Fidel Castro came to power through a revolutionary struggle against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in Cuba. Starting as a young law student and political activist, Castro led an armed attack against the Moncada Barracks in 1953, which failed and resulted in his imprisonment but made him a revolutionary symbol. After his release, he organized a guerrilla group called the 26th of July Movement, which landed in Cuba in 1956 and waged a guerrilla war from the Sierra Maestra mountains. Over the next few years, Castro gained popular support by exposing government corruption and presenting himself as a nationalist reformer. The weakening of Batista’s support, including the U.S. withdrawal of military assistance, allowed Castro’s forces to triumph. Batista fled Cuba on December 31, 1958, and Castro's forces entered Havana in early 1959, after which he assumed power and established a revolutionary government.
Key Stages in Castro's Rise
- Early activism and rebellion attempts (1950s)
- 1953 Moncada Barracks attack and imprisonment
- Formation of 26th of July Movement in Mexico
- Guerrilla warfare from Sierra Maestra (1956-1959)
- Erosion of Batista’s power and U.S. support withdrawal
- Batista’s flight and Castro’s consolidation of power in 1959
Castro initially promised to hold free elections but soon consolidated full control, leading Cuba toward a communist state aligned with the Soviet Union.
