As a student being exposed to the armed upriseings of the La Violencia and the Bogotazo incident in Colombia, Castro got his first taste of popular uprisings. The Bogotazo incident can be summed up simply as the April 9th 1948 assassination of the populist Colombian Liberal party leader and presidential candidate Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. Gaitan was in favor of a left-wing government but refused the route of violent revolution. He was gunned down by an unknown gunman with a .45 caliber pistol, the details are still unknown. (my personal theory is that it was done by United Fruit) This caused a major conflict between conservatives and liberals giving was to guerilla factions and the time period known as La Violencia. Castro’s involvement was only in the Latin American Youth Conference in protest of the Pan American conference and subsequently against the USA’s increasing influence on Latin politics. The idea of a “revolution” or “revolt” by the urban and rural proletarian (for lack of a better word) and its “success” (if it can be called that) regardless of country is in itself a radical notion all together. Fidel Castro was not a communist and witnessing such an event taking place truly effected his political views in later years especially with the Batista Coup of 1952. His confidence in the electoral system was shaken, revolution might be the way to go.

With the United States increasing influence on Cuban politics, Castro grew increasingly nationalistic. Soon the Coup of 1953 sent the prior government out the window and General Fulgencio Batista as the de facto leader which the United States recognized. Castro outraged at this illegal move argued its unconstitutionality stating that was against the Constitution of 1940 in his Zarpazo petition to the Court of Constitutional Guarantees. This of course was denied and proved to Castro that revolution was the way. Here it seems his sentiment and political ideas took a turn as he pursued a armed uprising rather than a legal way. Most of this decision is contributed to his loss of confidence in the legal system of Cuba. His first attempt on the Moncada Barracks on the July 26, 1953 which ended in Fidel and Raul’s capture plus the death of 100+ guerillas. His famous History Will Absolve Me speech given during his trail portrayed his shift towards a more revolutionary outlook.

Its true that the Moncada Barracks raid was a loss, but the date 26th of July made a movement to over throw Batista’s regime. The 26th of July movement first started up by Fidel Castro after his release from political prison. Teaming up with Ernesto Guevara, Castro viewed war from the “Che” perspective: guerilla warfare. His men were few and a guerilla war would be the most successful way of retaliating against Batista. After their first attempt at battle, the M-26-7 retreated to the Sierra Maestra’s to regroup. It became obvious guerilla war was the only way that they could survive the conflict they started. Castro at this point declared his goal to restore the Constitution of 1940, overthrow Batista, and hold elections after 18 months of assuming power in the Sierra Maestra Manifesto. The “Sierra Maestra Manifesto” gives the revolution a more conservative root though it is radical to wage revolution. Possibly the Sierra Maestra Manifesto can be contributed by his law school education and his initial outrage shown in the Zarpazo. Though, he continued down a radical path, Fidel remained rather conservative in this pursuits.

After gaining control, Fidel was caught in a cold war split between the US and USSR. The United States ignoring Castro, forced him to turn to the Soviet Union for help. They bought Cuban goods and supplied them with aid and food stuffs. This shift between Castro’s initial ideology occurred at this point. With the United States denial of aid and no formal diplomatic gestures when Castro tried and failed to visit the president made it clear to him to seek international ties else where. The problem with the treaties and agreements with the USSR and its aid, Castro feared what inevitably would occur in later years: economic dependence. Castro tried to prevent it but, Cuba became dependant on the markets of the USSR to buy up the sugar that the US refused to plus, the exports from the Soviets provided Cuba with the basic materials and needs that they couldn’t create for themselves.

The US-Cuban relations deteriorated during the Eisenhower era most likely because nationalization. Big American owned companies suffered massive losses at the hands of Castro’s expropriation of their property. Though this created friction between the US and Cuba, Castro mainly wanted to create a Cuba without any foreign influence in its internal affairs. Though, the US saw his move as communist “aggression” Castro endeavors can be traced back to his dislike of foreign influence and his growing nationalism in his Havana University days.
Castro was not a communist initially, but the effect of the world around him, the cold war sectionalism, plus the embargo placed on Cuba by the United States were major factors in changing his domestic politics. The embarrassing Bay of Pigs invasion waged under the Kennedy era woke up Cuba to the realities of the sentiment of the west towards them. After this failed attempt, Castro knew that the United States was not willing to let him stay in power. He immediately announced on Dec. 2, 1961 Castro announced his support of communism and officially Cuba became communist. Thus, the politics of a man and a country were forced to adapt to the conditions which were imposed on it.