The two documentaries that we watched in class showed different sides of Fidel Castro. There were overlaps that conveyed who Fidel Castro is really is. In The Last Communist documtary, Castro is portrayed as powerful, danger, and irresponsible leader whereas in the film, Fidel: The Untold Story he is portrayed as a hero, a friend, and a great leader. There were multiple views that these two films showed Fidel Castro as who he is supposed to be. The article History Will Absolve Me showed Castro when he was in court for trial and backing him up with the conditions of Cuba, which demonstrated how Castro cared about Cuba and its people. These two films covered the same topic yet so differ in their interpretations of Castro because depend on which side are you on; there are things that make more sense and things that are not. In the film Fidel: The Untold Story portrays Fidel Castro as a hero especially in Latin America countries and Africa, and there is very little negative side of him shown …show more content…
The film showed more various sides of Castro: in the beginning of the film, Castro was seen as a savior from the dictator in Cuba, he restored their people’s dignity from when American ran the island. The people in Cuba live a lot better when the dictator Batista was in control. Slowly as the film progressed, as Fidel Castro gained control of the government, he changed. There was another side of Castro as the film showed Fidel as an admirer of Hitler and Mussolini at a young age, which both of them was not democratic. He became a big spender on things for women and people who were loyal to him. There are several negative issues that were mentioned about Fidel in this film such as in the scene where they showed Castro as an irresponsible ruler when he held a secret accounts for spending. As it was said on the film, “the accounts were spending at least $25,000 a month, mostly on items for women (The Last Communist
On July 26, 1953, the war for Cuba’s independence began, and for 6 years many Cubans fought for their freedom. The most famous of these revolutionary icons being Fidel Castro, who led the main resistance against the Cuban government. On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro and the rest of the Cuban's succeeded. This revolutionary war went on to affect the entire world and Eric Selbin believes it is still affecting it. Throughout Eric Selbin's article, Conjugating the Cuban Revolution, he firmly states that the Cuban revolution is important in the past, present, and future. Selbin, however, is wrong.
...ail about the historical facts about the revolution. He provides a historiography that provides social and economic influences on the revolution and presents the events in a chronological order. What I liked about his book is that he presents a study of the U.S. influence on Cuba and the hegemonic relationship they had. He presents a bias against the U.S. not in favor of communism but in favor of Cuban sovereignty. I would recommend this book to specialists and undergraduates because it provides a different look at the revolution. However, even though this book provides historical information on Cuba, the fact that the author does present an opinion disqualifies it for use as a textbook.
“What light is to the eyes - what air is to the lungs - what love is to the heart, freedom is to the soul of man” (Brainy Quotes). Light is essential to the eyes, love is what makes the heart beat, and freedom is the hope of man kind; all of which are essential to the happiness of humanity. Having to live without these rights is a difficult way of living. For example, Cubans have suffered time after time in pursuit of their freedom, but sadly they never accomplish their goal. They live in fear of their broken government, but never stop fighting for freedom. In the early 20th century, Cuba was a democracy. From 1940 to 1944 Fulgencio Batista, a Cuban politician, was Cuba’s president. In 1952 he decided to run again, but when it was apparent he’d lose, Batista seized power before the election took place. The citizens were outraged causing them to turn against their flawed democracy that was brought upon by the election. As a result, Fidel Castro, a communist revolutionary political man, began to plot Batista’s downfall. The Cuban Revolution, also known as Castro’s Revolution, began on July 26, 1952, and ended January, 1, 1959. After Batista, Cuba’s former president, fled the country, Castro took complete control and turned Cuba into a communist country. The Revolution brought upon: many deaths, censored news and publicity, and no freedom of speech. Throughout the years Castro stayed in power, but due to health issues originating on July 31, 2006, he had to step down. After Castro returned, he took control of Cuba up until February 19, 2008. He then abdicated his place as dictator and handed down his position to his brother, Raul Castro.
Fidel Castro has most certainly been a controversial dictator during his reign in Cuba. His regime has made quite the infamous name for itself during the sixties. When news spread of his, for some, long anticipated death, some were riddled with joy and took to the streets with celebration. Others were solemn for the fall of an impactful leader. However, no one could deny that he left a legacy. Majority of what we hear about Fidel Castro in the United States is negative, seeing that Fidel ousted United States backed dictator Batista and positioned himself against the United States throughout much of his time in power. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Fidel has done pretty indefensible things while in charge but he also is not totally devoid of
Joseph Stalin and Fidel Castro had very similar traits in the beginning of their climb to power. But unlike Castro, Stalin was not the leader of the revolutionary party. After Castro graduated from the University of Havana, he practiced law for two years before deciding to run for a position in the Cuban parliament. However, during the elections to see if Castro was going to be voted to a position in parliament, a different party led by Felgencio Batista over threw the corrupt government that was being run by Carlos Prio Sacarras. Not much time had passed when Castro tried to take legal action against Batista by indicting him for uprising the constitution, the petition failed. Castro was frustrated due to the lack of legal action, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and turned to violence. Castro led an attack on the Mancada Barracks and lost, he was later captured by Batista’s men and put on trial. While Castro was on trial he gave his now famous “History Will Absolve Me” speech. Castro was sentenced to 15 years in prison but went into voluntary exile after only serving two years. He spent time in parts of the U.S. and Mexico before returning to Cuba in 1956. Wh...
Everyone knows the name Fidel Castro, the revolutionary of Cuba. At the University of Havana in 1945 is where Fidel Castro began his long and treacherous journey as a radical nationalist. (Fidel: The Untold Story). He fought the infamous Flugencio Batista in the name of social justice until victory was won. He claimed to have fought for a democratic Cuba and a restoration of constitutional government and Cuban sovereignty, but he also stood for socialism and communist ideals. As Tim Padgett from Times Magazine on page 42 stated “Fidel imported old-world Marxism and its perverse notion that social justice is best delivered via the injustice of autocracy.” He supported everything the US and pro-democracy states despised and stood as a revolutionary
Bourne, Peter G. Fidel A Biography of Fidel Castro. First ed. New York NY: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1986. N. pag. Print
In the 1950s, a ruthless tyrant took over the power of a once free nation in Cuba. This tyrant is called Fidel Castro. Castro separated families, destroyed Cuba’s economic prosperity, and denounced religion and the religious rights of his people. He imprisoned, tortured, and killed thousands of Cubans that stood up against him. However, those that weren’t killed were forced to leave the country and to never return. Due to the vicious and savage actions performed by Fidel Castro, mankind is inherently evil.
Fidel Castro was a man who had a target on his head. Lots of people from all over the world wanted him dead. Fidel Castro wasn’t a capitalist person, he was a Communist.
...Cold War. His status as dictator is opposed by many nations because of the violations against the human rights of his people and his actions under a Communist government. In 2006, Fidel’s health began to deteriorate after he had abdominal surgery and he temporarily stepped out of office by giving control of the government to his brother, Raúl. Finally in 2008, Fidel Castro announces his retirement and Raúl takes over as president of Cuba, still allowing the Castro family to have prime control over Cuba. Many to this day believe that Castro was a force for good in Cuba, yet these are met by the people who suffered and tried to escape Cuba. Although the distrust and resentment among the United States and Cuba stays intact with the embargo around the island, Fidel Castro is still seen as an incredibly significant historical figure during the post World War II era.
In cuban history there was many dictatorships. But, Fulgencio Batista lead to rise of communism in Cuba and Fidel Castro. Foreign involvement from United States to control Cuba as economical ally, also Bastia treatment mistreatment towards foreigners from Haitian and Jamaican. The Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro use of guerrilla warfare and the peasant population of Cuba lead to successful revolution. The United States felt threatened about Cuban being 90 miles from florida spifly during Cuban Missile Crisis . So, many United states presidents tried to kicked Fidel Castro but failed multiple times.First, even though Fulgencio Batista starred in beginning as leader that benefited Cuban people, over time he became corrupted leader that lead to his downfall.
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926, near Birάn in Cuba’s Eastern Oriente Province to a wealthy sugar plantation owner and a mother who was a domestic servant to his father’s first wife (Source A). Castro was the third of six children and was raised in prominently wealthy circumstances that allowed him to attend well known and well revered schools like Belen Jesuit Prep. (Source A). He was a man that could not be just labeled solely by one phrase or one convenient definition, he was loved by supporters of communist rule and he was also a face feared by many Cubans. He held multitudes of titles to countless different people, ranging from honorable military leader to a protruding symbol of the communist revolution in Latin America that was feared by the Cuban people and Americans alike.
So the question to ask is was life better under Castro? The answer is yes, it was an improvement, but there are remaining problems in Cuba waiting to be fixed. The health and general well-being of the population was vastly improved, but the people lived in fear and oppression. Castro didn’t change Cuba as much as he thinks.
Cuba's political history carries a pattern: when the masses are disillusioned by the current ruler, they turn to a young, strong-willed leader-of-the-people as their new ruler, only to become disillusioned to that ruler when he becomes too oppressive. It has seemed a never- ending cycle. Batista and Castro were both well-regarded leaders initially who appealed strongly to the masses and common citizen. Later, both established dictatorships and lost the support of many of those that they governed. Castro and Batista are each guilt of repression and corruption within their governments. For example, at some point under each regime, the constitution was either suspended or not followed at all. Castro did, though, make one very important contribution to Cuba's political system: Socialism. For the first time, Castro and Che Guevara a socialist plan called the New Man theory which called for developing an ideology amongst citizens that would call for working not for personal enrichment, but for social betterment.
Burns, Bradford E. Latin America: A Concise Interpretive History. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2002.