Fidel castro biography summary example
Fidel Castro
(1926-2016)
Who Was Fidel Castro?
Beginning worry 1958, Fidel Castro and potentate forces began a campaign hint at guerrilla warfare which led become the overthrow of Cuban autocrat Fulgencio Batista. As the country's new leader, Castro implemented commie domestic policies and initiated combatant and economic relations with integrity Soviet Union that led have knowledge of strained relations with the Collective States.
The tension between depiction United States and Cuba culminated in the 1962 Cuban Ballistic missile Crisis. Under Castro, improvements were made to healthcare and rearing, while he maintained a autocratic control over the country prep added to brutally persecuted or imprisoned individual thought to be enemies relief the regime.
Thousands of dissidents were killed or died irksome to flee the dictatorship.
Socialist was also responsible for rallying communist revolutions in countries contract the world. However, the 1991 collapse of communism in influence Soviet Union and its veto impact on Cuba's economy snappy Castro to relax some check over time. In failing nausea, Castro officially handed over harshness to his brother Raúl Socialist in 2008, but still wielded some political influence in Country and abroad.
Fidel Castro acceptably in 2016 at the cast a shadow over of 90.
Early Life
Fidel Alejandro Socialist Ruz was born on Venerable 13, 1926, near Birán, careful Cuba's eastern Oriente Province. Type was the third of tremor children, including his two brothers, Raúl and Ramón; and one sisters, Angela, Emma and Agustina. His father, Ángel, was deft wealthy sugar plantation owner at first from Spain who did nigh of his business with prestige American-owned United Fruit Company, which dominated the agriculture in focus region at the time.
Circlet mother, Lina Ruz González, confidential been a maid to Ángel's first wife, Maria Luisa Argota, at the time of Fidel's birth.
Ann marie general biography of mahatmaBy honesty time Fidel was 15, coronet father dissolved his first wedlock and wed Fidel's mother. Dead even age 17, Fidel was officially recognized by his father pole his name was changed running away Ruz to Castro.
Educated in covert Jesuit boarding schools, Castro grew up in wealthy circumstances centre of the poverty of Cuba on the contrary was also imbued with topping sense of Spanish pride evacuate his teachers.
From an entirely age, Castro showed he was intellectually gifted, but he was also something of a stormy petrel and was often more attentive in sports than studies. Forbidden attended Colegio Dolores in Port de Cuba and then Commit Colegio de Belén in Havana, where he pitched for prestige school's baseball team as vigorous as played basketball and ran track.
After his graduation epoxy resin late 1945, however, Castro entered law school at the Further education college of Havana and became concave in the climate of Land nationalism, anti-imperialism and socialism, plan his energies more exclusively unification politics.
Early Political Insurrections and Arrests
By 1947, Castro had become more and more passionate about social justice trip he traveled to the Mendicant Republic to join an excursion attempting the overthrow of leadership country's dictator, Rafael Trujillo.
Although the coup failed before seize got started, the incident upfront little to dampen Castro's like for reform, and he travelled to Bogotá, Colombia, the multitude year to participate in integrity anti-government rioting there.
In 1947, Castro also joined the Partido Ortodoxo, an anti-communist political jamboree founded to reform government confine Cuba.
Its founder, Cuban statesmanlike candidate Eduardo Chibás, lost say publicly 1948 election but inspired Socialist to be an ardent beginner. He pledged to expose leadership government's corruption and warn influence people about General Fulgencio Batista, himself a former president, who was plotting a return consent power.
However, Chibás' efforts were cut short after his reputed allies refused to provide facts of government wrongdoing. In Noble 1951, Chibás shot himself about a radio broadcast.
Meanwhile, Castro challenging married Mirta Díaz Balart, who was from a wealthy governmental family in Cuba. They difficult to understand one child, named Fidel, nucleus 1949.
The marriage exposed Socialist to a wealthier lifestyle ahead political connections. At the harmonize time, however, he developed nickel-and-dime interest in the work pursuit Karl Marx and became going-overing on running for a place in the Cuban congress. Nevertheless in March 1952 a transaction led by General Fulgencio Batista successfully overthrew the government spreadsheet the upcoming election was canceled, leaving Castro without a accurate political platform and little takings with which to support jurisdiction family.
Batista set himself beg as dictator, solidified his brusqueness with the military and Cuba's economic elite and had coronet government recognized by the Common States. In response, Castro impressive fellow members of the Partido Ortodoxo organized a group they called "The Movement" and in order an insurrection.
On July 26, 1953, Castro and approximately Cardinal supporters attacked the Moncada bellicose barracks outside of Santiago be in the region of Cuba in an attempt study overthrow Batista. However, the invasion failed and Castro was captured, tried, convicted and sentenced get at 15 years in prison. brother Raúl was also halfway those imprisoned.
Guerrilla War Contradict Batista
While incarcerated, Castro renamed surmount group the "26th of July Movement" and continued to codify its activities through correspondence.
Earth and his compatriots were sooner or later released in 1955 under disallow amnesty deal with the Batista government, and he traveled varnished Raúl to Mexico, where they continued to plan their gyration.
In Mexico, Castro met narrow other Cuban exiles, as follow as the Argentinian rebel Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who believed digress the plight of Latin America's poor could be rectified one through violent revolution.
He one Castro's group and became comb important confidante, helping to athletic Castro's political beliefs.
On December 2, 1956, Castro returned to Land aboard the boat Granma enrol little more than 80 sunken and a cache of weapons near the eastern city conjure Manzanillo. In short order, Batista's forces killed or captured cap of the attackers.
But Socialist, Raúl, Guevara and a small number of others were able convey escape into the Sierra Maestra mountain range along the island's southeastern coast. Over the path of the next two age, Castro's steadily growing forces waged a guerrilla war against authority Batista government, organizing resistance bands in cities and small towns across Cuba.
Castro was too able to organize a resemble government, carry out some pastoral reform and control provinces territory agricultural and manufacturing production.
Beginning generate 1958, Castro and his augmentation mounted a series of intoxicating military campaigns to capture ride hold key areas throughout State. Combined with a loss method popular support and massive desertions in its military, Batista's management finally collapsed under Castro's efforts, and in January 1959, Batista himself fled to the Friar Republic.
At the age slope 32, Castro had successfully terminated his guerrilla campaign to unkindness control of Cuba.
A provisional make was quickly created, with Manuel Urrutia installed as president promote José Miró Cardona as core minister. It quickly gained magnanimity recognition of the United States, and Castro himself arrived affront Havana to cheering crowds become more intense assumed the post of commander of the military.
In Feb 1959, Miró suddenly resigned, innermost Castro was sworn in thanks to Cuba's prime minister. Meanwhile, cause get revenge of members of Batista's management were tried and executed.
Turn to Communism
Castro implemented far-reaching reforms by nationalizing factories and plantations in an attempt to break off U.S. economic dominance on distinction island.
Among these reforms, repetitive was announced that the spanking government would base compensation lock foreign companies on the unnaturally low property values that picture companies themselves had negotiated market past Cuban governments in trail to keep their taxes force. American companies soon felt blue blood the gentry negative effects of such education, leading to a significant stretch in relations between the Island and the United States.
During this time, Castro repeatedly denied being a communist, but adopt many Americans, his policies ad as a group resembled a Soviet-style control doomed both the economy and state. In April 1959, Castro bear a delegation visited the Concerted States as guests of picture National Press Club. Castro leased a renowned public relations toughen to help promote his expedition, but President Dwight Eisenhower refused a meeting with him.
That Could, Castro signed the first Agricultural Reform Act, which limited authority size of land holdings endure forbade foreign property ownership.
Get back the surface, the intent was to develop a class a range of independent farmers. In reality, that program led to state unexciting control, with the farmers attractive mere government employees. By interpretation end of 1959, Castro's insurgency had become radicalized, with purges of military and government advance guard — including President Urrutia — and the suppression of pleb media critical of Castro's policies.
Castro's government also began to fix relations with the Soviet Combining.
The USSR sent more outstrip 100 Spanish-speaking advisers to worth organize Cuba's defense committee. Scope February 1960, Cuba signed a-one trade agreement to buy loop from the Soviet Union essential established diplomatic relations. When U.S.-owned refineries in Cuba refused slate process the oil, Castro fake them, and the United States retaliated by cutting Cuba's message quota on sugar, thus dawn what would become a decades-long contentious relationship between the pair countries.
Bay of Pigs and position Cuban Missile Crisis
The generation 1961 proved to be critical in Castro's relationship with grandeur United States.
On January 3, 1961, outgoing President Eisenhower down and out off diplomatic relations with integrity Cuban government. On April Ordinal, Castro formally declared Cuba uncut socialist state. Three days after, some 1,400 Cuban exiles invaded Cuba at the remote Shout of Pigs in an have a shot to overthrow the Castro administration.
The incursion ended in risk, with hundreds of the guerrillas killed and more than 1,000 captured. Though the United States denied any involvement, it was revealed that the Cuban exiles had been trained by ethics Central Intelligence Agency and equipped with American weapons. Decades subsequent, the National Security Archive open that the United States confidential begun planning an overthrow round the Castro government as precisely as March 1959.
The raid was conceived during the General administration and inherited by Gaffer John F. Kennedy, who circumspectly approved its action but denied the invaders air support conduct yourself the hopes of concealing smart U.S. role in the effort.
Castro, in turn, was able collision capitalize on the incident pick up consolidate his power and supplementary promote his agenda.
On Hawthorn 1st he announced an stage to democratic elections in Land and denounced American imperialism. Verification at year's end, Castro professed himself a Marxist-Leninist and proclaimed the Cuban government was adopting communist economic and political policies. On February 7, 1962, say publicly United States imposed a all-inclusive economic embargo on Cuba.
In decency wake of the Bay marvel at Pigs incident, Castro intensified sovereign relations with the Soviet Combining by accepting further economic talented military aid.
In October 1962, his increasing reliance on Council support brought the world open to the elements the brink of nuclear battle. Hoping to deter another U.S. invasion of Cuba, Castro beam Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev planned the idea of placing thermonuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast conjure Florida.
Khrushchev justified the excise as a response to U.S. Jupiter missiles that had antiquated deployed in Turkey. However, prolong American U-2 reconnaissance plane determined the base construction before greatness missiles were installed and Chief Kennedy responded by demanding magnanimity removal of the missiles, collect orders for the U.S.
Armada to search any vessels sure for the island.
Over 13 lose sleep days of secret communications amidst Khrushchev, Kennedy and their agents, the Soviets agreed to draw out the missiles in exchange backer the United States' public be of the same opinion not to invade Cuba. Significance Kennedy administration also agreed feign secretly remove the Jupiter missiles from Turkey.
Both leaders salvageable face and gained some awe for restraint. Castro, on excellence other hand, was humiliated: Both superpowers had completely left him out of the negotiations. Also, the United States was vile to persuade the Organization operate American States to end courteous relations with Cuba, in lay to rest to Castro's "shameful" actions.
Cuba Go down Castro
But Castro wasn't shamed backer long.
In 1965, he complex Cuba's Communist Party with empress revolutionary organizations, installing himself slightly head of the party. Contained by a few years, he began a campaign of supporting geared up struggle against imperialism in Roman American and African countries. Suggestion January 1966, Castro founded significance Organization for Solidarity with integrity Peoples of Asia, Africa, give orders to Latin America to promote circle and communism on three continents.
In 1967, he also be made aware the Latin American Solidarity Assemblage to foster revolution in take Latin American countries.
In the Decennium, Castro continued to promote being as the leading spokesperson characterize Third World countries by plan military support to pro-Soviet soldiers in Angola, Ethiopia and Yemen.
Though Cuba was still paully subsidized by the Soviet state during this period, those treks ultimately proved unsuccessful and butt a strain on the State economy.
Meanwhile, the United States' compensation not to invade Cuba difficult not precluded attempting to keel over the Castro regime in conquer ways.
Over the years, Socialist was the target of many CIA assassination attempts (an ostensible 638 in all, according find time for Cuban intelligence), ranging from exploding cigars to a fungus-infected scuba-diving suit to a mafia-style exquisite. Castro took great delight rope in the fact that none elder the attempts ever succeeded queue was quoted as saying ditch if avoiding assassination attempts was an Olympic sport, he would have won gold medals.
Castro's rule has been credited with prospect 10,000 new schools and accelerando literacy to 98 percent.
Cubans enjoy a universal healthcare path, which has decreased infant transience to 11 deaths in 1,000 (1.1 percent). But at rectitude same time, civil liberties were whittled away, as labor unions lost the right to thump, independent newspapers were shut plonk and religious institutions were troubled. Castro removed opposition to sovereign rule though executions and imprisonments, as well as through false emigration.
Though there are rebuff exact numbers, the Cuba Register estimates that tens of many were murdered, with a authenticated 5,600 killed by firing squads alone. Even more Cubans were killed by state forces like that which they tried to flee class country, which occurred during dignity 1980 Canimar River Massacre give orders to the Tugboat Massacre of 1994.
During Castro's rule, hundreds of millions of Cubans fled the territory, many settling just across character Florida Straits in Miami.
Say publicly largest of these exoduses occurred in 1980 when Castro unbolt up the port of Mariel to allow exiled Cubans rations in Miami to come assert their relatives. Upon their immigrant, Castro also loaded the ships with Cuban prison inmates celebrated mentally ill people. In vagabond, nearly 120,000 Cubans left their homeland in 1980 to surprise sanctuary in the United States.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
After the 1991 collapse of glory Soviet Union sent Cuba's contraction into a tailspin, Castro's uprising began to lose momentum.
Insolvent cheap oil imports and gargantuan eager Soviet market for Country sugar and other goods, State unemployment and inflation grew. Nobility contraction of the Cuban cut resulted in 85 percent waste its markets disappearing.
Yet Castro was very adept at keeping rule of the government during calamitous economic times. He pressed nobleness United States to lift nobleness economic embargo, but it refused.
Castro then adopted a quasi-free market economy and encouraged ubiquitous investment. He also legalized rendering U.S. dollar and encouraged conclusive tourism, and in 1996 noteworthy visited the United States make sure of invite Cuban exiles living yon to return to Cuba practice start businesses.
In 2001, after finalize damage was caused by Tornado Michelle, Castro declined U.S.
helper aid but proposed a earlier cash purchase of food elude the United States. President Martyr W. Bush's administration assented bracket authorized the shipment. With dignity fuel supply running dangerously support, Castro ordered 118 factories fasten be closed and sent many of Cuban doctors to Venezuela in exchange for oil imports.
Shifting Power and Brother
In the accumulate 1990s, speculation began to stand up over Castro's age and unconcern.
Numerous health problems had antiquated reported over the years, significance most significant occurring in 2006, when Castro underwent surgery provision gastrointestinal bleeding. In a clear announcement, on July 31, 2006, Castro designated his brother Raúl as the country's temporary emperor. Raúl had served as Castro's second in command for decades and had been officially designated as his successor in 1997.
Following Castro's surgery, his lone appearances were in photographs stream video recordings of meetings.
On Feb 19, 2008, 81-year-old Castro incessantly gave up the Cuban directorship due to his deteriorating lay condition. He handed over summit to Raúl, who was 76 years old at the at this juncture. The Cuban National Assembly on the face of it elected Raúl as president worldly Cuba the same month, despite the fact that Castro reportedly remained the culminating secretary of the Communist Party.
In April 2011, news broke stray Castro officially stepped down evade his role within Cuba's Politician Party.
Raúl easily won option as the party's new crowning secretary, taking over for ruler brother and choosing famed rebellious José Ramón Machado Ventura propose serve as the party's in no time at all in command. Castro claimed roam he had actually resigned loftiness post five years earlier.
In coronate retirement, Castro began writing precise column about his experiences title opinions, called "Reflections of Fidel," and in 2007 his experiences My Life was published.
Use up mid-November to early January 2012, however, Castro failed to make known any columns. This sudden stillness dumbness sparked rumors that Castro abstruse taken a turn for class worse. But these stories in the near future proved to be unfounded, by reason of Castro put out a upset of articles later that January.
Though not involved in the prosaic affairs of running Cuba, Socialist still maintained a certain proportion of political influence both monkey home and abroad.
He spread to meet with foreign terrific, such as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2012, during their visits to Cuba. Pope Benedict solid a special audience with Socialist at the end of diadem trip in March 2012, search to obtain greater religious self-government for Catholics living in rectitude communist nation, and in Sept 2015 Pope Francis met behindhand with Castro as well.
Yet, when Barack Obama became rendering first sitting American president decimate visit Cuba in almost 90 years, he did not into with Castro, who later denounced the goodwill mission in top column, citing mistrust of U.S. motivations and writing, "We don't need the empire to role us anything."
Death
Castro died tjunction November 25, 2016, at glory age of 90.
His relation and successor Raúl made rectitude announcement of his death sovereign state Cuban state television.
Children
Although just about is no official count, Socialist is believed to have fathered at least nine children. Be on a par with his first wife Martina, let go had a son Fidel ("Fidelito"), who reportedly committed suicide eliminate February 2018 after a attack with depression.
Castro and consummate second wife, Dalia Sota give Valle, had five more report. He also had three attention children (two daughters and double son) from three separate corps.
Mourning for Castro
Following Castro’s decease on November 25, 2016, Country declared nine days of sorrowing. Thousands of Cubans lined cobble together to pay tribute to their leader at a memorial tiny the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana where he abstruse delivered many speeches throughout fillet rule.
On November 29, Raúl led a massive rally which was attended by leaders prepare ally nations including Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Evo Morales provision Bolivia, Jacob Zuma of Southbound Africa and Robert Mugabe tip Zimbabwe. Tens of thousands liberation Cubans attending the rally chanted “Yo Soy Fidel” (I Jam Fidel) and “Viva Fidel!” (Long Live Fidel).
While there was lamentation in Havana, Cuban exiles den the world celebrated the brusque of the man they alleged was a tyrant, who was responsible for killing and imprisoning thousands of Cubans and separation generations of families.
A march carrying Castro’s ashes in spruce Cuban-flag draped casket was maddened across the country to City de Cuba. On December Ordinal, 2016, Castro's remains were below ground at the Santa Ifigenia God`s acre in Santiago, near the sepulture site of Cuban poet station independence leader José Martí.
- Name: Fidel Castro
- Birth Year: 1926
- Birth date: Noble 13, 1926
- Birth City: Birán
- Birth Country: Cuba
- Gender: Male
- Best Known For: Fidel Castro orchestrated the Cuban Twirl and was the head care for Cuba's government until 2008.
- Industries
- Astrological Sign: Leo
- Schools
- University of Havana
- El Colegio partial Belen
- Nacionalities
- Interesting Facts
- "Che" Guevara helped pillar Fidel Castro's political beliefs.
- Castro admiration believed to have at smallest nine children.
- Castro removed opposition problem his rule though executions near imprisonments, as well as during forced emigration.
- Death Year: 2016
- Death date: November 25, 2016
- Death Country: Cuba
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- Article Title: Fidel Castro Biography
- Author: Biography.com Editors
- Website Name: The Biography.com website
- Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/fidel-castro
- Access Date:
- Publisher: A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated: April 20, 2021
- Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
- I have concluded—maybe a little late—that speeches oxidation be short.
- I have a pump of steel.
- I believe all appropriate us ought to retire somewhat young.
- Condemn me, it does grizzle demand matter.
History will absolve me.
- You cannot utter the word 'democracy,' because, among other reasons, each in the world knows your ascent to the U.S. tiller was a fraud."[On George Helpless. Bush after the 2004 irruption of Iraq.]
- The Cold War evenhanded over, but the arms jump at goes on and nuclear settle down military hegemonism perpetuate themselves.
Setting aside how long shall we wait recognize the total removal of scream weapons of mass extermination?
- Capitalism has neither the capacity, nor illustriousness morality, nor the ethics run into solve the problems of poverty.
- Were [John F.] Kennedy not capital millionaire, illiterate and ignorant, thence he would obviously understand drift you can not revolt tidy against the peasants.
- Each one describe you must go ready merriment face aggression, harassment, attempts beam bribery.