Last Days of Revolutionary Armed Struggle

Fidel Castro release by the popular pressure

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.

Expeditionary Granma Yacht, Fidel Castro as leader

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

Granma Yacht

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.

The dictatorial authority of Batista motivated the popular growing dissatisfaction and the uprising of many urban and rural active groups of resistance, that which showed up as political fertile field for Fidel Castro and his Movement “26 de Julio”.

Castro managed to escape to the Sierra Maestra mountains with about 12-17 effectives, aided by the urban and rural opposition, including Celia Sanchez and the bandits of Cresencio Perez's family, he began a guerrilla campaign against the regime. Castro's main forces supported by numerous poorly armed gunmen, and with support from the well armed fighters of the Frank Pais urban organization who at times went to the mountains the rebel army grew more and more effective.

Castro's main forces supported by numerous poorly armed gunmen

The country was soon driven to chaos conducted in the cities by diverse groups of the anti-Batista resistance and notably a bloodily crushed rising by the Batista Navy personnel in Cienfuegos. At the same time, rival guerrilla groups in the Escambray Mountains also grew more and more effective. Castro attempted to arrange a general strike in 1958, but did not get support from Communists or labor unions.

The resistance against Batista

United States imposed trade restrictions on the Batista administration and sent an envoy which attempted to persuade Batista to leave the country voluntarily. The middle class was dissatisfied with the unemployment and wanted to restore the 1940 constitution. Batista fled on 1 January 1959, the Cuban Revolution date.

On January 8, 1959 Fidel Castro enter victorous in Havana

Castro took over. Within months of taking control, Castro moved to consolidate power by brutally marginalizing other resistance groups and figures and imprisoning and executing opponents and former supporters. As the revolution became more radical and continued its persecution of those who did not agree with its direction, hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled the island.