| Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born in Biran, Cuba in | | | | amnesty, he departed Cuba for Mexico with the |
| 1926, the son of a Galician immigrant and Cuban | | | | intention of reorganising and training his movement. |
| mother. In 1945, he began studying law in the | | | | He established the 26th of July movement, which |
| University of Havana. He immediately became active | | | | was to concentrate on guerrilla tactics to take down |
| in the volatile, fractious and even dangerous political | | | | the Batista regime. On 26 November, 1956, Castro |
| culture at the university. In 1947, he joined the | | | | with only 81 followers set sail for Cuba with the |
| Partido Ortodoxo party of Eduardo Chibas. The | | | | purpose of starting a rebellion. After landing, |
| Partido Ortodoxo publicly exposed corruption and | | | | Castro’s forces were decimated, only 20 |
| demanded government social reform, it also aimed to | | | | survived and they sought refuge in the Sierra |
| instil a strong sense of national identity among | | | | Maestra mountains. From their encampment, they |
| Cubans, establish Cuban economic independence from | | | | began recruiting, contacting resistance groups and |
| the United States and dismantle the hold that the | | | | waging a guerrilla campaign. Although heavily |
| elite held over Cuban politics. In 1951, while running for | | | | outnumbered, Castro’s forces scored a number |
| President, Chibas killed himself during a live radio | | | | of decisive victories against Batista’s armies |
| broadcast to illustrate how sorry he was that he was | | | | eventually taking Havana on 31 December 1958. |
| unable to keep his promise of revealing corruption | | | | Batista fled Cuba, on 16 February 1959, Castro |
| within the government. During his time at university, | | | | assumed the position of Prime Minister of Cuba. |
| Castro married Mirta Diaz Balart, a philosophy student | | | | Immediately, tension developed with the United |
| from a wealthy Cuban family, thus Castro became | | | | States, as Castro began expropriating property |
| exposed to the lifestyles of the Cuban elite. In 1950, | | | | owned by US corporations. |
| Castro graduated with a law degree, he began | | | | Castro denied that he was a communist but in May |
| practicing law in a small firm in Havana. In 1952, aged | | | | 1959, he signed the First Agrarian Reform which |
| just 25 he ran for the Cuban parliament, but just | | | | limited landholdings to under 1,000 acres and forbade |
| before the election the government was overthrown | | | | foreign land ownership. The USSR sent over one |
| by Fulgencio Batista, who established a dictatorship. | | | | hundred Spanish speaking advisors to organise |
| As discontent grew over Batista’s rule, Castro | | | | Committees for the Defence of the Revolution. In |
| abandoned his law practice and formed an | | | | February 1960, Cuba signed an agreement to buy oil |
| underground organisation which plotted to overthrow | | | | from the USSR, the US owned refineries in Cuba |
| Batista. On 26 July, 1953 they attacked Moncada | | | | refused to process the oil, Castro simply |
| barracks, it was a disaster with sixty of the one | | | | expropriated them, the US broke off diplomatic |
| hundred and thirty five rebels killed. Castro was | | | | relations. Thus the mould was set, Cuba became |
| captured, tried and sentenced to fifteen years in | | | | closer to the USSR through a series of pacts and |
| prison. | | | | agreements and Cuba and the US became more and |
| Castro was released after two years under a general | | | | more estranged. |