The Cuban Revolution Essay -- Cuban History Cuba War Essays

They talk about the failure of socialism but where is the success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and Latin America? -- Fidel CastroIntroductionDuring the 1950s, Cuba was on the brink of revolution. The nation, which had suffered numerous corrupt and oppressive governmental regimes, fell victim to yet another when Fulgencio Batista seized exponent under a military coup in March of 1952. A cry for a just Cuba, that was stintingally, politically, and socially free continued to echo throughout the island. In 1959, a group of radical revolutionaries, under the leadership of Fidel Castro, overthrew the Batista dictatorship and put in place the political and social structures that exist in Cuba to this day. Prez-Stables Reasons for RevolutionEven after obtaining its independence from Spain in 1898, conditions still existed in Cuba that made it ripe for insurrection. Prez-Stable feels that one of the primary causes for Cubas problems was the economic instability that resulted from its depen dence on sugar. This industry, says Prez-Stable, was the most important depository of domestic and foreign capital investments (14). Because of its short harvesting season, however, sugar was largely to break up for Cubas unemployment and underemployment. In addition, sugar was responsible for the nations continued economic reliance on the United States. The U.S. was Cubas primary trading partner. The Cuban and United States governments had established reciprocity agreements by which the United States would buy the majority of Cuban sugar in exchange for reduced tariffs on its imports to Cuba. Nevertheless, these agreements worked to the advantage of the U.S. man helping to preserve economic hardships for Cuba.By the 1950s, ... ...scouraged in socialist Cuba.Works CitedCastro, Fidel. History Will Absolve Me(excerpts). Closing speech in trial for the 1953 Moncada attack. invite out 1From The United States, Cuba and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy?. Ed. L. La ngley. Lexington, MA 1970.26th of July work. Program Manifesto of the 26th of July Movement. in Cuba in Revolution. Ed. R. Bonachea and Nelson Valds. Garden City, NJ 1972.Guevara, Ernesto Che. One Year of Armed Struggle. In Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. New York Monthly refresh Press, 1968.Paterson, Thomas G. Contesting Castro The United States and The Triumph of the Cuban Revolution. New York Oxford University Press, 1994.Prez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution Origins, Course, and Legacy. New York Oxford University Press, 1999.