Major Involvement/Actions Effect

Player
Benefits Drawbacks

The United 1. Treaty of Paris, 1989 1. Allowed the United 1. 75% of Cuban
States of granted independence States to make imports came
America from Spain, the new Guantanamo Bay a from the United
constitution grants the naval base. Inclusion States, and 60%
US rights to intervene of Cuba in the of arable land
in Cuban policy or sphere of influence under U.S
economy where of the U.S meant it control. Little
necessary. was granted the benefit
2. U.S. government had security of U.S economically
supported President protection and politically to
Batista, a former 2. Provided Batista Cubans.
soldier and Cuban with military aid, 2. The United
dictator from 1933 to allowing his military States' support
1944, who seized to fight Castro’s for Batista
power for a second guerilla forces. strengthened
time in a 1952 coup. Policy of attempting Castro’s
From March 1958 the to remove Batista anti-Imperialist
US shifted to a policy and halting support rhetoric; which
of removing Batista only benefited was to their
while preventing the Castro and his disadvantage.
rise of Castro’s rebel campaign against 3. Damaged
army. Batista. Kennedy’s
3. President Kennedy 3. The Bay of Pigs image with the
executed Bay of Pigs invasion solidified American public.
invasion in Cuba hopes Castro’s control in Although it was
to overthrow Castro; Cuba, and Cuba Eisenhower who
which failed and gained a significant first set the plan
increased Castro's amount of resources. in motion,
support. US had to pay Kennedy’s
$53 million in trading government bore
medicine and baby responsibility for
food to Castro for the its failure.
return of prisoners. 4. Alienated much
of the Cuban
public by
supporting a
brutal military
dictatorship
President 1. In 1950, Batista 1. Mass unrest and
Fulgencio overthrew the heavily 1. Batista was perhaps growing anger
Batista US influenced Cuban one of the last towards Batista’s
government in a Cuban premiers to regime meant
military coup. His have a relatively more and more
regime became good relationship spirited Cubans
increasingly violent, with the United turning to
repressing the mass States. The end of Castro’s
public through police his rule in Cuba also rebellion in the
brutality. marked the Sierra Maestra
beginning of a mountains.
deteriorating Batista lost the
relationship between support of the
the two countries. United States; as
American media
showcased his
regime’s
ruthlessness to
the American
public.

Che 1. He served as a military 1. Che Guevara’s 1. Che Guevara

(Ernesto) advisor to Castro and military genius was not actually
Guevara led guerrilla troops in contributed greatly Cuban, but an
battles against Batista to the success of the Argentinian
forces. Led the revolution. The doctor. He was
conquest of Santa Clara assault he led on not completely
on December 29, 1958, Santa Clara, which committed to
a significant moment in derailed a military Cuba, and went
the history of Cuban supplies train, was a on to attempt to
revolution. turning point - after spread ideas of
which, on January 1, revolution across
Batista fled Cuba. Latin America.

Fidel Castro 1. Led the 26th of July 1. Brought Castro to 1. The majority of
movement and was the spotlight, and Castro’s men
imprisoned afterwards wrote his famous were killed in the
for a short period of speech, ​History Will 26th of July
time Absolve Me​, while movement, and
2. The de-facto leader of in jail. many innocents
the Cuban Revolution, 2. Improved life for were also killed
promised to return land Cubans by as a result.
and protect Cubans introducing free 2. Castro did not
 3. Defied U.S hegemony education and carry out free or
by allying with the healthcare. Castro fair elections,
USSR, and announcing cut rent by 50% for and was a
Cuba’s revolution as low income workers totalitarian
Marxist-Leninist. and nationalised key leader.
industries, such as 3. Castro lost the
the telephone line. support of
3. By announcing a several allies
socialist revolution, who were key in
Castro gained the fuelling the
support of the revolution, but
USSR, which was were
pivotal to combat anti-Socialist.
the economic
sanctions of the U.S

The main players of the Cuban Revolution, referring to Fidel Castro’s revolution of 1959,
were the United States (and its Presidents), Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and President Fulgencio
Batista. In this list, Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev is not included as the involvement of the
Soviet Union only increased, and was only significant after Castro had secured power. In this
brief justification, one shall explore why exactly these three players were so important in the
Cuban Revolution of 1959.

The United States of America had been involved in Cuba since the 19th Century: ​Thomas
Jefferson himself acknowledged the economic and military benefits of having influence in Cuba
(Stansifer & Karnes, 1973). Moving forward from the 1898 Treaty of Paris - which granted
America the right to intervene in Cuban affairs after independence - Cuban politicians were
essentially American puppets: therefore, the American influence was an important factor of the
political landscape.

Fidel Castro, the figurehead of the revolution, was by far the most important player. His
movement against the Batista regime, starting with the 26th of July movement, was the start of
the revolution. When Castro returned from exile to the Sierra Maestra mountains, his guerilla
force posed the first real challenge to Batista’s iron-fist control of Cuba. As a well-educated
Cuban, who had studied Cuban history in-depth, Fidel Castro had not only the spirit but
knowledge to lead a revolution and to implement working measures as a government official that
would benefit the public. Castro’s greatest asset was perhaps his oratory skills, and ability to
captivate the audience of Cuban minds and hearts.
 Che Guevara, an Argentinian doctor, played a big role in the success of the Cuban
revolution, despite not being Cuban himself. A close friend of Castro’s, and a military strategist,
he provided the crucial skills that enabled the guerilla forces to triumph over the more
well-equipped army of Fulgencio Batista. His influence lay not only in his smarts, but his
popularity with the people that encouraged them to join the guerilla forces.

Last, but certainly not least influential or important, was President Fulgencio Batista.
Although the revolution was the brainchild of Fidel Castro, it was a seed that would not have
been planted if Batista had not abused military power and prioritized the Cuban public. His use
of armed forces to repress the people, and lack of concern for the wellbeing of Cuban peasants,
led to the start of the revolution.

References
1. Stansifer, C. L., & Karnes, T. L. (1973). Readings in the Latin American Policy of the

United States. ​The History Teacher,​ ​7(​ 1), 131. https://doi.org/10.2307/491236

2. ​Cantrell, J., Smith, N., Smith, P., & Ennion, R. (2013). ​20th century history for
Cambridge IGCSE​ (1st ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.