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Reasons why Cuban Revolution Succeeded

This research paper analyzes the reasons why the revolution in Cuba led by Fidel Castro and his 26th-July Movement in the late 1950s occurred and succeeded in overthrowing and transforming the existing political economic and social structure and foreign policy orientation. The Cuban revolution was only in part a peasant revolution; however, it is unlikely that revolution would have succeeded if it had not received substantial support from the peasants in the Eastern or Oriente Province of Cuba at critical junctures. A number of structural factors combined to make the country ripe for revolution and to ensure that it received the active support of a large segment of the peasants as well as other groups which became disaffected with the regime of Fulgencio Batista.

Before Castro launched his abortive assault on the Moncada army barracks on July 26, 1953 and was nearly wiped out after his tiny force landed in Oriente Province in December, 1952, Cuba had had experienced several revolutions, the war against Spain in 1868 and 1896-1898, the overthrow the Machado dictatorship in 1933 and its brief success under Grau San Martin in 1933-1934. Because of the dominant role of the United States in controlling Cuban national affairs and in the economy, none of these revolutions had resulted in true Cuban autonomy. They and their outcome had, however, strengthened a growing feeling of Cuban nationalism and anti-gringo frustration. Castro's program and persona effectively exploited those highly combustible forces.

Wolf mentions population growth as one of the factors leading to broad rural support for revolutionary activity. Cuba's population increased from 550,000 in 1800 to 5.8 million in 1953 (Wolf, Peasants and 57). Income was maldistributed, largely because of the American dominated sugar-based economy which produced a landless and insecure rural proletariat only employed a few months of the year and which was subject to the vicissitude...

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Reasons why Cuban Revolution Succeeded. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 05:01, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1682978.html