In the 1950s Cuba was by far the most advanced Central American country, though it continued to suffer a curious combination of factors that held it back - continued colonial influence by American officials, an organised crime syndicate and a population that remained crushed under the military dictatorship of President Batista. Yet, despite these adverse conditions, Fidel Castro emerged as revolutionary hero and overturned the status quo. How did this happen?
Key to the success of Castro’s revolution was undoubtedly support from around the world. When Castro, Che Guevara and their followers were camping in the mountains in 1958 while launching guerrilla attacks and gaining new supporters, foreign journalists were allowed to visit. Romantic press coverage of brave rebels living in basic conditions garnered support for the cause and raised the rebels’ popularity with people around the world. Backed by the United States and some major corporations, Castro and his followers from the Moncada Barracks attack were released from prison after they had served only 18 months of a fifteen-year sentence deeming them no longer dangerous. The US government then ceased their weapon supply to Batista under influence from Anti-Batista feelings in the American population, a key factor in the weakening of the regime due to international influence. As a result, Batista’s regime began to fail, his military failures labelled him as weak and incompetent, and now under significant criticism from abroad on his rule and violent methods, it was considered time to have a competent ruler to fight off rebels. General Cantillo was a senior officer in the army, and a dominant figure in Batista’s attack against the guerrilla rebels. He was chosen by the US to oust Batista from power, but not to replace him. Under orders, Castillo agreed a ceasefire with Castro, appoint a Supreme Court judge as President and Batista be tried as a war criminal. But Castillo did not follow through and Batista got away and appointed someone else as President who would be able to fend off rebels firmly. This caused fury among Castro’s revolutionary group and Castro ordered Cantillo’s arrest by sympathisers in the army. Although completely unintentionall the “firing” of Batista by the US, to have a more competent figure in charge led to exactly what it had been trying to avoid; the rise to power of a potentially dangerous Socialist group of rebels. The final assent to power for Castro was only allowed by the elimination of Batista from his position of power.
Alongside these incidents and triggers, the existing overall political atmosphere certainly also contributed to the rise of Castro to power. Although previously capable and competent, Batista’s second term from 1952-59 was violent, corrupt and authoritarian. The press, the university, Congress and the elections were controlled by him, and he became hated by the people. As the opposition movement began, Batista was already a hated dictator, but the following years saw an increase in his oppression of the people. Riots signalled the growing wave of public opposition (although this was not necessarily Socialist opposition) to growing unemployment and controversial elections. Thus Batista, by increasing his harshness to quell support for change, actually fuelled the anger of the people and reduced his own standing. The nature and worsening of the regime created the perfect setting for Socialist rebels to triumph: an incompetent right-wing dictator with barely loyal military forces and a population desperate for change.
Thus, an important factor behind the rise of Castro was the support that he and his fellow rebels enjoyed from the majority of the Cuban population. During Castro and Guevara’s campaign through the country, they were largely welcomed in towns and villages and their safe progress was ensured. This demonstrated that there was little public faith in Batista’s regime, which had turned instead to the rebels. It would have been undeniably more difficult to take control of the country if their rise to power had not been so desired by the population. Although the wider population was suppressed by the brutal and cruel nature of the dictator it created a public opinion which, though not directly instrumental in placing Castro in power, they awarded him a persona as a competent and suitable leader, at least during his rise to power.
As noted, Fidel and Raul Castro were released from prison 13 years early due to the foreign pressure. This lucky escape facilitated the planning of the next stages of the revolution, and it is debatable whether the revolution would have been successful if a full term in prison had to be served. Though Castro and his rebels were the leading revolutionaries, there were helped by additional non-Socialist rebel groups who contributed to anti-Batista sentiment. While they did not directly contribute to Castro’s rise, it nevertheless fed a wider public unhappiness with Batista that in turn helped Castro legitimise his position. Castro emerged as the strongest Socialist leader, bent on ending corruption and improving health and school care for all.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly how this small group of young, left wing rebels took down a powerful, fundamentally corrupt, authoritarian dictatorship. A combination of factors helped - international pressure in various cases, the Batista regime worsening which fuelled the rise in public support for the revolutionaries and US intervention. It could be questioned whether Castro and Guevara succeeded due to their desirability as individuals, or were Cubans merely desperate for any relief from Batista. But it is ultimately perplexing to understand how the Castro regime developed into a brutal dictatorship, despite their genuine desire for positive change after Batista. The dictators changed, but the trials suffered by the Cuban people continued.
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