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... re it was scheduled, and he did not have adequate human resources to ensure the success of his plan. Due to these insufficiencies, the attack was a failure, which resulted in the brutal slaying of seventy rebel youths, and the subsequent jail and torture of the remaining rebels. Although the attack itself was a failure, it served an important purpose in catapulting Castro into the public eye as a potential leader. It also demonstrated how in all probability an armed struggle would be needed to bring Batista down. In his trial, Castro launched into a denunciation of the Batista regime, identifying the problems of Cuban society, and relating how Batista was responsible for them.
He called for revolution during his passionate speech and defiantly spoke of the despicable tyrant. Castro ended by saying, Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me. The events foreshadowed what was to come for Cuba because although the rebels received a fifteen-year sentence, they were released after eleven months due to a general amnesty agreement. After his release, Castro went to Mexico, to prepare for his next attempt at toppling the Batista government.
They devised a plan in which Castro would land with forces on the west coast and subsequently meet up with other rebels. They would march on and seize the nearby towns which in turn would coincide with uprisings and strikes in Guantanamo and Santiago. As a result of this, a general strike would hopefully occur, leading to the toppling of Batista. As a result of the original 26 th of July movement, the rebels learned in order to be successful, there must be a grass roots organization to provide arms, recruits, logistical support, and to agitate among workers and civic groups for the crucial general strike.
However, there was a presence of a backup plan this time, rebels would move into the Sierra Madres to start a guerilla campaign if the original endeavor failed. The rebellion itself served to demonstrate the determination Cuban rebels had. They went through rigorous conditions in order to attain their goals. Castro returned from Mexico where he had been communicating with others laying the groundwork for rebellion in Cuba. Immediately they encountered problems with a leaky boat, seasickness, and landed off course.
Batista had been informed of their whereabouts, and had organized a surprise attack and a plane to fire upon them. Although much of the group was incapacitated, sixteen people survived and reformed in the mountains of the Sierra Maestro. There, they trained for guerrilla style warfare, and gained the support of much of the peasantry who were discontented with Batista's rule. The state of the country was such that after the rebels captured the first town, they immediately acquired new volunteers with each subsequent victory. The Batista administration attempted to isolate the rebels, but his offensive failed. The movement against Batista was steadily gaining power, and as the rebel troops swelled to 50, 000 in number, Batista's army became increasingly disorganized.
Upon his realization that he could not longer contain the masses and prevent the inevitable, Fulgencio Batista fled to the Dominican Republic leaving an incompetent and fairly depleted army in charge. They simply ceased fighting and handed power over to the Army of Liberation. Castro came into power soon after that. Batista's regime fell because of a variety of factors. There was no significant popular support for him in the country.
There were promises of advances in the Cuban economy, yet the unemployment rate went up and the average income for Cubans decreased. In 1958, unemployment increased from 8. 9 % in January to 18 % in December. The per capita income in the first two years after the coup alone decreased 18 %, and by 1958 it had fallen to its 1947 level. Basic societal problems such as poverty had not in any way been addressed. The poor were still poor, and those used to a higher standard of living watched as it decreased. Food prices rose dramatically, and many had to wait in line just to get their share.
The price of basic food supplies had risen by up to 40 %. Reports of corruption were rampant, and people in Cuba were infuriated to learn that while they struggled daily Batista was accepting bribes and making deposits in Swiss bank accounts. The lack of an organized government that could provide advantageous advice severely handicapped the Batista government. Even those who rose to power with Batista were not fully satisfied with how he handled his administration. There was internal resentment due to the fact the most prominent positions were filled by not necessarily those who were best for the job, but those who were personally closest to Batista. This unsatisfied attitude was not just present with in the government, but in the military as well.
Because Batista relied heavily on the military to enforce his policy, internal dissent influence his government. The military became increasingly disloyal and unreliable. They were heavily demoralized by the arms embargo imposed by the United States because it extinguished their hopes that outside forces would intervene on their behalf. By the time Castro came into power, the majority of Cubans were dissatisfied with the way Batista ran the country. Castro provided something else, someone who could restore Cuba to its former position. He embodied the Cuban spirit, and constantly aroused the population with his boundless optimism and exuberance.
His personality was such a contrast to Batista's callous and unjust image that he was a welcome relief. Castro also used the media to his advantage to project himself as a brave individual with the best interests of Cuba at heart. Batista was not representative of the population because he did not work towards the best interests of any particular class. Those who previously supported him turned against him because he did not improve life in any respect. However, Castro used a logical strategy by proposing a social program that both the middle and upper class people could support. The agrarian portion of the population approved of Castro's plans for agrarian reforms.
Castro did not isolate other political parties in Cuba, so they were supportive of his ascension to power. Upon consideration of all the factors within Cuban before Castro came to power, one can make the strong statement that his emergence as leader of Cuba was due in large part to the poor administration of the Batista government. Sebastian Balfour believes that Castro stepped into the power vacuum that was not entirely of his making. He skillfully seized the opportunities offered by a conjunction of historical conditions that were unique to Cuba.
Samuel Farber noted that Castro's originality consisted in his unusual ability to seize and understand the psychological dimensions of the political situation at a given moment and to elicit action in the direction he desired. While at the outset of Batista's reign many did not react adversely to his coup, a short while into it they realized that his government had many shortcomings and did not live up to the promises it made once it seized power. The overwhelming detestation the ordinary Cuban felt towards Batista contributed to his downfall as there was no considerable support for his government. His own people, and military began to turn against him, and there was no way for him to retain power.
Castro was available when Cuba was desperate for a leader, and he played upon the tremendous anti-Batista sentiment to guarantee his role as a key political leader in Cuba. Bibliography: Leonard, Thomas M. Castro and the Cuban Revolution. London: Greenwood Press, 1999 Balfour, Sebastian Castro New York: Longman Group, 1995 Farber, Samuel Revolution and Reaction in Cuba, 1933 - 1960 Middletown: Wesleyan University Press Sierra, J.
A. The Timetable History of Cuba: web Rolando E. Bonachea and Nelson P. Valdes, eds. Revolutionary Struggle, 1947 - 1958 Fall of Old Cuba: web
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