Friday, January 3, 2014
Castro's rise to power
Batista's regime in Cuba from 1952 to 1959 was one marked with corruption and vice. Consider how a figure like Castro would become popular under Batista's rule. How do you think Castro's time in prison influenced his popularity? What about the significance of Che Guevara in Castro's rise? How did the images of Guevara and Castro play out among liberal and youth movements? Why did the US withdraw support from the Batista regime--should we consider this a crucial error in US Cold War policy in Latin America?
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Castro may have been appealing to the Cuban people because of how he strictly opposed Batista's regime. According to the article, there were many groups that united in opposition including the Communist Party, rural agricultural workers, and student organizations. When these people see a figure rising up in a similar spirit of opposition, they will follow him. He had a "heroic" quality that appealed to most of the young people. He spent time in prison and became a revolutionary figure, a figure that is very inspiring for the oppressed people of Cuba.
ReplyDeleteI think that his time in prison gave him this heroic look. The sort of quality that Nelson Mandela had after he was in prison. It made him look powerful and ready to act in a revolution. For this reason, the people of Cuba were inspired
ReplyDeleteIn a country that is opressed from somebody like Batista, it is only natural that a charismatic rebel gets followers very quickly. In Castro's case, he also had gained some fame thanks to his failed coups in the Dominican Republic and Colombia. This way, he was known already when he started his rebellion against Batista. I think his imprisonment is important by the way he represented himself on trial. I was surprised to read that they let him go so quickly, because he obviously didn't plan to stop plotting against the Batista regime. Che Guevara played an important role because he was the one who added more philosophy and more structure to Fidel's movement. Guevara was the one who made the Cuban Revolution a Guerilla War.I don't understand why the US withrew their troops when it seemed like Batista was loosing. Maybe they didn't want to start off a real conflict that involved actual fighting more than defending.
ReplyDeleteCastro was sort of turned into the suffering hero due to his time in prison, he was for the people and understood the people due to his time being suppressed and was therefore able to be a figure head for the leader of a revolution, as was Che Guevara after his book "The Motorcycle Diaries" and time spent assisting militia rebel groups. The US withdrew support of Batista because of his very pro-cuban rights against US attitude, however this could be seen as a mistake due to Castro's attacks on Batista's regime. and Batista and the US therefore shared a common enemy.
ReplyDeleteThe people saw that Castro was in prison, and they felt that he had suffered for them. This is always the basis for. A strong campaign, as the public feel that you are willing to suffer with them again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dave that the imprisonment of Castro gave him a "hero" reputation among the youths of Cuba. When someone with values and virtues that you share with them gets punished for having those virtues, then you also feel like your being punished. Guevara's support of Castro helped him win big support with the rebels due to Guevara's time riding along South America and seeing all the poverty and despair under Batista's rule.
ReplyDeleteCastro's imprisonment played a large role in his popularity. He used this as a way to seem patriotic. Guevara helped Castro overthrow Batista. His use of propaganda made people sympathetic; he seemed to be the "patriotic freedom fighter desperately struggling to defend a poor and oppressed people against Batista's corrupt regime". The US withdrew from the regime because Castro gained so much support, so they no longer wanted to have relations with Batista. This may be partly because of the US image in Cuba.
ReplyDeleteCastro was a very influential person to the oppressed Cuban people. He seemed very "heroic" during his imprisonment, and also because he was greatly against Bastista's regime. It is normal that the people will like someone who opposes a ruler that is so oppressing. Like Dave said, Castro was sort of like Nelson Mandela.
ReplyDeletePrison gives the quality of bravery in a revolution setting, that a revolutionary went to prison for his movement, and that hasn't slowed him down in the process. Being against Batista gave Castro yet another dimension of appeal because the youth did not like Batista. He and Guevara had the youth because they were young men themselves, and very radical.
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