Castro Leads July 26th Attack (1953)
Sun Jul 26, 1953
Image: Fidel Castro and followers arrested after the attack on the Moncada Barracks
On this day in 1953, the Cuban Revolution began when approximately 150 revolutionaries, led by Fidel and Raúl Castro, attacked two Cuban military installations, a battle that became the namesake of the "July 26th Movement".
The rebels were decisively defeated: nine died in the fighting, fifty-six were executed, and Fidel himself was captured (shown) and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
In his subsequent trial, Fidel gave what is now known as his "History Will Absolve Me" speech, nearly four hours long, ending with the words "Condemn me, it does not matter. History will absolve me." Both Fidel and Raúl were later released as a part of general amnesty for political prisoners.
The surviving revolutionaries fled to Mexico and began organizing to overthrow the Batista government. Several years later, they succeeded, finally ousting Batista on December 31st, 1958, replacing his government with a revolutionary socialist state. Castro's 26th of July Movement later reformed along Marxist-Leninist lines, becoming the Communist Party in October of 1965.
The Cuban Revolution had powerful domestic and international repercussions. In particular, it made Cuba's relationship with the United States, which had been dominating the island's economy since 1901, significantly more antagonistic.
Immediately following the revolution, Castro's government initiated sweeping nationalization and social welfare campaigns, transforming Cuba's economy and civil society. Castro's government also highly prioritized international aid, providing more medical personnel to the developing world than all the G8 countries combined, according to authors Robert Huish and John M. Kirk.
Today is celebrated in Cuba as the Day of the Revolution ("Dia de la Revolución").
- Date: 1953-07-26
- Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.jacobinmag.com.
- Tags: #Marxism.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org