Cuban and Haitian Revolutions

1
Cuban and Haitian Revolutions

• A Comparison

By Lauren Files
2
Cuban Revolution

• 1953-1959
• Led largely by Fidel Castro and the 26 of July
  Movement
• Against the Batista government

3
Beginnings Cuban Revolution

• July 26, 1953 100 guerilla soldiers attacked
  Moncada Barracks
• Recognized at beginning of revolution
• They were rebelling against the Batista
  government
• All surviving rebels were captured
• Included Fidel and Raul Castro
• 1955 Batista (pressured by Jesuits and civil
  leaders) freed prisoners
• the prisoners banded together to continue to plan
  their overthrowing of the Batista government

4
Preparing for Revolution

• Castro and his men (the 26 of July Movement
  named in honor of first attack) traveled to
  Mexico to train
• They were trained by Alberto Bayo
• 1956 returned to Cuba, wanted to attack during
  a planned uprising
• They returned too late, Their attack failed
• The few surviving men, once reunited, went on to
  form the leadership of the revolting guerilla army

5
How Does It Look?

• Castros forces tormented Batista forces and
  loyalists in the mountain areas, but the cities
  remained under Batista control
• Castros forces sometimes lt200
• Batistas forces 10,000 40,000
• Result Castro still kicking tail

6
Cuban Army attacks Mountains

• Operation Verano
• Cuban Army finally moves on the offense
• This attack was almost successful. After several
  days, they had the rebels completely trapped.
• Castros request for Cease Fire was granted,
  and in this time the rebels managed to escape the
  trap
• another Batista failure

7
Rebels Response - Conclusion

• 1958 Castros forces responded to the Batista
  offensive move by moving into the cities to
  attack
• December 31, 1958 Santa Clara captured
• Batista worries and flees
• Castro negotiates with other cities and conquers
  them, too
• Castro places his president, Manuel Urrutia Lleo,
  into office

8
Short Term Effects of Cuban Revolution

• Batista soldiers, agents, and loyalists, or
  anyone suspected to be so, were immediately put
  on trial
• Castros way of preventing any counter attack
• . . . Sound familiar?
• ( the McCarthy hearings, Japanese Internment
  Camps, The Crucible)

9
Long Term Effects of Cuban Revolution

• Cubas current government under Castro is the
  most significant long term effect
• 1961 Cuba officially atheist
• 1965 Communist Party of Cuba, Castro as First
  Secretary
• Marxist and Stalinist principles

10
Haitian Revolution

• 1791 1804
• Also a civil war
• Only truly successful slave rebellion in history
• Created Haiti, which was the second independent
  nation in the Western Hemisphere
• First US!
• Haiti also was the first free, black republic in
  modern history
• African slaves were freed from French
  colonization and slavery
• Haiti French colony, Saint-Domingue

11
Causes of Haitian Revolution

• ½ of 1 Million Caribbean slaves were in
  Sant-Domingue
• Slavery conditions might actually have been worse
  than what we know of in the U.S.
• The population was declining rather than
  increasing
• 1751 1757 Francois Mackandal leads rebellion
  and focuses blacks energy
• 1758 government sets regulation based mainly on
  color and wealth 3 main groups
• White Colonists (blancs)
• Free Blacks (gens de couleur, affranchi)
• Black slaves
• 1758 Mackandal captured and burned at the stake

12
More Causes of Haitian Revolution

• The country became extremely divided on several
  levels
• Between North, South, and West
• Divided into sub-groups within their three
  classes
• Divided according to loyalty (to Spain, France,
  Britain, or independence)
• Divided over opinions through the French
  Revolution - 1789

13
Beginnings of Haitian Revolution

• Rich whites didnt like the French restriction
  and rules regarding their trade
• Slaves became wary of a white rebellion
• Worried their conditions would get worse once
  their owners werent even accountable to the
  French on how they treated the slaves
• Mulattoes Julien Raimond and Vincent Oge begin
  fighting for civil equality for free blacks
• 1780s 1790s

14
Beginnings cont.

• August 1791 slave uprising begins, led by Jean
  Francois
• Most successful black commander Toussaint
  LOuverture
• LOuverture fought for the French against the
  Spanish, but after they won and the time came to
  give over his united people, he didnt want to.
  He ended up declaring himself governor, but he
  was eventually tricked by Napolean Bonaparte, and
  Saint-Domingue was returned to the French

15
Haitian Revolution

• When it became evident that the French intended
  on re-establishing slavery, which had been
  abolished during Toussaints reign, more
  rebellions arose
• Rochambeau fought for Saint-Domingue
• The French eventually grew tired and seemed to
  just lose interest in expansion in the Western
  Hemisphere
• Lost Battle of Vertieres in 1803
• Rebels won Haitian Revolution
• The same year France sold Louisiana to the Untied
  States

16
Effects

• Short Term
• Haiti was forced to pay all of the French
  slaveholders
• Also forced to pay France for 100 years
• Long Term
• Probably because of these payments, Haiti is now
  the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere
• Fun Connection
• Black slaves spoke Kreyol in Saint-Domingue
• Many freed slaves settled in New Orleans (Creole)

17
Similarities

• In both Revolutions, the rebels won
• Castros forces, Rebelling Slaves and Colored
  People

18
Differences

• The Haitian Revolution was encouraged and fought
  by a large group of people wanting social,
  political, emotional, and physical freedom
• The Cuban Revolution was fought by a few, select
  group of people, and was for political reasons
• Purely from a democracy standpoint, the Haitian
  Revolution seems much more honorable, and brings
  the world much closer to justice, in contrast to
  the Cuban Revolution, which brought on Cubas
  current situation