Fulgencio Batista And The Cuban Revolution

Although, there has been over a fifty-year gap since the removal of dictator Fulgencio Batista in the Cuban Revolution and former president Ben Ali in the Tunisian Revolution, there must be similarities in the methods and reasons that spurred these movements initially. The Cuban Revolution's ideologies may have spurred into the Middle Eastern sphere to influence such uprisings of a mass of a people against their vicious governments. The motivational leaders in both nations in the Cuban and Tunisian Revolution achieved to mobilize masses by means of propaganda, media, and political demonstrations. Each shares several reasons to why oppressed individuals choose to rebel and ending in the overthrow of each government’s authoritarian regime. Gaining

contextual knowledge of situations in both countries will help one understand why individuals decided to act in defiance against their existing governments. The purpose of this paper is to analyze case studies in Cuba and Tunisia, and how revolutionary leaders used specific methods of protests. An interesting concept is brought to light: what role does media play in revolutions, specifically the Cuban and Tunisian Revolution?
A Case Study of Cuba: What sort of injustices existed that each pre-revolution authoritarian regime partook in?

In a country that has always been fighting for its own independence, and being exploited of its resources from foreign powers, Cubans had every right to slam their fist on the table and declare their rights. After being occupied by the United States, after the Spanish-American War, many US companies set to exploit Cuba of its resource. Institutions were neglecting the rural areas, while the private sector brought new technologies. Cuba was split between two hemispheres: one was the capitalistic, US driven entities, and the other being the socialist peasantry. To make individuals realize the true presence of US direct involvement, the US installed and backed dictators. Authoritarian regimes would deprive Cuban citizens of “persistent hunger and the lack of electricity, clean water and lifesaving medicines…” and it would surely be a call to arms and a fight for a revolution that one day would break the chains of hegemony (Erikson, 81). Major governmental failed obligations like providing education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, created a strong sense of resentment.
For over 25 years, Cuba’s politics were run United States puppeteer appointed presidents (Skidmore & Smith, 32).

The Cuban Revolution took its initial steps towards tackling political oppression by attempting to oust the US backed dictator Fulgencio Batista out of power. Batista alongside the US operated United Fruit Company, brought a problem that would socially divide Cuba in half: those who among Cuba’s president, “favored outright annexation by the United States, and those who were nationalists and were proud of the their Cuban culture who would rather be capitalistic system free,” (Skidmore & Smith, 38). Thus, it would spawn a distinct class of individuals, who were allotted educational and labor opportunity, from those who would be deprived of certain rights. “This dilemma was compounded for Cubans who were employed by U.S. firms: [Cubans] were paid better than their countrymen…men and woman of color were forced to endure the brutal racism of the period as well,” (Skidmore, and Smith 305). It would be those men and woman that would consist of the middle class, agriculture workers, and semiprofessionals that would band together alongside Fidel Castro and push for a revolution to change Cuban

fate.
Who are the leaders behind the Cuban revolution?
Who are the combatants that partook in the political, social, economical protest in Cuba? On one side, there is the group of oppressors and their instrument, the professional army well armed and disciplined. On the other side, there is the population of the nation that is oppressed by the mass controlee army. It is important to emphasize that the guerilla struggle is a mass struggle; it was the struggle of a people. The guerrillas, an armed nucleus, are the fighting vanguard of the people, and their great strength is rooted in the mass of the population.
An interesting fact to emerge in studies of guerrillas is the middle- and upper-middle-class origins of most of the leaders.

Fidel Castro, one of Cuba’s most influential leaders of liberation, finished his education in Havana and became a professional lawyer. “He was born in Oriente Province on August 13, 1926, 50 miles from Santiago de Cuba. His father, Angel Castro, had immigrated to Cuba from Galicia, in northwestern Spain, and had prospered in sugar and lumber,” (Huberman, 25). A young lawyer and former student activist, Fidel Castro entered the political system; however, his plan was disrupted when Fulgencio Batista set to continue he reign of power. “A Cuban presidential election was scheduled for June 1, 1952 and Batista walked into Camp Columbia, the largest military fortress in Cuba, and took over the armed forces. If he couldn’t win at the election polls, he could do what he had done in 1934 - take over the government by force,” (Huberman, 25). Fidel Castro petitioned for the imprisonment of Batista, but was rejected by the courts of Cuba. So, Fidel decided that there was only one way in which Batista could be overthrown…revolution. Having decided that a revolution was necessary, Fidel with a purpose now devoted himself to the task of preparing for

uprising.
Fidel Castro, a “strong minded, articulate, and ambitious individual” co-speared the revolution, (Huberman, 20). Fidel Castro, including his supporters’, assaulted the Batista regime in an attack on a firearm arsenal called the Moncada Barracks. “It was Fidel and a band of 165 youths who stormed the garrison in which half of the attackers were killed, wounded, or arrested,” (Skidmore & Smith, 45). “Most them were students or graduates, and nearly all of them were young people like himself, aged 26, and his brother, Raul, aged 22,” (Huberman, 25). Fidel Castro was captured, but managed to escape imprisonment and fled to Mexico. It was there that he would coordinate alongside with Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the second and final fall of the Batista regime.
Before Fidel Castro could implement his attack, a distinct leader must be named. This individual gained insight about US attempts and triumphs in ousting government institutions in Latin America. He had “traveled widely though Latin America and had seen both the aftermath of the failed 1952 revolution in Bolivia and, in 1954, and a US backed military coup and invasion that ended violently in Guatemala,” (Skidmore & Smith, 71). When being present in the country of Guatemala, he witnessed the socialist government of President Jacobo Arbenz be overthrown by an American military coup. “Disgusted by what he saw, Ernesto “Che” Guevara decided to join the Cuban revolutionary, alongside with Fidel Castro,” (Harris, 18). Guevara brought to the collection of individuals a perspective that was critical of the United States. After joining the ranks, "Che" Guevara was inspired by the vision Fidel Castro had for Cuba. He once stated, “I would feel even prouder, with greater affinity to the revolution, if that were possible, more anxious to prove that my officer’s insignia was well deserved” (Guevara, 31). It was in that specific moment in time, that Che was convinced by Castro and would begin to form what would later be known as the July 26 Movement, that eventually disposed of the Batista regime in Cuba.
What variables explain the movements’ success in bringing down Batista’s regime? Examine the role of media and how media mobilized masses.

“In December 1956, eighty-two rebels crossed over to Cuba in a small American yacht, Granma, and landed in eastern Cuba, hoping to coincide with an uprising in nearby Santiago, led by the movements oriented coordinator, Frank Pais,” (Kapcia, 4). Military resistance from Batista soon killed many and dispersed the group with their landing having been anticipated. Suffering heavy loses, managing to stay alive, Castro and Che moved to the Sierra Maestra Mountains for refugee. Fighting from the mountains using guerilla warfare tactics, Castro’s rebel army grew with newcomers who “hated the brutality, corruption, and anti-nationalism of the politicians, who always seemed to serve the dictators,”(Skidmore & Smith, 37). “Under the influence of their contact with local peasantry, their shared struggle, and the ideas of Guevara, the Sierra Guerrillas - now the Rebel Army - became increasingly radicalized in their political perspectives and long term objectives, developing a commitment to social revolution and anti-imperialism that went beyond the limited 1953 aims of political rebellion and social reform (Kapcia, 21). Che Guevara and Fidel Castro were gaining substantial number of supporters, that all had a distinct goal: to siege power from the brutal dictator Batista.
Batista’s image was destroyed by Castro’s militant actions and use of yellow journalism. Fidel Castro gained support by having smuggled a veteran foreign correspondent from the US, Herbert Matthew. He was brought “up to Fidel’s mountain hideout and from there wrote a series of stories which exploded on the front page of the most prestigious newspaper in the United States…making Batista on the defensive in world opinion” (Skidmore & Smith, 307). Being seen as a brutal dictator, using torture and executions, made tactful propaganda. It would prove enough that Batista’s clench of power would soon tarnish, due to the fact that he “had no desire to fight a losing cause to the end” (Skidmore, and Smith). He had no support of the US after finding out his true character. Having realized this, Batista set off for his departure of office, leaving the perfect opportunity clear for Fidel Castro’s to enter with power. Major plans of the revolutionaries were to “attack the legacy of the corrupt, capitalistic Cuba: illiteracy, disease, malnutrition, and dilapidated housing (Skidmore, and Smith). The Cuban Revolution sought to promote many changes that included: a thorough educational system, basic health care service, and food distribution to be modified to serve everyone.