Cuban Revolution Vocab

Front 1

Gerardo Machado

Back 1

- gained presidency by election in 1925, used his powers to make himself unbeatable in the ballot box, used repressive measures, had a nationalist opposition that created a general strike that got him out of office.

Front 2

1933 Revolution

Back 2

- successful general strike by Cubans who helped prod the army toward undercutting the dictator who fled Havana.

Front 3

Revolt of the Sergeants

Back 3

- uprising led by Batista that overthrew the liberal government of President Machado, military takes power.

Front 4

Ramón Grau San Martín

Back 4

- new civilian leader, legit president of Cuba, first Cuban government without US support and got rid of the Platt Amerndment

Front 5

Sumner Wells

Back 5

- an American government official and a major foreign policy advisor to President D. Roosevelt

Front 6

Fulgencio Bastista

Back 6

- Cuban president, dictator, and military leader closely aligned with the US. Served as leader from 1933-1944 and 1952-1959 before being overthrown by the revolution.

Front 7

Carlos Prío

Back 7

- 1948 President of Cuba until he was overthrown by a military coup led by Batista on March 10, 1952, three months before elections were to be held

Front 8

Partido Ortodoxo

Back 8

- Middle Left, Eduardo Chibas was leader of this party and Fidel was a part of it.

Front 9

Eduardo “Eddie” Chibas

Back 9

- a Cuban populist and nationalist politician who used the radio to broadcast his political views to the public

Front 10

1952 Coup

Back 10

- Batista illegitimately took power with military and said that he would not follow Constitution, dissolved Congress

Front 11

Fidel Castro

Back 11

- primary leader of the Cuban revolution in 1959 and later established a Marxist socialist state in Cuba

Front 12

El Bogotazo

Back 12

- riot in Bogota, Columbia that turned city upside down for days and populace rose and took over city

Front 13

Attack on Moncada Army Barracks

Back 13

- Fidel led a band of 165 youths who stormed the barracks, half died, Fidel and his brother put in jail

Front 14

26th of July Movement

Back 14

- led by women compatriots, name of Castro’s group to lead revolution in Cuba based off the failed Moncado Barracks attack

Front 15

“History Will Absolve Me”

Back 15

- defense speech made at his trial where he said he was trying to overthrow an illegal government and because of this he would be appreciated and history would forgive him. Made him a national hero.

Front 16

Partido Autentico

Back 16

- nationalistic middle Right party, Batista was leader of this party

Front 17

Cuban Revolution

Back 17

- a political revolution that removed US supported Batista from power, revolution led by Fidel Castro who became new leader of Cuba as a communist dictator.

Front 18

Raul Castro

Back 18

- younger brother of Fidel Castro, who also took part in the Cuban Revolution, current president of Cuba

Front 19

Ernesto “Che” Guevara

Back 19

-Argentine revolutionary who believed in social change; aided Fidel Castro in overthrowing Bastista; revolution’s second-in-command; created an “idealistic” strategy for the economic development in Cuba; died while directing guerilla movement in Bolivia in 1967.

Front 20

El Granma

Back 20

- yatch that they leave out from Mexico to Cuba with Raul and “Che” and 82 men

Front 21

Herbert Matthews

Back 21

- reporter for the New York Times who went to Cuba and reported everything that was going on with Castro; his articles enhanced Castro’s credibility in the US and gave notice to the Cuban people that he was still alive

Front 22

1958 Pastoral Letter

Back 22

- Cuban bishops issued letter calling for a government of national unity

Front 23

3/1958 Arms Embargo

Back 23

- US suspended arms shipment to the Cuban government because they were using the weapons for domestic purposes

Front 24

Movimiento Estudantia

Back 24

l- student movement, which is caused by the desire for improved conditions for their future in society and desire for idealistic justice.

Front 25

Melba Hernandez

Back 25

- fearless lawyer who had defended Castro at trial and was part of the 26th of July Movement

Front 26

Association of United Cuban Women

Back 26

- anti-Batista group led by Gloria Cuadras

Front 27

Vilma Espin

Back 27

- Cuban chemical engineer and revolutionary who was married to Raul Castro

Front 28

Sierra Maestra

Back 28

- Cuba’s largest mountain range that has served as refuge to Cuban rebels, located in Santiago de Cuba

Front 29

Camilo Cienfuegos

Back 29

- key figure of the Cuban revolution who died mysteriously in 1959, among the 82 revolutionaries who were aboard the Granma in 1956

Front 30

Juan Almeida

Back 30

- Cuban politician and one of the original commanders of the Cuban Revolution, prominent figure of the Communist Party of Cuba

Front 31

Manuel Urrutia

Back 31

- President after the revolution and when the government became a triumvirate , resigned in July 1959.

Front 32

Jose Miro Cardena

Back 32

- prime minister after the revolution, resigned in February protesting his lack of real power

Front 33

1959 Visit by Castro to NYC

Back 33

- he projected image of nationalist reformer, strongly opposed to foreign intervention, not a communist and wanted radical reform, especially land reform

Front 34

National Institute of Agrarian Reform

Back 34

- created to implement measures of Reform Law, seen as the first step to communism.

Front 35

Pedro Diaz Lanz

Back 35

- commander of air force, resigned over alleged communist influence in military, flew to US and pushed story that Fidel was communist

Front 36

Agrarian Reform Law 5/1959

Back 36

- eliminated giant estates, expropriated farmlands over 1000 acres, gave compensation in Cuban bonds, no foreigners could own agricultural land.

Front 37

Nationalization Campaign of 1960

Back 37

- all major firms in Cuba were nationalized such as textiles, tobacco, cement, banks and department stores.

Front 38

Major Hubert Matos

Back 38

- one of Fidel’s oldest political allies and long-time revolutionary, chose to break from Fidelista line. Resigned from armed forces and issued a letter attacking the growth of communist influence.

Front 39

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Back 39

- unsucessful action by CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro, it was triumph for Fidel and marked watershed for US-Cuban relations

Front 40

Richard Bissell

Back 40

- CIA officer responsible of the exile invasion in Cuba

Front 41

Communist Party of Cuba

Back 41

- the governing political party in Cuba, the only political party to survive the revolution

Front 42

Literacy Crusade

Back 42

- year long crusade cut illiteracy rates in half has virtually disappeared since then

Front 43

Committee for the Defense of the Revolution

Back 43

- locally based citizens groups, primarily for civil defense, had task of monitoring the population for counterrevolutionary opinions or behavior.

Front 44

National Association of Small Farms

Back 44

- tried to coordinate the production of small farms with national goals, it also furnished credit, set up stores and organized various associations.

Front 45

“New Socialist Man”

Back 45

- Che Guevara’s idea that the new man should work for moral rewards and thus reflect a new higher level of political conciousness

Front 46

Fundamental Law of the Republic 2/1959

Back 46

- concentrated legislative power in the executive