At the end of 1958, some rebels started to drive the loyal forces of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista away. The new faces of the revolution were Fidel Castro, Camilo Cienfuegos, Ché Guevara and Raúl Castro. Of course, the Cuban Revolution started years ago and the triumph of the rebels was gained after many years of guerrilla warfare and battles.
Most historians consider that the revolution has started in 1952 when Fulgencio Batista (he was a former army sergeant) gained power after a dubious election. Batista has already been a president during 1940-1944 and when he ran for president the second time, in 1952 he knew he would lose. That`s why he seized power before the elections. A lot of people were revolted by Batista`s tactics; they wanted someone like Fidel Castro as a president and they wanted democracy; even if it was faulty at that time.
When he gained power in 1959, Fidel Castro was an unknown figure for many. Only years later, people would find out that he was a communist. The new communist Cuba would be known by everybody. The United States had a bone to pick with Cuba; a lot of incidents took place between these two countries such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs. In 1962, The U.S decided to impose a trade embargo which made living very hard for Cubans.
With Fidel Castro as a leader, Cuba began to be under an international spotlight. The Cuban intervention in Angola is one example. Cubans were sent in Angola in 1970 to help the leftist movement there. The Cuban Revolution has left some important traces. Mostly every nation in Latin America saw this revolution as a model and young people from Latin countries rebelled against their government and seized power. States like Nicaragua with its rebel Sandinistas manage to overthrow the government and gain power.
From the Cuban`s perspective, the revolution wasn`t a success. Most Cubans from the upper and middle class have left Cuba and have moved to places like Miami to get rid of Castro`s leadership. The embargo has made things worse for everybody. Some Cubans couldn`t take it anymore and they fled to the United States in boats and rafts.
The U.S imperialists have tried their best to put an end to the revolution. They put an economic blockade, they engaged in a bacteriological warfare and they tried to assassinate Fidel Castro many times. The Cubans have resisted all of these obstacles.
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