Research Hypothesis
To a small extent. He, in fact, didn’t benefit the people of Cuba at all. He restricted them and controlled every aspect of Cuban life.
Initial Literature Review
Context
My question is to establish to what extent, if so, Castro’s benefited the people of Cuba socially.
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Sections which will be explored in this Mini literature review are:
- To discover the economic and social state of Cuba before, during, and after Castro’s rule, beginning in 1959.
- To understand the in-depth methods of his political and social rule.
- To determine whether or not his dictatorship was of social benefit to the people of Cuba and why it either was or was not.
The general belief, and what many sources state, is that Castro’s dictatorship was of no benefit to his people. News24 states that in a communist state no one is free except the ruling cabal and that people do not have freedom of speech, if the speak against the regime they are tortured and jailed.
I have the same hypothesis. The Cubans were kept poor in communism and Castro rich in power.
Source 1: Name of Source
Cuban RevolutionEncyclopedia Britannica. (2019). Cuban Revolution | Summary, Facts, Causes, & Effects. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-Revolution [Accessed 26 Jan. 2019].
Summary
Before Fidel Castro came into power another government, Fulgencio Batista was in power but was overthrown on 1 January 1959, and Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader, went on to rule Cuba from 1959 to 2008. As a result of the Spanish-American war, control of Cuba was passed from Spain to the United States. It was governed by the U.S military administration for a while and much more was done for public works, sanitation, and education. When Castro landed in Cuba in 1958 it was in a state of virtual civil war. The revolution continued into 1959 and began to disrupt the Cuban economy. Batista set a date, 3 November, for an election for a new president but Castro wasn’t included, causing further unrest. Barista launched a major military effort against Castro’s forces. Open corruption and oppression under Batista's rule led to his ousting in January 1959 by the 26th of July Movement. Cuba then established communist rule under the leadership of Fidel Castro as prime minister. He remains prime minister from 1959 to 1976 and then rules as president from 1976 to 2008.
Value
This source is useful in looking at the state of Cuba before Castro’s rule and who ruled before him. It also uncovers information about Castro’s multiple attempts to overthrow the Batista government.
Reliability
This source is reliable. It was written by the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica on the Cuban revolution.
Validity
Yes, the findings are valid in answering one of the aims of this research question, to discover the economic and social state of Cuba before Castro’s rule, beginning in 1959.
Limitations
Bias is not a limitation in this source as it is objective, only states facts and no clear side is chosen throughout the source. Although this may be a limitation in itself as both sides aren’t shown but rather a series of facts is presented. This could limit one’s understanding of the reasoning behind the Barista as well as Castro’s actions.
Relevance to the topic
This source links to and explains the aim to discover the social state of Cuba before Castro’s rule and therefore contributes to discovering whether or not his rule benefited the people of Cuba. It does this by explaining how Cuba was ruled and who it was ruled by before 1959. It also states how Fidel Castro starts a revolution to overthrow the government and gain power.
Source 2: Name of Source
What steps did Castro take to ensure he remain in power? Markedbyteachers.com. (2019). What steps did Castro take to ensure he remain in power? - GCSE History - Marked by Teachers.com. [online] Available at: http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/what-steps-did-castro-take-to-ensure-he-remain-in-power.html#relevantwidget [Accessed 27 Jan. 2019].
Summary
One of Fidel Castro’s methods of ruling was to eliminate all enemies and rivals. He lined up the Barista were rounded up with for instance speculators and corrupt officials. Some of his people were given positions in the Army and Castro created a secret police force. These actions might have prevented future organized rising against him giving benefits to or intimidate those who might have joined it and the eliminating of those who had organized it.
Another method which Castro used to stay in power was to control the media through various types of censorship and through intimidation, psychological control, and informers. Castro also early removed civil liberties,as the freedoms of debate and expression. Both inside and outside of Cuba little was known of the executions and other violence shown towards opposition. This lack of information may also ensure he remains in power. No one was aware of how strong or weak the state really was and an attack from opposition could be risky.
Value
This source is valuable as it explains how Castro controlled Cuban life as well as how he maintained power.
Reliability
This source is reliable as it is written by GCSE, a website which writes on topics included in the school curriculum. It helps students with coursework and essays in various different subjects.
Validity
Yes, the source is valid. It contributes toward answering one of the aims of the question, understanding the in-depth methods of his social and political rule.
Limitations
This source is bias toward the Cuban people and gives an explanation of how they were brainwashed in order for Castro to remain in power.
Relevance to the topic
This source clearly explains two methods which Castro used to rule the people and maintain power. Here we see that he used ridding of opponents as well as censorship of the media, thus showing how he was forced to silence all opposition to maintain his position in power. This links to and explains whether Castro socially benefit the people of Cuba and why he did or didn’t.
Source 3: Name of Source
No, Fidel Castro did not deliver a better Cuba: The Globe and Mail. (2019). No, Fidel Castro did not deliver a better Cuba. [online] Available at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/no-fidel-castro-did-not-deliver-a-better-cuba/article33071380/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2019].
Summary
Before Castro came to power in 1959, Cubans suffered from a corrupt dictator and the U.S. mafia was involved in the island's casinos. However, Cuba was not an economic straggler and it already 'topped the charts on multiple social indicators.
Post-1959 after a revolution where Fidel Castro promised prosperity, democracy, and the restoration of Cuba's 1940 constitution yet Cuba is now poor. In 2008, when. Castro officially handed over power to his brother, Raul Castro, Cuba's per-person GDP was just $3,764. Thus, on that measurement, Cuba was in the bottom third of all Latin American countries.
Before Fidel Castro's repressive revolution and state came along, Cubans were already educated, showed decent health-care outcomes, and were entrepreneurial.
What of Cuba's future? Much will depend on when Raul Castro and the rest of the creaking, communist regime finally totter over, and if a more open economy, society, and government arises.
Value
This source is valuable in showing a brief comparison between 1959 Cuba and 2008 Cuba.
Reliability
It is reliable. It is recent and was updated on 10 April 2017. It is from the Globe and Mail which is a Canadian newspaper publishing reliable facts and objective information.
Validity
It is valid in showing that Castro didn’t benefit the economic state of Cuba nor the people of Cuba.
Limitations
The source is objective, was updated recently, and was published by the Globe and Mail newspaper. Although a limitation could be that it is a Canadian newspaper and could be biased towards one side.
Relevance to the topic
It is relevant as it assists in answering one of the aims of this research question, to determine whether or not Castro’s dictatorship was of social benefit to the people of Cuba and why it either was or wasn’t. This source shows that it wasn’t and how Cuba’s economic state was in fact worsened.
Source 4: Name of Source
Busting the myth that Fidel Castro was good for Cuba(News24 article)
Summary
Castro died being one of the richest men in the world with his own bank, yachts, and his very own island. Castro lived like a king and si did his family. Cubans earn a salary of $20 a month and cannot afford to buy food, when it’s available, to feed their families.
Cubans are not free, nobody is free but the ruling cabal! They do not have freedom of speech, if they speak against the regime they are tortured, jailed, and murdered. Cuba is a totalitarian country and everything related to Castro’s family is “state secret”.
In Cuba, as in all communist countries, the state is only the employer. Foreign countries that operate in Cuba have to do it under the Castro regime and cannot hire their own workers. The communist party is the one who determines who is authorized to work and what salary is to be paid.
Sadly the only way for the masses in South Africa to see communism for what it is is to go through it themselves.
Value
This source is valuable in explaining how communist countries operate and why in communist countries, especially Cuba, it is difficult to live well or to maintain a high standard of living. It also shows the difficulties of Cuban life.
Reliability
It is reliable as it is from News24 and was uploaded in 2016, which is quite recent.
Validity
It is valid in explaining and contributing to my main question of whether Castro benefits the people of Cuba or not.
Limitations
A definite limitation of this source is bias towards the Cuban people and Cuban life.
Relevance to the topic
The source explains how Cuban life is an unhappy, controlled, and poor one. This leads to the conclusion that Castro’s dictatorship didn’t benefit the people of Cuba.
Conclusion
This literature review explored the economic and social state of Cuba before 1959, when Castro came into power, as well as how he came into power. It also explored a few of the methods he used to rule and how these methods were contained no benefits for the people of Cuba. Fidel Castro controlled every aspect of Cuban life, all opposition was silenced and the poor became poorer and the rich became richer.
Reference List
Cuban Revolution
- Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019). Cuban Revolution | Summary, Facts, Causes, & Effects. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-Revolution [Accessed 26 Jan. 2019].
- Markedbyteachers.com. (2019). What steps did Castro take to ensure he remain in power? - GCSE History - Marked by Teachers.com. [online] Available at: http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/what-steps-did-castro-take-to-ensure-he-remain-in-power.html#relevantwidget [Accessed 27 Jan. 2019].
- The Globe and Mail. (2019). No, Fidel Castro did not deliver a better Cuba. [online] Available at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/no-fidel-castro-did-not-deliver-a-better-cuba/article33071380/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2019].
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