Essay: The Reign Of Fidel Castro

Block One Abstract
This abstract will discuss fidel castro and how he came to power. It will also state which came first his power or his authority. You will learn about castros life and his many acomplishments. And from these many acomplishments how they refected him to be a great leader. This paper will display characteristics and traits of a great leader and how those traits apply to fidel castro.  This paper will also explain how the people felt about fidel castro and how cuba was transformed for the best.
The Reign of Fidel Castro
Power and authority are closely associated in compliments to leadership. Power over people requires authority and authority over people requires power. To have authority one must have to have some level of dominance over others so people will listen. Also if one demands people to listen and obey the commands given, power is needed. It’s often very difficult to explain or find out which came first or if there is a difference in outcome on what comes first. Fidel Castro’s abundance of power and authority led him to become a great leader of Cuba.
Fidel Castro had a desire for government and a lust for law.  Born August 13, 1926 in Birán, he attended the University of Havana where he studied law and government. While at school, he was very involved with the school and with campus life. Castro became the Campus Activist In 1945. At the university of Havana, student activism, violence, and gang fights were common occurrences. Protected by its autonomy, the university was a sanctuary for political agitators.
Castro soon joined the activists and associated with one of the gangs, The Unión Insurreccional Revolucionaria. (Fidel Castro, 1998). Being in these environments  allowed him to gain the necessary set of skills and knowledge to become the great leader he was. Fidel Castro was very passionate about what he believed in and what he stood for. Which was government and law. In 1947 Castro temporarily left the university to join in an expedition led by writer Juan Bosch to overthrow the government of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, but the coup was called off during the ocean voyage to Dominica. The 23-year-old Castro jumped into the shark-infested waters and swam to shore carrying a gun over his head. This shows that Castro was willing to do whatever needed to be done to make change, showing skills and characteristics of a great leader.
Throughout being at The University of Havana Castro has shown great interest in politics. He joined the University Committee, which opposed the intervention of the US in the Caribbean and fought for the Independence of Puerto Rico. Castro fought for many things in his early years of leadership, honesty, decency and justice to name a few. Castro spoke against any corruption in the government and in any law system and he spoke openly. Having the ability to speak against the corruption and injustice is a display of his Authority.
After Fidel Castro graduated three years later and begin to practice law in Havana, his interest in the law soon gave way to his passion for politics. His knowledge form school and studying various laws and rules of the government gained him a position in the government. His authority came first and granted him power.  Castro assumed leadership of Revolution early in 1952, in preparation for upcoming elections scheduled for June, Castro began campaigning for a seat in congress as a replacement for Ortodoxo party leader Chibás, who had publicly killed himself the previous summer. He felt that his knowledge that he gained from college needed to be put to use.
However, elections were never held. On March 10, General Batista and a group of army conspirators overthrew the regime of Cuban president Carlos Prío Socarrás. For Castro, violence seemed the only way to oppose the military coup. Being that Fidel’s authority transformed into power he was able organized a group of followers and on July 26, 1953, he attacked the Moncada military barracks in Oriente Province. During the attack led by Castro He  was  later captured, tried, and sentenced to 15 years in prison. (Fidel Castro 1998). In  jail, Castro kept the rebellious sentiments alive and maintained control of the Movement. Meanwhile, Batista held the presidential election in 1954 but won the same as there were no to run against him. Although Castro did not win the election, his ability to maintain power over people even throughout a 15 year jail sentence is a display of his power as a great leader.
Fidel Castros interest in law and government was a great stepping stone in his life.  Fidel Castro served as the Cuban prime minister and first secretary of the Communist party of Cuba . Fidel was also a lawyer in training, Castro led the Cuban Revolution and transformed the island into the first Communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Later became President or Cuba. (Fidel Castro. 1998)
When Castro first came into power officially in 1959, he did bring about significant changes for the better. For one thing, food was rationed so that no one would go hungry. For another, everyone’s rent was given a ceiling of 10 percent of the renter’s income. That translated to about $10.00 per month even in the 1980s. Blacks and women have benefited from the stringent anti-discrimination laws. And Castro has kept infectious diseases at bay with his excellent free health care system. He also raised the literacy rate to a world-class 96 percent.(Fidel Castro. 1991)
Fidel Castro also started a group of soldiers called the Guerrillas.  These soldiers were the best in Cuba and also people who believe in Castro and the cause he fights for. After training in guerrilla warfare in Mexico, the Castro’s and Guevara set out for Cuba with seventy-nine others aboard the small yacht Granma in 1956. The tiny party of invaders was almost wiped out by the Cuban army, but Guevara, the Castro brothers, and a few others escaped into the Sierra Maestra, an unpopulated, densely forested mountain range on the eastern part of the island. From his mountain camp, Fidel Castro recruited peasant farmers to join his guerrilla force, and their numbers grew as they inflicted defeats on the Cuban military in lightning raids. The numbers of insurgents expanded in response to the violence of Batista’s forces, who indiscriminately committed atrocities against the poor of the region. (Guerrilla warfare 1961. 2014)  the fact that the people of cuba who were not soldiers and just mear people trusted Castro and followed him to war and to any path he directed shows great power and shows hes an amazing leader.
Castro came to power as a nationalist, over time Castro began to move toward communism. Castro wanted a country that was serious in everything that was done. A country where happiness did not exist, but respect was demanded . Castro wanted a country that no one had the right of speaking out against him or question him about anything he does or says. He probably thought that if Cuba became a communist country, they would focus more on him as a leader, by him doing this transition to communism he is gaining him more power and attention. Since he was looked upon and thought of as a cruel man.
“There is often talk of human rights, but it is also necessary to talk of the rights of humanity. Why should some people walk barefoot, so that others can travel in luxurious cars? Why should some live for thirty-five years, so that others can live for seventy years? Why should some be miserably poor, so that others can be hugely rich? I speak on behalf of the children in the world who do not have a piece of bread. I speak on the behalf of the sick who have no medicine, of those whose rights to life and human dignity have been denied” – Fidel Castro.
The main purpose of communism is to make the social and economic status of all individuals the same. It destroys the inequalities in possession of property and distributes wealth equally to all. The main problem with this is that one person who is very wealthy can be stripped of most of their wealth so that another person can not have more material goods than others and be equal to everyone. A lot of people who lived in the United States had economic interests in Cuba, so many people were invested in Cuba and thought that Castro’s rise to power became increasingly troubling. The Cuban government also took over the holdings of U.S. investors, amounting to tens of millions of dollars. At the time, the United States was in the midst of the Cold War (1945–1991), a political and economic rivalry with the Communist Soviet Union . U.S. officials feared that if Cuba adopted Communism, this ideology would have a base from which to spread across the entire Western Hemisphere. (The Special Period Begins in Cuba: 1992. (2014)
The United States did not agree with Cuba so John F Kennedy ordered an invasion on Cuba known as “The Bay of Pigs Invasion”. The attack was an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Castro at the Bay of Pigs. The story of the failed invasion of Cuba attracted by America at the Bay of Pigs, which is located on the south coast of Cuba. Kennedy decided to cut U.S. losses and refused to authorize the use of U.S. air cover on their behalf. Several hundred of the invaders were killed; the rest were taken prisoner. In December 1962, after protracted negotiations, the Cubans released the 1,113 prisoners in return for $53 million worth of food and medicine. (Bay of Pigs Invasion.1992) The whole intention of the invasion was to assault communist Cuba and put an end to Fidel Castro. Ironically, thirty nine years after the Bay of Pigs, Fidel Castro was still in power. Castro’s desire to change and make the world a better place through equality and making no man greater, gained him respect and that respect feeds his power. That’s why Castro was able to reign on for years and years at a time.
The Cold War helped Fidel castor’s rise to power in major ways. Fidel Castro took a smart leadership approach he worked towards strengthening the ties between Cuba and the Soviet Union and it agreed to organize Cuba’s defense committee. Extreme nationalism led to revolts, which led to a take over by a communist dictator. then the USSR funded Castro because he was communist and they wanted communism to spread throughout the world. So the soviets sent Castro money and weapons because they did not want other nations to stop the communist take over, mainly the USA
Fidel Castro has held and maintained power for over five decades. That all changed when reports of Fidel Castro’s failing health began to increase.  In June of 2001, during one of his typical lengthy speeches, he fainted before returning later to complete the seven-hour speech. After a speech in October of 2004, he tripped, suffering a broken kneecap and fractured arm. In a move that surprised the world, on July 31, 2006, before undergoing surgery, Fidel Castro temporarily transferred his powers as head of state and the armed forces to his brother and heir-apparent Raul Castro. (Fidel Castro Transferred 2014)
Two years later of Fidel Castro’s  recovery, Fidel made an occasional public appearance. He stated he will not be resuming power and all power should be held with his little brother Raul Castro. Raul Castro and other politicians consulted with him regularly, and reports of his improved health were frequently issued. Finally, on February 18, 2008, Fidel Castro declared that his health prevented him from returning to office, and he formally resigned from all his positions. The National Assembly of People’s Power in a unanimous vote confirmed Raul Castro as president of Cuba. (Fidel Castro Transferred 2014) the fact that Fidel Castro was able to step down and say I’m not going to resume as leader of Cuba, but my brother is and your going to vote for him with no election and all will obey his commands; states what kind of power and authority he had to call orders such as that one.
Fidel Castro has survived in power for fifty years in the face of negativity, attacks, and facing pressure from his supporters. Fidel Castro has survived because he is a great leader. He displayed many characteristics of a great leader such as honesty, fairness, morals and many more to speak on.  Fidel’s desire for independence and a better country motivated him to be the leader he came to be. Castro constructed the Cuban society and improved the living conditions for a majority of Cubans through model programs in health care, education, housing, and food security.Fidel Castro achieved Cuban independence and social justice.
He established principles for everyone to follow. His contribution to his country comes to show as a leader, Castro has shown a considerable flexibility and willingness to admit to errors, traits generally of a strong powerful ruler. Castro helped Cuba build a reasonably successful and fair system. Although Fidel Castro is not able to continue ruling the Cuban nation  much longer. The views of Castro as a leader are great, as  if he still rules today.
Refrencese
Fidel Castro. (1998). In Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http:// ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
The Special Period Begins in Cuba: 1992. (2014). In J. Stock (Ed.), Global Events (Vol. 3). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http:// ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
Fidel Castro. (1991). In Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http:// ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
Castro, F. (1999). Excerpt from “History Will Absolve Me”. In American Journey. The Hispanic- American Experience. Woodbridge, CT: Primary Source Media. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
Fidel Castro Ruz, President of Cuba, 1967– Prime Minister of Cuba, 1959–1967. (1992). In The Cold War–1945-1991. Gale. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
Bay of Pigs Invasion. (1992). In The Cold War–1945-1991. Gale. Retrieved from http:// ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
Fidel Castro Transfers Power to Brother Raul Castro, August 10, 2006. (2014). In Historic World Events. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
Cuba Expropriates Foreign Property, 1959. (2012). In Historic World Events. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic
FOS, C. (2010). Cuba’s African adventures: in 1959 Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba after a masterly campaign of guerrilla warfare. Drawing on this success, Castro and his followers, including Che Guevara, sought to spread their revolution, as Clive Foss explains. History Today, 60(3), 10+. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic