The Cuban revolution

The Cuban revolution

The Cuban revolution was an uprising in Cuba, which was armed and was used to overthrow the government of Fulgencio Batista in January 1959. The leader for the revolution by then was Fidel Castro, who further extended the reign to rule Cuba from 1959 to 2008. The revolution involved the war between the Americans and the Spanish over the control of Cuba, which was then ruled by Spain. After the defeat, the control of Cuba was passed to the United States In 1899 and was governed by the administration of the US military until 1902. During this period, most Cubans could be found in the public offices as compared to the time when they were under the rule of the Spanish. A lot of work was done on sanitation, public works, and education, and yellow fever was significantly eliminated. Numerous presidents ruled Cuba in the following years, and this is where we come across Fulgencio Batista. The Cuban revolution, which occurred in 1959, marked the end of capitalism in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba obtained independence from Spain in 1898, but it was unfortunate that they only fell under the rule of the US imperialism. The paper provides a summary of the sources of the Cuban revolution.

“The current fact known as the Cuban Revolution is not just the one having come to power in January 1959. It is a political event that has its roots in the nineteenth-century independence struggles and rebellions throughout history.” (MARTINEZ 48). Martinez tries to coherently provide the facts as they are depicted by the history of revolution to indicate that the revolution was not a one-time event. The process of revolution started a long time in history as a political event supported by several activities in the history of politics. Understanding the meaning of continuity for revolution requires a consideration of the policies for the administration of the US accordingly from the nineteenth century to the present. Different historical events are used by the author to show that the revolution was a process that began with the intention of Washington to take over Cuba in the nineteenth century. Following in April 1898, under the pretext of bombing the US marine ship, a war was launched to snatch Cuba from the hand of the rivals. Finally, the ultimate battle of independence was led by Fidel Castro, which resulted in the victory and has hence remained as evidence for the process of continuity. From all the struggles experienced in the nineteenth century to 1959, the people of Cuba have faced the same purposes, and this clearly shows how a revolution is a continuity.

The Cuban revolution has provided a lot of challenges to those individuals who are trying to comprehend the concepts of the revolution. The 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution is not used as an avenue for regret and celebration. Still, it is used to explain to the people how the revolution has impacted politics, society, and the economy. The Cuban Revolution was at its crucial stage, and the evidence is provided by the continual changes in the socio-economy and politics in association with the existing relationships with the new US administration. The overall picture attributed to the success and the survival of the Cuban Revolution can be attributed to several factors. Some of the identified factors encompass pragmatism and vision of the political leadership, the success of economic policies, and they explain how the revolution has been in existence through adaptation, debate, and reinvention. “Intrinsic to these processes over 50 years has been the constantly changing articulation of values and identity through social, political, cultural and economic life, and at individual and collective levels” (KUMARASWAMI 2). The Cuban Revolution and its success can be explained through a mechanism that was used in its integration into the political and mass social participation by cultural expression. Therefore, the inclusion of the Cuban revolution into the present society and the ways of living can be explained by how effective the public and national versions could be integrated at an individual level.

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 impacted the economy of the Island. The effects of the revolution on the economy will be measured through a perspective of policy evaluation by focusing on the GDP of Cuba and measures on international trade. “This suggests that the revolution seems to have shielded Cuba from the slowdown in economic growth faced by the control countries during the 1970s, as a result of internal political conflicts, inflation, and the Oil Crisis faced by the control countries” (Jales 2257). The economic performance, as attributed to the Cuban revolution, is complicated, especially with the trade agreement and after the trade agreement. The economy of Cuba suffered a structural break after the revolution in 1959, but the economy was positively affected by favorable terms of the trade agreement. The GDP and exports were positively affected, but when the terms of trade eliminated, the GDP per capita income and level of exports declined. Therefore, the revolution did affect the GDP slightly, but a lot of changes were experienced after the diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States. No policy can be associated with the economic performance of Cuba. Still, when the USA eliminates the embargo before economic reforms, there is a possibility of a settlement in the future.

The Cuban Revolution was a result of the irritation which the Cuban was causing to the US and the reactions from the Cuban when the US decided to deal with the issue differently. The United States, for a long time, was eyeing the Island, and they wanted the leaders of the Island to surrender to the United States administration, but this did not work out as they expected. The Spain rule was irritating on the Island, and there was an increasing need to liberalize the trade with Spanish Cuba, and this is when America vested their interest in Cuba. In 1895, a Cuban revolutionary party in New York issued an order to start a war of independence. “The administration then turned to focus on halting Cuba’s trade with the rest of the noncommunist world” (Schoultz 229). The United States Administration intended to frustrate Cuba so that the leaders could easily surrender to the US. Leaders like Fidel Castro were very difficult to convince, and this is why the revolution began in 1959. Cuba was rich since it had oil wells, and the United States had the intention of forming a trade agreement with the Island, but in the process, they were dominating the terms of the deal. Spanish Cuba could not agree to the terms, but later after the United States ambushed them, a revolution of the Island was achieved.

Fidel Castro was responsible for the unity of a rebel force in 1953, and he proceeded with a systematized plan to overthrow Fulgencio Batista. Fidel Castro accused Batista of corruption and tyranny, and Fidel was determined for his expulsion. Fidel Castro could not directly remove Batista from the leadership, and this why he had to deploy 160 guerrilla fighters. “When legal means proved futile, Castro led 160 guerrilla fighters in laying siege to the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba” (Rebecca, Elissa, and Rachelle, 1). The uprising failed, and most of the rebels were killed while Castro was arrested and sentenced for 15 years. Castro once again organized a second attempt to attack the army, and in 1958 he succeeded since over 350,000 soldiers retreated. The Batista forces were defeated since the relationship between Cuba, and the US was drastically changing. In the ultimate attempt to obtain control on the Island, Batista also organized operation Verano with 12,000 troops to combat Castro. The operation formed a major historical battle, but in 1958 Fidel Castro organized their offensive splitting into columns of fighters under the leadership of Castro. In January 1959, Castro troops won the war, and Batista fled Cuba. Fidel Castro was able to realize his dreams of expelling Batista in Jan 1959.

The Cuban revolution has not ended, but a series of agreements between the Cuban government and the United States, the end is near. “What has helped fuel these assumptions is the awareness that, in 2018, when Raúl Castro’s realizes his promise not to serve more than two terms as elected president, Cuba will no longer be governed by a Castro. Hence, whichever way you look at it, the end of “the Revolution” is assumed to be nigh” (Antoni 2). Raul Castro had no option but to step down since his reign was coming to an end, and he had to enter into negotiations with the US administration. The announcement of the agreement to establish complete diplomatic relations marked the beginning to an end of the Cuban Revolution. The long US economic embargo was coming to an end, and in the process, the Cuba market was left open for capital and American tourists. It is a matter of a short time that Cuba will return to capitalism, and hence it is difficult to support the announcement as a sign of the end to the Cuban Revolution. The agreement has been significant since it is a symbol that indicates that the end of the revolution was in the process. The decision by Barack Obama to act was meant to establish unstoppable change, which would influence the embargo. Changes are very evident, especially in Cuba, Havana, and this has a source from the reforms after the announcement.