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Cuban Revolution Facts & Worksheets

The first abolition of capitalism in the Western Hemisphere was largely attributed to the Cuban Revolution that took place in 1959.

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The first abolition of capitalism in the Western Hemisphere was largely attributed to the Cuban Revolution that took place in 1959. It also forwarded the struggle towards national liberation through socialism.

See the fact file below for more information on the Cuban Revolution or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Cuban Revolution worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

CUBAN CRISIS

  • The dictatorship of then-President (1940-1944) Fulgencio Batista primarily ignited the Cuban revolution. After learning that he would not win the 1952 elections, Batista seized power and eventually canceled the elections. This made the Cuban people call for democracy.
  • Then-rising political star Fidel Castro, who was expected to win a seat in Congress, had the 1952 elections pushed through and plotted to overthrow Batista.
  • In 1953, in an attempt to ignite a national insurrection, Castro led a daring assault on the Moncada barracks which were attacked at dawn by 138 men.
  • However, the element of surprise did not help Castro’s comrades to defeat the federal soldiers and resulted in a humiliating failure. After the firefight that only lasted a few hours, 19 federal soldiers were killed, many rebels were captured, and most of them were shot.
  • Fidel Castro and his brother Raul managed to escape but were eventually captured. They were put on public trial where Fidel, a trained lawyer, defended himself and claimed that his move was due to Batista’s seizing power and thus argued that it was his civic duty not to allow any dictator to be put in power. However, this argument did not work, and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
  • Despite the failure of overthrowing Batista, Castro remained a prominent figure and a hero to many poor Cuban people.

CUBAN UPRISINGS

  • In May 1955, many political prisoners were released including the Castros and their men as the Batista government was pressured by the international community to go under reforms.
  • Following this, Fidel Castro and his comrades went into exile in Mexico where they started to regroup and think of new plans to yet again lead revolutions.
  • They established the 26th of July Movement, named after the date of the attack on Moncada barracks, and recruited many Cuban exiles in Mexico including Camilo Cienfuegos and Argentine doctor Ernesto “Che” Guevara. In November 1956, they set sail to Cuba.
  • The Batista government heard that the Castros and their group were coming back to Cuba, and so Batista commanded his men to ambush the returning rebels.
  • The Castros, together with Cienfuegos and Guevara, survived the ambush and made it through the wooded central highlands although most of their men were killed.
  • In the highlands, the rebels regrouped, built new plans, recruited as many members as they could, collected new weapons, and eventually staged guerrilla attacks on military targets.
  • Batista and his men were not able to penetrate the highlands and failed to capture Castro’s group. On the other end, the revolutionary leaders allowed foreign journalists and media workers to visit and interview them. These interviews were published, which brought worldwide recognition for the rebels.
  • After these events, the movement continued to gain support. Rebel groups in the cities allied with Castro in their aim to overthrow Batista’s dictatorial rule.
  • In the summer of 1958, Batista retaliated and sent his military forces into the highlands to pacify Castro’s growing force, but this eventually backfired.
  • In the last stretch of 1958, Castro decided to divide his troops, sending Cienfuegos and Guevara into the plains with few army forces, and eventually followed them. They successfully captured towns and villages, bringing much bloodshed.
  • Cienfuegos subjugated a small town in Yaguajay on December 30 of that year. Meanwhile, Guevara, along with 300 rebels, managed to defeat a much larger force in a firefight in the city of Santa Clara that took place from December 28-30.
  • The government tried to negotiate with Castro to salvage the situation, but eventually, Batista and his men fled. The Cubans took to the streets, greeting the rebels.
  • In January 1959, Castro, Cienfuegos, and Guevara entered Havana and disarmed the remaining military forces.

CUBAN AFTERMATH

  • After the staging of various uprisings in the country, the Castros and his group made their way into power.
  • They swept away all the lasting remnants of the Batista era. The military men who engaged in torture and abuse during the Cuban revolution also underwent trials and execution.

Cuban Revolution Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Cuban Revolution across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Cuban Revolution worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Cuban Revolution that took place in 1959. It also forwarded the struggle towards national liberation through socialism.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Cuban Revolution Facts
  • Finding Cuba on the Map
  • Cuban Revolution: Background
  • Fact or Bluff?
  • Cuban Uprisings
  • Cuban Revolution: Timeline
  • Fidel Castro
  • Leaders of the Revolution
  • Legacy of the Cuban Revolution
  • Revolución Cubana
  • Cuban Revolution in Popular Culture

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Link will appear as Cuban Revolution Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 11, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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