The Guerrilla Legacy of the Cuban Revolution

The Guerrilla Legacy of the Cuban Revolution PDF Author: Anna Clayfield
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 1683401085
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Get Book

Book Description
In this extensively researched book, Anna Clayfield challenges contemporary Western views on the militarization of Cuba. She argues that, while the pervasiveness of armed forces in revolutionary Cuba is hard to refute, it is the guerrilla legacy, ethos, and image—“guerrillerismo”—that has helped the Cuban revolutionary project survive. The veneration of the guerrilla fighter has been crucial to the political culture’s underdog mentality. Analyzing official discourse, including newspapers, history textbooks, army training manuals, the writings of Che Guevara, and the speeches of Fidel Castro, Clayfield examines how the Cuban government has promoted guerrilla motifs. After 1959, the revolutionary leadership relied on this discourse to shape a new political culture. During the implementation of Soviet-style management in the late 1960s and 1970s, Cuba underwent profound structural changes, but the beliefs and values that underpinned the Revolution—and that were linked to the guerrilla ethos—were still upheld. Clayfield traces the shifting ideologies that circulated in Cuba during the 1980s to show how this rhetorical strategy helped prevent the proliferation of a siege mentality. The guerrilla code became a recourse Cuban leadership used to steel the population through the 1990s Special Period following the collapse of the Soviet Union. And while the outside world perceived the changes that took place during Raúl Castro’s tenure to be signs the Revolution’s socialist model was fading, Clayfield proves guerrillerismo remained an important anchor for the new regime. By weaving the guerrilla ethos into the fabric of Cuban identity, the government has garnered legitimacy for the political authority of former guerrilleros, even decades after the end of armed conflicts. The Guerrilla Legacy of the Cuban Revolution chronicles how guerrilla rhetoric has allowed the Revolution to adapt and transform over time while appearing to remain true to its founding principles. It also raises the question of just how long this discourse can sustain the Revolution when its leaders are no longer veterans of the sierra, those guerrillas who participated in the armed struggle that brought them to power so many years ago.

The Guerrilla Legacy of the Cuban Revolution

The Guerrilla Legacy of the Cuban Revolution PDF Author: Anna Clayfield
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 1683401085
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Get Book

Book Description
In this extensively researched book, Anna Clayfield challenges contemporary Western views on the militarization of Cuba. She argues that, while the pervasiveness of armed forces in revolutionary Cuba is hard to refute, it is the guerrilla legacy, ethos, and image—“guerrillerismo”—that has helped the Cuban revolutionary project survive. The veneration of the guerrilla fighter has been crucial to the political culture’s underdog mentality. Analyzing official discourse, including newspapers, history textbooks, army training manuals, the writings of Che Guevara, and the speeches of Fidel Castro, Clayfield examines how the Cuban government has promoted guerrilla motifs. After 1959, the revolutionary leadership relied on this discourse to shape a new political culture. During the implementation of Soviet-style management in the late 1960s and 1970s, Cuba underwent profound structural changes, but the beliefs and values that underpinned the Revolution—and that were linked to the guerrilla ethos—were still upheld. Clayfield traces the shifting ideologies that circulated in Cuba during the 1980s to show how this rhetorical strategy helped prevent the proliferation of a siege mentality. The guerrilla code became a recourse Cuban leadership used to steel the population through the 1990s Special Period following the collapse of the Soviet Union. And while the outside world perceived the changes that took place during Raúl Castro’s tenure to be signs the Revolution’s socialist model was fading, Clayfield proves guerrillerismo remained an important anchor for the new regime. By weaving the guerrilla ethos into the fabric of Cuban identity, the government has garnered legitimacy for the political authority of former guerrilleros, even decades after the end of armed conflicts. The Guerrilla Legacy of the Cuban Revolution chronicles how guerrilla rhetoric has allowed the Revolution to adapt and transform over time while appearing to remain true to its founding principles. It also raises the question of just how long this discourse can sustain the Revolution when its leaders are no longer veterans of the sierra, those guerrillas who participated in the armed struggle that brought them to power so many years ago.

Inside the Cuban Revolution

Inside the Cuban Revolution PDF Author: Julia Sweig
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674044193
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 287

Get Book

Book Description
Sweig shatters the mythology surrounding the Cuban Revolution in a compelling revisionist history that reconsiders the revolutionary roles of Castro and Guevara and restores to a central position the leadership of the Llano. Granted unprecedented access to the classified records of Castro's 26th of July Movement's underground operatives--the only scholar inside or outside of Cuba allowed access to the complete collection in the Cuban Council of State's Office of Historic Affairs--she details the debates between Castro's mountain-based guerrilla movement and the urban revolutionaries in Havana, Santiago, and other cities.

Cuba and Revolutionary Latin America

Cuba and Revolutionary Latin America PDF Author: Dirk Kruijt
Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.
ISBN: 1783608056
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book

Book Description
The Cuban revolution served as a rallying cry to people across Latin America and the Caribbean. The revolutionary regime has provided vital support to the rest of the region, offering everything from medical and development assistance to training and advice on guerrilla warfare. Cuba and Revolutionary Latin America is the first oral history of Cuba’s liberation struggle. Drawing on a vast array of original testimonies, Dirk Kruijt looks at the role of both veterans and the post-Revolution fidelista generation in shaping Cuba and the Americas. Featuring the testimonies of over sixty Cuban officials and former combatants, Cuba and Revolutionary Latin America offers unique insight into a nation which, in spite of its small size and notional pariah status, remains one of the most influential countries in the Americas.

Guerrillas in Power

Guerrillas in Power PDF Author: K. S. Karol
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 644

Get Book

Book Description


Celia Sánchez Manduley

Celia Sánchez Manduley PDF Author: Tiffany A. Sippial
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 1469654083
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 287

Get Book

Book Description
Celia Sanchez Manduley (1920–1980) is famous for her role in the Cuban revolution. Clad in her military fatigues, this "first female guerrilla of the Sierra Maestra" is seen in many photographs alongside Fidel Castro. Sanchez joined the movement in her early thirties, initially as an arms runner and later as a combatant. She was one of Castro's closest confidants, perhaps lover, and went on to serve as a high-ranking government official and international ambassador. Since her death, Sanchez has been revered as a national icon, cultivated and guarded by the Cuban government. With almost unprecedented access to Sanchez's papers, including a personal diary, and firsthand interviews with family members, Tiffany A. Sippial presents the first critical study of a notoriously private and self-abnegating woman who yet exists as an enduring symbol of revolutionary ideals. Sippial reveals the scope and depth of Sanchez's power and influence within the Cuban revolution, as well as her struggles with violence, her political development, and the sacrifices required by her status as a leader and "New Woman." Using the tools of feminist biography, cultural history, and the politics of memory, Sippial reveals how Sanchez strategically crafted her own legacy within a history still dominated by bearded men in fatigues.

Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War, 1956-58

Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War, 1956-58 PDF Author: Che Guevara
Publisher: Pathfinder Press (NY)
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 538

Get Book

Book Description
A first hand account of the military campaigns and political events that culminated in the January 1959 popular insurrection that overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship in Cuba. With clarity and humor, Guevara describes his own political education. He explains how the struggle transformed the men and women of the Rebel Army and July 26 Movement led by Fidel Castro. And how these combatants forged a political leadership capable of guiding millions of workers and peasants to open the socialist revolution in the Americas. Guevara's Episodes appears here complete for the first time in English.

Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War

Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War PDF Author: Che Guevara
Publisher: Ocean Press
ISBN: 1920888330
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 370

Get Book

Book Description
Guevara's classic account of the 1956-58 guerilla movement against the Batista dictatorship in Cuba, authorised by the Guevara estate and with corrections by Che himself. Includes, among lively daily history of the war itself, feature chapters on Che's first meeting with Fidel in Mexico; the mythical moment when a young Ernesto had to choose between a knapsack of medicine and another of ammunition; and the heartrending story of the murdered puppy.

Guerrilla Warfare

Guerrilla Warfare PDF Author: Ernesto Che Guevara
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 125

Get Book

Book Description
Guerrilla Warfare is an epoch-making book by Che Guevara aimed to inspire thousands of guerrilla fighters in various countries worldwide. Guevara believed that in the world of totalitarian regimes, where political opposition and legal civil struggle are impossible to conduct, guerilla warfare is the best method to resist the government. Yet, commonly guerilla movements lack organization, clear political vision, motivation, and supply. This book was aimed to help guerilla leaders solve these issues and strengthen the opposition with strong motivation and strict organization. Content: Part I: General Principles of Guerrilla Warfare Essence of Guerrilla Warfare Guerrilla Strategy Guerrilla Tactics Warfare on Favorable Ground Warfare on Unfavorable Ground Suburban Warfare Part II: the Guerrilla Band The Guerrilla Fighter: Social Reformer The Guerrilla Fighter as Combatant Organization of a Guerrilla Band The Combat Beginning, Development, and End of a Guerrilla War Part III: Organization of the Guerrilla Front Supply Civil Organization The Role of the Woman Medical Problems Sabotage War Industry Propaganda Intelligence Training and Indoctrination The Organizational Structure of the Army of a Revolutionary Movement Organization in Secret of the First Guerrilla Band Defense of Power That Has Been Won

One Day in December

One Day in December PDF Author: Nancy Stout
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 1583673180
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 473

Get Book

Book Description
Celia Sánchez is the missing actor of the Cuban Revolution. Although not as well known in the English-speaking world as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Sánchez played a pivotal role in launching the revolution and administering the revolutionary state. She joined the clandestine 26th of July Movement and went on to choose the landing site of the Granma and fight with the rebels in the Sierra Maestra. She collected the documents that would form the official archives of the revolution, and, after its victory, launched numerous projects that enriched the lives of many Cubans, from parks to literacy programs to helping develop the Cohiba cigar brand. All the while, she maintained a close relationship with Fidel Castro that lasted until her death in 1980. The product of ten years of original research, this biography draws on interviews with Sánchez’s friends, family, and comrades in the rebel army, along with countless letters and documents. Biographer Nancy Stout was initially barred from the official archives, but, in a remarkable twist, was granted access by Fidel Castro himself, impressed as he was with Stout’s project and aware that Sánchez deserved a worthy biography. This is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman who exemplified the very best values of the Cuban Revolution: selfless dedication to the people, courage in the face of grave danger, and the desire to transform society.

Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War

Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War PDF Author: Ernesto Che Guevara
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
ISBN: 1644211076
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
Che Guevara's definitive account of the Cuban revolutionary war, in an updated edition with a new foreword and photos. There is no better account of the Cuban revolutionary war than this little book by guerilla leader Che Guevara. Assembled from his campaign diary, first published in 1963, later corrected and edited by Che, and published here finally in an authoritative edition that includes not only his corrections, but also a number of short essays and articles published just after the revolution's triumph. As always, Che's writing is intimate, searching, and self-critical. Having initially joined the Cuban expedition as troop doctor, Che describes his dilemma in having to choose between a backpack of medicines and a box of ammunition (he chose the box of ammunition). In another justly famous chapter of the book, "The Murdered Puppy," Che describes how he had to give the order to have a dog killed. Throughout this book, the sweep of history and matters of life and death are rendered in small and intimate ways.