Corruption & Coups

After the Spanish troops left the island in December 1898, the government of Cuba was handed over to the United States on 1 January 1899. The first governor was General John R. Brooke. Unlike Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, the United States did not annex Cuba because of the restrictions imposed in the Teller Amendment.

January 1st, 1899 it’s officially constituted the first government of American occupation in Cuba that would extend up to May 20, 1902. According to the North American administration, its presence in the provisional government was endorsed by the desire of establishing the order in the country, to stop the famine and to contain the epidemic buds that they threatened to completing the devastation work and death started during the Reconcentration.

The population's situation in the island was very difficult. The demographic studies refer that the frustrated independence paid the high price of 400 000 human lives, among those that died during the war and the children that stopped to be born.

The dynamic reconstruction process stopped the disaster that threatened the civil population; it opened new employment sources in the agriculture and the construction; and it accelerated the organization of the educational system according to the North American conceptions, underrating the Cuban participation in the taking of crucial decisions.

The apparent philanthropic mission of the government from the United States to help to the town of Cuba, really had the objective of obtaining the economic, political and cultural control of the republic in gestation.

Neo-Republic

May 20, 1902 Tomás Estrada Palm assumes the presidency of the Republic of Cuba’s government, becoming into the first president of a republic that is born castrated ... In the elections of 1909 José Miguel Gómez assumes the presidency who was accused of corruption ... In 1913 Mario García Menocal is elected president, being reelected in 1917 ... In 1925 Gerardo Machado comes to power and he starts with a repressive politics against the opponents and the union movements ...

In 1940, Cuba had free and fair elections. Fulgencio Batista, endorsed by Communists, won the election ... Elections in 1944 and 1948 won them political civil figures Grau San Martin and Carlos Prio Socarras ... In 1952, when he ran in the presidential elections again, Batista took the power in a coup d'etat, three months before the elections ... read more.

Attack on Moncada Barracks

The Moncada Barracks, a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermon Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence.

On July 26, 1953, at 6:00AM, Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl led a group of approximately 120 rebels (with an additional 40 intending to take the barracks at Bayamo) in an attack on the second largest military garrison in Cuba, headquarters of the 400 (others say about 1,000) strong Antonio Maceo regiment, under the command of President Fulgencio Batista ... read more.

Last Days of Revolutionary Armed Struggle

After assault of Moncada barracks Fidel Castro was imprisoned, and liberated by the popular pressure, the managements of the bishop of Santiago de Cuba at that time and his mother's friendship with the first lady of Cuba.

Subsequently Fidel exiled in Mexico. From there, he organized and directed the 26 Julio Movement with the objective of overthrowing to Batista.

An group of 82 expeditionary set sail for Cuba in the Granma yacht Fidel Castro as leader, his brother Raúl Castro, Ernesto Guevara known as Ché, Camilo Cienfuegos, Juan Almeida among other; disembarking in the east part of the island December 2 of 1956 ... read more.

Learn more about Cuba History

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With Cuba's colourful history, and in a particular complex and controversial relationship with America, everything is well represented in Cuba for Beginners Book. A comic illustrated guide about the whole history of Cuba.