IB History SL Rise & Rule of Fidel Castro – Flashcards

This was an amendment attached to the law stipulating the conditions for the withdrawal of US troops from Cuba after the Spanish-American War. It was also incorporated into the Cuban constitution of 1902: • Only the USA could buy, lease or be given control of Cuban territory • US had the right to intervene in Cuba whenever it was necessary. • Cuba not allowed to make treaties with any other country that would "impair or tend to impair the independence of Cuba" • Cuba also agreed to sell or lease to the United States "lands necessary for coaling or naval stations at certain specified points to be agreed upon." The amendment leased Guantánamo Bay to the United States and provided for a formal treaty detailing all the foregoing provisions. It was finally repealed in 1934, but the USA continued to regard Cuba as being within its "sphere of influence"

This refers to the situation of Cuba's economy, which was almost entirely dependent on sugar. This makes the island very vulnerable to fluctuations in the market and very dependent first on the USA then the USSR to buy its products. Since 1991, Cuba has had a lot of trouble finding markets.

This man controlled Cuba through puppet presidents from 1934-40, then as President from 1940-44. He ran for President in 1952, but seized power in a coup when it became clear he wasn't going to win. He suspended the constitution and ruled as a dictator. The USA recognized his regime even though it was characterized by numerous human rights violations, rampant corruption and links to organized crime.

One of the opposition parties in Cuba under Batista. Its policies were Nationalism ("Cuba for the Cubans") and defending the right of workers and trade unions. The problem was Presidents San Martin (1944-48) and Socarras (1948-52) had been from this party and they had been corrupt and undemocratic, so they were not able to oppose Batista effectively.

One of the opposition parties in Cuba under Batista. Its policies were anti-corruption, nationalizing US companies and social reform. Castro joined this party around 1945, but his political career was cut short when Batista deposed Socarras in 1952.

This was Cuba's communist party, It was founded in 1925. It was banned from participating in elections several times. In 1956, it was banned again. Castro was not a member of this party, but this party allied with Castro and accepted his leadership in the Pact of Caracas in 1958. In 1961, it merged with the 26th of July Movement and a revolutionary student organization to become the PURC (United Party of the Socialist Revolution of Cuba) under Castro's leadership. As Castro moved to the left, Communists gained more and more power in Cuba's government. In 1965, this was renamed the Cuban Communist Party (PCC).

This was the second largest military installation in Cuba. It contained large supplies of ammunition and weapons, and it was situated in a province where that had been a lot of unrest. On July 26, 1953 Castro and his brother led a group of 140 men, mostly from the Orthodox Party to attempt to seize it. He hoped to spark a popular revolution in the process. In the end, half of the rebels were killed, and many captured and tortured to death, creating revolutionary martyrs to inspire others, and highlighting the brutality of the Batista regime. The Castro brothers were captured shortly afterwards and were sentenced to 15 years in prison. (He was released two years later in an amnesty). Castro's revolutionary movement was named for the date incident.

This was Castro's revolutionary movement, formed in 1953 for the raid on the Moncada Barracks and named for the date of that raid. In 1961, it merged with the PSP and a student movement to form the PURC (United Party of the Socialist Revolution of Cuba). In 1965, this was renamed the Cuban Communist Party (PCC).

After the raid on the Moncada barracks, Castro was captured. He was put on trial and elected to defend himself. At the trial he made this famous speech. Even though the public was not permitted to attend the trial, this speech became a famous rallying cry for revolution, because Castro has written it in lime juice between the lines of his letters to friends so it could be disseminated. In this speech, he proposed land reform, rent controls, investment in industry and land reform, but stopped well short of advocating Communism.

An expedition to Cuba of about 80 fighters who had been recruited in Mexico, including Che Guevera. It was led by the Castro brothers. The boat arrived late and its radio failed, so the assault was poorly coordinated, with planned uprisings from within Cuba failing to materialize. The fighters were ambushed and all but twelve of them were killed. The twelve escaped and hid in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra, recruiting more members.

During this period (1956-69) when Castro's forces his in the wilderness conducting guerrilla warfare, Castro's forces did not steal from the peasants and always paid for the food they were given. They respected women, provided doctors for the peasants, taught them to read and even helped with chores. Any soldier breaking this code was sentenced to death.

A radio station established by Castro in 1958. It spread news about the events in the Sierra. Because Cubans didn't trust the news put out by the Batista government, many tuned in. Encouraged by news of the successes many more joined the movement.

A 1958 agreement between all the major political parties and organizations in Cuba, including the PSP, to recognize Castro's leadership in the struggle against Batista. This exposed Batista's political isolation.

In 1958, The USA stopped allowing its citizens to sell weapons to Cuba. This demoralized Batista's supporters and made it more difficult for them to get weapons.

1) Removed people associated with Batista's regime. 2) Consolidated the position of the 26th of July Movement within the Provisional Government. 3) Launched reforms to show that the revolution lived up to its promises 4) Exploited the idea that Cuba was threatened by the USA and appealed to the people's sense of nationalism.

The alliance of revolutionary organizations that had united against Batista went through a few name changes, each more socialist than the previous one. They ended up with this name, which means Cuban Communist Party in 1965. This is the only authorized political party in Cuba - the only one that can participate in elections. This alienated some supporters of the revolution like Huber Matos.

The youth branch of the PCC. This is intended to encourage young people to support Communism.

The children's branch of the PCC. This is intended to encourage young people to support Communism.

A former teacher and member of the Orthodox Party who joined the rebel army against Batista. He played a leading part in the Sierra Maestra days in the taking of Santiago. In the early days of the revolution he was appointed commander of the army in the province of Camagüey. Soon after that he began to express his opposition to the radicalization of the revolution and was arrested by Castro. He spent 20 years in prison and was subjected to physical and psychological tortures. When released in 1979 he fled to Miami where he has become a leading force of the Cuban dissidence and published his memoirs, How the Night Came.

This act restricted the amount of land any individual or company could own. It targeted large estates, leaving medium and small land holdings intact. Everything in excess of that amount was taken over by the government. The original owners were compensated with government bonds. The expropriated land was reorganized into cooperatives.

This act restricted the amount of land any individual or company could own. It targeted medium-sized estates, leaving small land holdings intact. Everything in excess of that amount was taken over by the government. The original owners were compensated with government bonds. The expropriated land was reorganized into cooperatives.

This act took over even small land holdings and incorporated them into cooperatives. The original owners were compensated with government bonds.

These were imposed on "luxury goods" imported into Cuba in order to keep money in the country by getting Cubans to spend less money on them, and also to raise money for industrialization. These angered the USA because its sales to Cuba decreased by 30%.

This was the amount of Cuban sugar the USA was committed to buying. When Castro ordered the expropriation of US property in Cuba (in response to the USA pressuring other countries to prevent economic aid to Cuba) Eisenhower cancelled the this agreement. Castro got the USSR to buy the sugar instead.

This was imposed after Castro confiscated US banks in Cuba, the USA imposed a partial economic embargo in October 1960 and a full economic embargo in 1962 on Cuba that continues today. Castro responded by moving closer to the USSR. It is unclear how much of Cuba's present-day poverty is due to this embargo and how much to impractical economic policies. The embargo definitely makes it easy for Castro to blame economic problems on the USA.

Citizens who had served in high positions in the Batista government and armed forces were arrested. Their properties were confiscated. They were put on trial and either given long prison sentences or executed. The trials did not conform to international standards of justice. About 400 people were executed.

The original provisional government was dominated by liberals on paper. Both the president and the vice president were liberals. However, Castro was head of the armed forces and was the real power in Cuba. After 6 weeks, the Prime Minister resigned. Castro stepped in. In July, the President resigned because Castro refused to hold elections. Castro simply replaced him with a supporter and continued to rule without a constitution. The alliance of revolutionary organizations that had united against Batista went through a few name changes, each more socialist than the previous one. They ended up with PCC (Cuban Communist Party) in 1965. This is the only authorized political party in Cuba - the only one that can participate in elections. This alienated some supporters of the revolution like Huber Matos. Castro also established the Young Communist League and the Jose Marti Pioneers to involve Cuba's children and youth.

• Agrarian Reform Acts 1959, 1963, 1968 • Wages increased • Rents reduced • Strikes aimed at foreign companies encouraged • Import taxes • Women given equal access to all kinds of jobs • Built more schools between 1959 and 1962 than had been built in the previous 58 years. 271,000 teachers trained. Literate people encouraged to teach others in their spare time. Literacy rose from 76%-96% between 1959 and 1962 • 1961 Nationalized private schools • Increased health spending by a factor of 8. Trains 3000 doctors per year, each of whom spends at least two years in a rural community. Life expectancy has risen from 59 in 1958 to 78.3 today (the same as the USA)

These were imposed on "luxury goods" in order to keep money in the country by getting Cubans to spend less money on these goods, and also to raise money for industrialization. These angered the USA because its sales to Cuba decreased by 30%.

This country helped Cuba in the following ways: - 1960 Agreed to buy Cuba's sugar quota. - Full diplomatic relations - Loans to purchase industrial equipment - (after the Bay of Pigs promised to prevent an armed US intervention against Cuba) - All of this alarmed the USA because they had long regarded the Western Hemisphere as their exclusive sphere of influence, and also because they were worried that Communism would spread from Cuba to the rest of the Americas.

The USA armed and trained Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro in 1961. It wasn't well coordinated, it had no air support and it did not spark a popular uprising in Cuba. The invasion failed and increased Castro's prestige at the expense of the USA. It gave the USSR an excuse to promise to protect Cuba from further invasion. They also placed missiles in Cuba, sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In October, 1962, US spy 'planes discovered that the USSR was placing nuclear missiles in Cuba. The USA blockaded Cuba to prevent USSR from sending more missiles. Eventually Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in return for a US promise that the USA would never invade Cuba (and a secret promise to remove missiles in Turkey) Castro was not consulted.

• In his History will Absolve Me speech he promised that each rural family should have its own land and homes for city dwellers • On coming to power, appointed PSP members to important positions. • Huber Matos was arrested in 1959 for objecting to Communism • Possibly conducted land expropriations in stages because he was afraid of galvanizing opposition. • Landowners not compensated adequately. • (March 1960) Full diplomatic relations with USSR • (June) US oil companies confiscated when they refuse to refine Soviet oil. • (July 9 1960) USSR agrees to buy Cuban sugar. • By the end of 1961 anti-communism was treated the same as counter-revolution

• The History Will Absolve Me speech indicates peasants would own land individually and wealth redistribution would be accomplished through tax policy rather than outright expropriation. • Originally a member of the Orthodox Party, not the PSP. Didn't rename his party the Cuban communist Party until 1965 • Included liberals in the provisional government at first • Huber Matos evidently hadn't seen Castro as a Communist before 1959 • Possibly conducted land expropriation in stages because he gradually became more left wing. • Landowners compensated with government bonds. • USA backed Batista until 1958 • (July 5 1960) USA cancelled sugar quota, forcing Castro to go to USSR • (October 1960) USA imposes partial economic embargo (excludes food and medicine) • (April 1961) Bay of Pigs

Che Guevera hoped to educate the Cuban population in order to turn Cuban citizens into this archetype, who would make sacrifices for the public good rather than expecting financial compensation.

This happened in 1962. Those with savings in Cuban government banks were unaffected, but those whose savings were still in private banks lost them.

Rents in the cities had been reduced by 50% in 1959. In 1962, they were abolished. Essentially this meant all tenants became property owners overnight.

This was launched in March 1968. It aimed to remove the last vestiges of capitalism from the island. All remaining private enterprises were abolished, including street vendors, service shops, farmer's markets and self-employment. It resulted in administrative chaos and loss of productivity due to high absenteeism.

Campaign to increase Cuba's sugar production to 10 million tonnes in 1970. (The three previous years had averaged 5 million tonnes) The goal was to make enough sugar to pay off Cuba's debts to the USSR and get capital to fund economic diversification. To achieve this harvest, Castro militarized labour mobilizing students, conscripts, soldiers, law breakers, emigrants waiting to leave the island, and volunteers. Bars and theatres were closed and the New Year celebrations were cancelled. The harvest was a record 8.5 million tonnes, but below target and also other sectors of the economy had suffered and the campaign exhausted Cubans and made them sceptical. Castro accepted responsibility in a speech on July 26 1970, even offering to resign. The crowd cheered him. He also reintroduced farmer's markets, gave companies more independence from bureaucratic control and introduced material incentives like pay for overtime work.

• Lack of specialized personnel and technicians (many had left the country) • Workforce unmotivated- poor quality goods, frequent absenteeism, low agricultural productivity • Buying industrial machinery increased Cuba's debt.

• The USSR cut the price it paid for Cuban sugar • High unemployment, debt and policies that limited consumption led to discontent.

• A campaign to return to Socialist principles of solidarity and volunteerism (Castro blamed Cuba's economic problems on the economic liberalization of the 70s. ) • Farmer's markets were banned again, self-employment was discouraged and financial incentives were abolished. • Productivity fell; absenteeism increased

The period beginning with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. The USSR had been absolutely central to the Cuban economy. Suddenly all the Soviet technicians left and hundreds of projects were abandoned. Subsidized goods, access to international loans and oil were no longer coming in from the USSR. Cubans faced new levels of rationing, and the need to save energy resulted in long blackouts and restricted public transport. There were food shortages, although no-one starved. *NOTE* To respond to this crisis: • Many state owned farms were converted to worker-managed cooperatives in an effort to increase productivity. • Cuba was opened to international business with foreign firms invited to invest in tourism, mining and energy • In 1993 it was made legal for Cubans to buy and sell US dollars in an effort to attract money from Cubans living overseas. • Farmers markets, handicraft markets, self-employment and small private businesses allowed. By 1994 Cuba's economy was recovering somewhat, with tourism replacing sugar's role in the island's economy.

The election of this man in Venezuela in 1999 has been very beneficial to Cuba. Venezuela provides Cuba with 90,000 barrels of oil per day, which allows Cuba supply all its domestic needs and even to export oil. In return, Cuba provides Venezuela with tens of thousands of doctors and technicians. Cuba is also training Venezuelan doctors and technicians and many Venezuelan nationals are given free medical treatment in Cuba, with Venezuela covering the transportation costs and Cuba covering all other costs

Since the beginning of the "Special Period" in 1991, Cuba has taken steps to encourage this industry, inviting foreigners to invest. As a result, Cuba now attracts about 2 million tourists per year and since the late 1990s earns more money from tourism than from sugar.

A decree in the 1970s stressing the equality of the sexes both at home and at work, and directing men to share in household duties and the education of children. It declared that men who did not do so were guilty of exploiting women. Nevertheless, traditional attitudes are hard to change and women's participation in the workforce remains lower than government expectations.

• The Federacion de Mujeres Cubanas. Founded in 1960 with the aim of helping women integrate into the revolution. • Trained women in new jobs in farming, construction and teaching. • Organized many aspects of the campaign against illiteracy. • Organized sanitary brigades to travel to rural areas to deliver vaccinations. • Served as rural social workers. • Designed new textbooks portraying women as committed workers and soldiers. • Provided adult education for women. • However, women still not 50% of workforce and few of them are represented at the top of the PCC.

• FMC trained women for new jobs previously not open to them. • Textbooks revised to portray women as committed workers and soldiers. • 1970 family code mandated that both spouses should share in household duties. • FMC encouraged women's participation in health and education campaigns as well as social work. • However, women still underrepresented in the workforce and there are very few at the top of the PCC.

1961 was declared the year of education. Castro aimed to end illiteracy within a year. Military barracks were turned into educational complexes and schools were built all over the country. A training programme for 271,000 teachers was implemented. Literate citizens were encouraged to act as literacy volunteers in their spare time. By 1962, illiteracy had dropped from 24% to 4%. It also helped to make the middle classes aware of the conditions of the poor and to increase peasant support for the revolution.

Literate Cuban citizens who volunteered to teach others to read during the "Year of Education". They wore military-style uniforms and they lived with rural families. This helped to reduce Cuban illiteracy from 24% to 4% and also served to make middle class youth aware of "the other Cuba", increasing their enthusiasm for the revolution.

• 1961 Year of Education • Converted barracks into schools • Built thousands of new schools • Trained 271,000 teachers • Encouraged literate Cubans to go to the countryside as birgadistas. • FMC organized adult education programmes for women. • Private schools nationalized • Illiteracy dropped from 24%-4% in a year. As of 2009 it was 99.8% according to the UN (The USA's was 99.0%)

This involved a short film made in 1961 featuring Afro-Cubans dancing and enjoying themselves. It was accused of being counter-revolutionary by showing a decadent aspect of Cuba and it was censored. This angered many Cuban artists and writers who had initially supported the revolution. The affair demonstrated that, as far as Castro was concerned, the arts were expected to promote revolutionary values. This illustrates a lack of intellectual freedom in Castro's Cuba.

Speech made by Castro in 1961. He was responding to criticism of the censorship of the movie PM at the First Congress of Cuban Writers and Artists. In this speech, he made it clear that the arts were expected to promote revolutionary values. This illustrates a lack of intellectual freedom in Castro's Cuba.

In 1968, a poet (who had once been an enthusiastic supporter of the Revolution) won the national Cuban poetry prize for his work Fuera del juego (Out of the Game). It contained poems critical of the Revolution - specifically its controls of artistic expression. The book was published at first, but with an appendix criticising it as a "counter-revolutionary" work. Padilla was placed under house arrest. In 1971, as the political climate in Cuba worsened still further after the failure of the 10 Million Tonnes Harvest, he was interrogated for a month by the security police and was forced to appear before the writers' union, make a public confession of his "crimes" and accuse other writers, including his wife, of harbouring similar "counter- revolutionary" ideas. In 1980 he was allowed to leave the country after President Carter intervened on his behalf. This affair turned many artists and intellectuals in Cuba and outside it against the revolution.

Since 1971, Cuban artists and writers have been under closer surveillance and have been afraid to produce anything that could be interpreted as counter-revolutionary. Many have left the country. Others smuggled their work out to be published elsewhere.

• Religious schools were nationalized and religious education is only permitted in churches. • Until 1998 religious people were not allowed to join the PCC. • Castro was suspicious of many of the congregations of Cuba, accusing them of representing foreign interests. • Whenever bishops criticized his policies, Castro accused them of abandoning their pastoral duties and getting involved in politics. • Many priests welcomed the revolution as a way of achieving social justice. They joined and encouraged their parishioners to join the various health and education campaigns. • The Pope visited in 1998 and criticized both the lack of freedom in Cuba and the US Embargo.

• Living standards for the poor have improved, which helped a lot of them. • Access to education and jobs is theoretically colour blind. • Revolutionary rhetoric vehemently condemns racism. • BUT: There are still relatively few "mixed marriages" and Afro-Cubans are underrepresented at the top of the PCC.

• "There is freedom of artistic creation as long as its content is not contrary to the revolution". • ARTICLE 62." None of the freedoms which are recognized for citizens can be exercised contrary to what is established in the Constitution and by law, or contrary to the existence and objectives of the socialist state, or contrary to the decision of the Cuban people to build socialism and communism. Violations of this principle can be punished by law." • Municipal council representatives are elected by secret ballot and do not have to be members of the PCC. About half the candidates for elections to the National Assembly chosen by these municipal councils. Candidates for the provincial assemblies and the rest of the national assembly delegates are chosen by committees composed of representatives of various mass organizations. Since these organizations are chosen by the PCC, this effectively means the PCC approves all these nominees. There is only one candidate per position, but if a candidate receives less than 50% of the vote he or she is not elected. In practice, the vast majority of delegates end up being members of the PCC and there is considerable unofficial pressure to support the party. • Explicitly forbids all forms of racism. • Mandates full equality for women, including requiring men to share in household duties and child care. • The state is responsible for providing free education, health care, decent housing, care for sick, disabled and elderly, etc.

There were set up in 1960 in every workplace, block and residential building. They organize some social projects, but mainly they keep an eye on their neighbours and report "counter-revolutionary activity". By 1963, 1/3 of all Cubans belonged to one of these. This means the level of peer surveillance is very high which intimidates potential critics.

These were camps set up in 1965 and lasting until 1968 where about 25,000 young men were sent to be "re-educated through the liberating effects of collective work." Inmates included: • Everyone opposing military service • Homosexuals • Children of political prisoners • Political dissenters • Young people imitating American dress codes and tastes

In 1980 a bus full of Cubans crashed through this embassy's gates, in the process of which a Cuban guard was shot. They claimed asylum and this country refused to hand them over. In response, Castro removed all the guards and 10,000 Cuban forced their way into the embassy demanding asylum. This illustrates the level of discontent in Cuba at the time and also one of Castro's tactics for dealing with opposition - letting the dissidents leave the country.

After the Peruvian embassy incident, Castro decided to let all the discontented Cubans go. 125,000 assembled at the port of Mariel and Cuban Americans organized boats to bring them to the USA. Some were opponents of Castro, some were anxious to be reunited with relatives in Miami, and some were criminals and mental patients who were forced onto the boats. Of those who left voluntarily most were economic migrants - there had been an economic downturn in Cuba and Cuban Americans had recently been allowed to return and had exposed thousands of Cubans to a somewhat rosy view of life in the US. This illustrates the level of discontent in Cuba at the time and also one of Castro's tactics for dealing with opposition - letting the dissidents leave the country. This practice has also embarrassed the USA, which is unwilling to accept all the migrants, leading to the somewhat hypocritical "wet foot dry foot policy".

1) Castro appeals to Cuban history and portrays the revolution as the continuation of the war for Cuban independence. - appeals to nationalism 2) Promoted social justice and equality 3) Castro's personal qualities: charisma, political skills and ability to turn defeat into victory