Fidel Castro Childhood.
Fidel Castro was born in the Oriente Province of Cuba on August 13, 1926, close to his father's sugarcane farm in Birán. Angel Castro y Argiz, his father, was an immigrant from Spain who became a prosperous sugarcane farmer in Cuba. Despite being married to Maria Luisa Argota, Angel had five children with Lina Ruz González, who worked for him as a cook and maid. Later, Angel and Lina got married. In his early years, Fidel lived on his father's farm, but for most of his youth, he attended Catholic boarding schools where he excelled in sports.
Castro Becomes a Revolutionary
Fidel Castro enrolled in law school at the University of Havana in 1945 and quickly became interested in politics. Two years later, he joined the Caribbean Legion, a group of political exiles aiming to overthrow dictatorships in the Caribbean region. Although the Legion planned to remove Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, the plan was eventually scrapped due to international pressure. In 1948, Castro traveled to Bototá, Colombia, intending to disrupt the Pan-American Union Conference. However, his plans changed when riots broke out across the country in response to the assassination of Jorge Eliecer Gaitán. During the riots, Castro joined the protesters and distributed anti-U.S. literature. This experience gave him first-hand knowledge of popular uprisings. Upon returning to Cuba, Castro married Mirta Diaz-Balart, a fellow student, in October 1948, and the couple had one child.
Castro vs. Batista
After completing law school in 1950, Castro pursued a career in law but continued to remain politically active. He ran for a seat in the Cuban House of Representatives during the June 1952 elections, but a coup led by General Fulgencio Batista overthrew the government and canceled the elections. From the onset of Batista's regime, Castro became a vocal opponent and initially sought to challenge him through legal means. However, after these efforts proved unsuccessful, Castro began to form an underground rebel group.
Castro Attacks the Moncada Barracks
On the morning of July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro and a group of about 160 armed men, including his brother Raúl, launched an attack on the Moncada Barracks, the second-largest military base in Cuba, located in Santiago de Cuba. The group faced fierce resistance from hundreds of trained soldiers stationed there, making it nearly impossible for them to succeed. The attack resulted in the deaths of 60 of Castro's rebels, while both Castro and Raúl were captured and later put on trial. During his trial, Castro gave a speech that ended with the words, "Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me." He was ultimately sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released just two years later in May 1955.
The 26th of July Movement
After being released from prison in May 1955, Castro went to Mexico where he spent a year organizing the "26th of July Movement". In December 1956, Castro and the rebels landed on Cuban soil to begin their revolution but were met with heavy resistance and suffered heavy casualties. However, Castro continued guerrilla attacks over the next two years and gained many volunteers. Using guerrilla warfare tactics, Castro and his supporters attacked Batista's forces, taking control of many towns. Batista lost popular support and faced multiple defeats. Eventually, on January 1, 1959, Batista fled Cuba.
Castro Becomes Cuba's Leader
After his release from prison in 1955, Castro went to Mexico and organized the "26th of July Movement." In 1956, Castro and the rebels returned to Cuba but were met with heavy resistance, resulting in many deaths. However, over the next two years, Castro and his supporters used guerrilla warfare to gain volunteers and overtake Batista's forces, leading to Batista's ousting on January 1, 1959.
Initially, Manuel Urrutia was selected as president of the new government, and Castro was in charge of the military. However, by July 1959, Castro had effectively taken over as Cuba's leader and began making radical changes, including nationalizing industry, collectivizing agriculture, and seizing American-owned businesses and farms. Cuba became a communist country, and the United States attempted to overthrow Castro, with efforts such as the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion and numerous assassination attempts.
In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. For the next four decades, Castro ruled Cuba as a dictator, with some Cubans benefiting from his reforms, while others suffered from food shortages and a lack of personal freedoms. After the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuba's economic situation suffered greatly, as it had heavily relied on Soviet aid and trade. The U.S. embargo against Cuba remained in effect, and hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled to the United States.
Fidel Castro Steps Down
In 2006, Castro temporarily gave power to his brother Raúl due to his gastrointestinal surgery. However, complications from the surgery caused infections and led to additional surgeries, leaving him in poor health. On February 19, 2008, Castro declared that he would not pursue or accept another term as Cuba's president, effectively resigning as the country's leader.
Fidel Castro Death
Fidel Castro died on November 25, 2016, at the age of 90. The exact cause of his death was not officially announced, but it was reported that he had been in poor health for several years prior to his death. Castro had retired from his position as Cuba's leader in 2008 and had largely withdrawn from public life. His brother, Raúl Castro, had taken over as president of Cuba and had been implementing a series of economic and social reforms. Fidel's death was met with both sadness and celebration, with supporters mourning the loss of a revolutionary leader and opponents of his regime rejoicing at the end of his reign.
