuba. It provides training, agricultural extension and other services to its members. Federation often negotiates with Cuban government on prices of agricultural production, credits, and other farmers' interests

Committee for the Defense of the Revolution

Also known as the CDR, formed by Fidel Castro in 1960 following the Cuban Revolution. They are a network of neighborhood committees across Cuba, described as the eyes and ears of the revolution. They promoted social welfare and reported on counter-revolutionary activity. As of 2010 8.4 million of the total population registered as CDR members. It is considered to be a secret police organization. Fidel Castro proclaimed it "a collective system of revolutionary vigilance," established "so that everybody knows who lives on every block, what they do on every block, what relations they have had with the tyranny, in what activities are they involved, and with whom they meet."CDR officials have the duty to monitor the activities of every person on their respective blocks. There is an individual file kept on each block resident, some of which reveal the internal dynamics of each household. Even after its 54-year existence, CDR activity remains contentious. There is a lot of controversy that is discussed about the true motives of the CDF, some think of it as a a tool for mass violence and discrimination whereas others see it as dealing with the problem they are in.

National Institute of Agrarian Reform

Also known as the INRA. This was an agency of the Cuban Government that was formed to institute the Agrarian Reform Law of 1959. INRA also implemented the Second Agrarian Reform Law of 1963. It oversaw the development of the rural infrastructure. The first leader appointed was Che Guevara. Following the triumph of the revolution, Fidel prepared the country for an agrarian reform law that would change the social and economic base of the country. He repeatedly committed to agrarian reform in his statements to the press and the media of communication and in his meetings with political groups and the people. This law was essentially convoked by the 26th of July Movement which is discussed on a different card.

1958 Pastoral Letter

An official letter from a bishop to all the clergy or members of his or her diocese. The letter also acknowledges the implementation of a number of measures or reforms that have brought positive change to the country's economic, social and, to a certain degree, political spheres.

Batista 1952 Coup

Fulgencio Batista leads a group of military officers and political activists to overthrow President Carlos Prío Socarrás [1948-1952] in a bloodless coup.The coup plotters encountered almost no resistance, exploiting public revulsion against a government that had lost public respect and confidence being widely regarded as corrupt and incompetent, and incapable of dealing with increasing civil unrest and violent crime. Batista's 1952 coup resulted in immediate and strong political opposition. The opposition had two major wings: revolutionaries who saw violent overthrow of Batista as the solution; and constitutionalists who sought to remove Batista through political means (Castro's opinion on the coup and Batista).

Eduardo "Eddie" Chibas

Born in 1907 and died in 1951. He was a Cuban politician who used radio to broadcast his political views to the public. He believed that corruption was the most important problem that Cuba faced. He considered to have had influence on Fidel Castro's views but his name is not mentioned in today's Cuba because he was avowedly anti-communist. In 1947 he formed the Ortodoxos party which had the goal of exposing government corruption and bringing about revolutionary change through constitutional means. Castro joined this party and considered him his mentor. On a radio broadcast he warned the public that Batista might attempt a military coup. He then thought shooting himself would apologize for his inability to keep his promise. He shot himself during his weekly radio show; however, he had forgotten that his allotted radio time was only 25 minutes. He was initially expected to survive, but after eleven days of intensive care, he died in the hospital of his wounds. The whole country grieved his death.

Movimiento Estudiantil

Group of students who opposed Fulgencio Batista from 1954 to 1957. They played a major role in the Cuban Revolution which came to power in 1959. he director was relaunched in opposition to Castro and moved the base to the Unites States in 1960. Strong links were created with the CIA. In August 1963 they carried out an attack on the beachfront Havana hotel. As of 1963 they have been the largest anti-Castro student group in Miami.

Raul Castro

He is the son of a Galician immigrant father, Ángel Castro, and a Cuban-born mother.He is a Cuban politician, who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008 and the nation's highest ranking general. He was one of the most important figures in the party, serving as Minister of the Armed Forces for 49 years, from 1959 to 2008 making him the longest serving minister of the armed forces. He was officially made President by the National Assembly on 24 February 2008, after Fidel Castro, who was still ailing, announced he would not stand for President again on 19 February 2008. He became First Secretary of the Communist Party at its Sixth Congress. During the revolution he was one of only 12 fighters who managed to reach a safe haven in the Sierra Maestra mountains, forming the core of the nascent rebel army.

Ramon Grau San Martin

He was a Cuban physician and the President of Cuba (1933-1934, 1944-1948). He was the last president other than an interim president, Carlos Manuel Piedra, to be born during Spanish rule. He studied at the University of Havana wanting to be a doctor and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree and went to Europe to persue that career. He then returned back to Cuba and became a professor of physiology at the University of Havana. In the 1920s he was involved with the student protests against then-President Gerardo Machado, and was jailed in 1931. Upon his release he was exiled from Cuba, temporarily migrating to the United States. He became one of the five members of the Pentarchy of 1933 government. He played a major role in the passing of the 1940 Constitution of Cuba. In 1944 he won the popular vote in the presidential election, defeating Carlos Saladrigas Zayas, Batista's handpicked successor, and served until 1948.

Gerardo Machado

He was a general of the Cuban War of Independence and President of Cuba from 1925 to 1933.He had two younger siblings, a brother Carlos and a sister Consuelo. He married Elvira Machado Nodal and they had three daughters. When the Cubans launched their war against Spain in 1895, he joined the rebel forces and rose to the rank of brigadier general. He was one of the youngest Cuban generals in the Cuban War of Independence and fought in the middle provinces. He was elected mayor of Santa Clara in 1913. He took office as President of Cuba on May 20 1925, and left office on August 12 1933. He is noted for stating that at the end of his term he would ask for the abrogation of the Platt Amendment.

Juan Almeida

He was born in Havana. He left school at the age of eleven and became a bricklayer. While studying in college he became good friends with Fidel Castro and joined him on the attack of the Moncada Barracks. In 1958, he was promoted to Commander and head of the Santiago Column of the Revolutionary Army and served as a symbol for Afro-Cubans of the rebellions break with Cuba's discriminatory past. He was a Cuban politician and one of the original commanders of the insurgent forces in the Cuban Revolution. After the rebels took power in 1959, he was a prominent figure in the Communist Party of Cuba. At the time of his death, he was a Vice-President of the Cuban Council of State and was its third ranking member. He received several decorations, and national and international awards, including the title of "Hero of the Republic of Cuba" and the Order of Máximo Gómez.

1933 Revolution

On September 4, 1933, at an army base in Havana calledCamp Columbia, noncommissioned officers unexpectedly arrested their superiors and took over command of the island`s military forces. The `Sergeants` Revolt` had been skillfully organized by Fulgencio Batista and Zaldivar. He had become acquainted with the civilian opposition during the trials held by Gerardo Machado regime. Sergeant Batista was the best stenographer in the army and had transcribed many of these trials. As soon as the students learned of the revolt, leaders of the Student who opposed Machado`s reelection, joined the sergeants and suggested a broadening of its base of support, thus turning a military revolt into a full blown revolution. Batista invited the student leaders to nominate what was called a pentarchy, or five-man government, and the following day Céspedes was informed of the rebellion and of his removal

Melba Hernandez

She was a Cuban politician and diplomat. She served as the Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam and to Cambodia. She was the only child of mulatto conservative parents who resided in a modern third-floor apartment. She graduated from the University of Havana School of Law in 1943. She worked as a customs attorney for the Carlos Prio government. She was one of the two women involved in the Moncada Barracks assault. She was sentenced to 7 months in prison an was later in charge of women's prisons in Cuba. She was an active member of the Cuban revolution. She was one of the most commonly know women that fought along side with Fidel Castro in the Cuban Revolutionary war against Fulgencio Batista. She later became one of the four staff member of Fidel Castro. Known as the "Heroine of the Cuban Revolution"

Communist Party of Cuba

The Cuban constitution ascribes the role of the Party to be the "leading force of society and of the state." Since April 2011, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba has been Raúl Castro, the President of Cuba, younger brother of the previous First Secretary and President of Cuba, Fidel Castro who died on 25 November 2016, and the Second Secretary has been José Ramón Machado Ventura. It was formed in the 1920s and renamed itseld the popular socialist party for electoral reasons. It retains a stricter adherence to the tradition of Marxism-Leninism and the traditional Soviet model, its more committed to socialism.

Partido Ortodoxo

This was a Cuban left-wing populist political party. It was founded in 1947 by Eduardo Chibás in response to perceived government corruption and lack of reform. Its primary aims were the establishment of a distinct national identity, economic independence and the implementation of social reforms. This was a catch-all party, open to the all that wanted join to it. Like a populist party, there weren't internal factions or organizations, but only the support to the Eduardo Chibás' goals and ideals. Political agenda: Direct democracy Free market and respect of the private ownership Progressivism Anti-imperialism (mainly anti-Americanism) and nationalism Agrarianism: Abolition of latifondium and monoculture, agricultural diversification Fair payments and economic redistribution Nationalization of railways, power plants, telephononic communications, etc. Fight against political corruption, embezzlement and criminals Corporatism and labor rights.

Attack on Moncada Army Barracks

The Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, and was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. Fidel and his brother, Raul, led an uprising against the Batista regime with 160 young rebels. The plan was to quickly capture the barracks, issue a rousing call to the people and rely on the boldness of their actions to inspire a spontaneous uprising in the province. Bloodshed was avoided if possible. It ended up being a massive failure with many dead and tortured soldiers. Castro was then taken to prison. This armed attack is widely accepted as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Took place on the 26th of July and later was adopted by Castro as the name of his revolutionary movement which eventually took over the dictatorship of Batista.

Partido Autentico

This was a political party in Cuba most active between 1933 and 1952. It had significant influence, it eventually became unpopular and, despite significant reforms, Fulgencio Batista returned to power. It had its origins in the nationalist and anti-liberal Revolution of 1933. It was made up in February 1934 by many of the same individuals who had brought about the downfall of Gerardo Machado in the previous year to defend the changes caused by the Revolution of 1933. The 1940 Constitution of Cuba was heavily influenced by the nationalist and socialist ideas at the heart of the party's program. It had as its theme "Cuba para los cubanos" (Cuba for Cubans). Its electoral program contained socialist and corporatist elements.

26th of July Movement

This was a revolutionary organization led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship in Cuba. The Movement fought the Batista regime on both rural and urban fronts. The movement's main objectives were distribution of land to peasants, nationalization of public services, industrialization, honest elections, and large scale education reform. This revolution was named after Castro's failed attack on the Moncada Barracks. The failed attack had been intended as a rallying cry for the revolution. Castro was captured and sentenced to 15 years in prison but along with his group was granted an amnesty after two years following a political campaign on their behalf. This group faced many casualties, especially at the beginning when they were attacked by the Cuban air force. They regrouped in the sierra maestra mountain range where they set up camp and used guerilla warfare. They were able to appeal to many peasants.

Agrarian Reform Law 5/1959

The agrarian reform laws of Cuba sought to break up large landholdings and redistribute land to those peasants who worked it, to cooperatives, and the state. Laws relating to land reform were implemented in a series of laws passed between 1959 and 1963 after the Cuban Revolution. Che Guevara was named head of the INRA as minister of industries and oversaw the land reform policies.Che Guevara made one of his most significant speeches where he talked about "the social ideas of the rebel army." During this speech, he declared that the main concern of the new Cuban government was "the social justice that land redistribution brings about. On May 17, 1959, the Agrarian Reform Law called for and crafted by Guevara went into effect, limiting the size of farms to 3,333 acres.

3/1958 Arms Embargo

This is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba. This embargo was first imposed by the United States on sale of arms to Cuba during the Batista regime. In 1960 the US placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine after Cuba nationalized American-owned Cuban oil refineries without compensation. In 1962 the embargo was extended to include almost all imports. Currently, the Cuban embargo is enforced mainly through six statutes. In 2000, Clinton authorized the sale of "humanitarian" U.S. products to Cuba.

Fundamental Law of the Republic 2/1959

This law was based on the Spanish Civil laws and were influenced by the principles of Marxism-Leninism after that philosophy became the guiding force of government. It is dedicated to advancing equality among the Cuban population, according to state sources. The influence of both United States and Spanish rule on Cuban Law were present decades into the future.The Cuban people highly respected the family code, they deemed it vital to have a complete and "far reaching" discussion about it. People as young as junior high school students got enthusiastically interested in the Code, and had debates and discussions about it as the first law to have tremendous importance to their future. This law discusses marriage, divorce, marital property relationships, recognition of children, obligations to child care and education, adoption, criminal law, private property, and economic regulation.

Literacy Crusade

This was a year-long effort to abolish illiteracy in Cuba after the Cuban Revolution, becoming the world's most ambitious and organized literacy campaign. Before 1959 the official literacy rate for Cuba was between 60% and 76%, largely because of lack of education access in rural areas and a lack of instructors.[4] As a result, the Cuban government of Fidel Castro sent "literacy brigades" on the countryside to construct new schools, train teachers, and teach the peasants. This campaign was very successful overall teaching over 700,000 adults how to read and write, raising the national literacy rate to 96%. There were 1,000,000 Cubans directly involved in the Literacy Campaign with 4 categories of workers (young volunteers, adult volunteers, adults paid, and professional teachers). Supplies were provided by the government to the volunteers, and they had to travel to rural locations to teach.

Revolt of the Sargeants

This was the name up Batista's first uprising (coup). Batista took over the Cuban government on September 4, 1933. The coup overthrew the liberal government of Gerardo Machado, and marked the beginning of the army's influence as an organized force in the running of the government. It also signaled Batista's emergence as self-appointed chief of the armed forces, king-maker and favored U.S. strong man.Batista was well liked by American interests, who feared Grau's liberal social and economic revolution and saw him as a stabilizing force with respect for American interests.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

This was was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 on 17 April 1961. A counter-revolutionary military trained and funded by the US's governments CIA. The DRF intended to overthrow the communist government of Fidel Castro.Launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua, the invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, under the direct command of Prime Minister Fidel Castro. Batista and his coup caused the current prime minister (Carlos Prio- ally of the US) to exile in Florida. His exile was the reason for the 26th of July Movement.