The Cuban Revolution Essay examples -- Cuban History, Fidel Castro,

After year of recruiting, training, plotting, Fidel was ready to launch his revolutionary offensive. â€Å"His rebel ‘army’ consisted of less than 200 men, and two women;† (Huberman 1960: 28) the group consisted of students or graduates, and nearly all of them were young people like himself and his brother, Raà ºl. Most of them were â€Å"politically active, articulate and impatient young men who had been drawn to the radical movements or to the ardently reformist Orthodox Party of Eduardo Chibas.† (Macgaffey 1962: 275) The rebels gathered outside Santiago, in the Fidel’s native Province of Oriente where they could launch an attack on Moncada Barracks, the army’s second largest military installation. (Huberman 1960: 28; Macgaffey 1962: 275) The attack was slated for July 26, 1953, at dawn, during the annual carnival celebration. (McCormick 1998: 67) â€Å"With the carnival in full sway, Castro expected the military to have its guard down.† (Leonard 1999: 9) At dawn of July 26, they divided into small groups to launch the assault, each group with specific objectives. The first intention was to â€Å"take by the surprise and capture the Fort Moncada, and take machine guns, tanks, armored trucks, up-to-date rifles and ammunition.† (Huberman 1960: 28) They could then seize radio stations, (Hampsey 2002: 95) and â€Å"They were to announce a revolution based on ‘Creole values,’ (Goldenberg 1965: 151) led by new men ... free of all obstacles with foreign nations and ... of appetites of politicians. They promised welfare and economic prosperity, social justice, respect for other nations, and respect for the constitution.† (Macgaffey 1962: 275, 276) â€Å"Such publicity was designed to call the people to revolt against the dictator, Batista,† (Hampsey 200... ... arrange a Military Junta.† (Goldenberg 1965: 163) However, before the plan could be put into operation, ‘the battle of Santa’ Clara took place, ending in a total fiasco for government troops.†(Goldenberg 1965: 163; Macgaffey 1962: 293) On the night of December 31, Batista and his collaborators fled to Dominica Republic. (Macgaffey 1962: 293) Immediately, Fidel called for general strike and subsequently, other major cities surrendered and Fidel and his rebels marched to Havana. (Goldenberg 1965: 163; Macgaffey 1962: 293) â€Å"Before the dawn on January 2, Fidel’s army marched into Santiago, and accepted unconditional surrender of Batista’s forces at Moncada.† (Goldenberg 1965: 163) The war was over and Fidel and his victorious army rode in triumph from one end of the island to the other and arrived in Havana on January 8. (Goldenberg 1965: 163; Macgaffey 1962: 293)