Fidel Castro: Cuban Revolutionary Leader

Fidel Castro: Cuban Revolutionary Leader — page 3 — Castro rode into Havana in a jeep He was dressed in military clothing He made his way to a rally at Camp Columbia This had been Batista’s headquarters Castro stepped up to a podium He began to address the cheering crowd BATISTA’S CUBA Fulgencio Batista served as president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 He ruled as dictator from 1952 to 1959 Batista favored wealthy Cubans over the working class He oversaw the growth of Havana and built his own private fortune He took away rights Cubans had come to expect under their constitution When Cubans began to rebel Batista ordered the police to kill his opponents He lost the support of the US government in 1958 He left Cuba and lived the rest of his life in exile 6 Castro did not have a prepared speech He did not have any notes He spoke with passion until dawn Then someone released a flock of white doves The doves symbolized a new era of peace One landed on Castro’s shoulder The crowd went wild They began chanting his name Many believed the

Fidel Castro: Cuban Revolutionary Leader — page 4 — Fidel Castro was known for giving very long speeches His victory speech in Havana lasted until morning dove was a special sign They believed it represented Castro’s role as savior of their nation CREATING A LEGEND Castro also believed he was his country’s savior His journey to Havana had started years before He led a rebel attack on the government in 1953 The attack failed Castro was arrested tried sentenced and then released He sought exile in Mexico and returned to Cuba in 1956 Upon his return he and his followers began a campaign of guerrilla warfare They operated out of the rugged Sierra Maestra mountains on Cuba’s 7

Fidel Castro: Cuban Revolutionary Leader — page 5 — south coast An army ambush nearly wiped out the rebels just three days after landing However the 16 survivors regrouped They successfully attacked THE NEW YORK TIMES The New York Times played a major role in introducing the world to Fidel Castro Castro’s supporters contacted the newspaper in 1957 to have their leader interviewed Times reporter Herbert L Matthews disguised himself to gain access to where Castro was hiding Matthews wrote three articles about Castro The first was published in February 1957 Matthews called Castro an educated man of ideals courage and leadership ability His articles repeated Castro’s claims that he did not want Cuba to become a communist nation 8 a small garrison on January 17 1957 At the same time another rebel group was weakening Batista’s control The Revolutionary Directorate oversaw a series of bombings They also encouraged strikes by workers The group attacked the presidential palace in March 1957 Its leader was a student named José Antonio Echeverría

Fidel Castro: Cuban Revolutionary Leader — page 6 — Army soldiers killed Echeverría following the palace attack Like Castro Echeverría was a popular leader and public speaker Many historians believe Echeverría's death cleared the way for Castro It allowed him to take control of the revolution Castro had captured the hearts of Cubans He was already a legend by the time he arrived in Havana His popularity among the Cuban people made it possible for him to quickly control the nation EXPLORE ONLINE Chapter One focuses on Castro's popularity His supporters often used colorful posters to promote Castro and his ideas The website below shows some of these images As you know every source is different What are the similarities between Chapter One and the information you found on the website Are there any differences How do the two sources present information differently NEW YORK TIMES CASTRO'S REVOLUTION ILLUSTRATED abdocorelibrary com fidel castro

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