History UsefulNotes / FulgencioBatista

However, he eventually managed to get a job as a railroad brakeman which enabled him to attend night classes at a Quaker-run school. He joined the Cuban Army as a stenographer. While overseeing military trials for opponents of Cuban dictator Gerardo Machado, he fell into contact with the revolutionary prisoners and was radicalized. In 1933, he launched the Sergeants' Revolt, overthrowing Machado's corrupt government, appointed himself Chief of Staff, and installed a series of puppet presidents until he himself was elected in 1940. During his term as both kingmaker and elected President, he was very popular and progressive, pursuing left-wing policies and carrying out radical reforms, to the point that even the Cuban communists supported him - and in turn, they were under his control. Ultimately, he achieved all his goals and finished his term successfully. Despite this, however, he was unable to secure a re-election, and rumors abounded of him hiring thugs to intimidate dissenting journalists with castor oil, as well as consulting the US ambassador for his agreement on all government policy. He also turned away Jewish refugees from Germany, after demanding each passenger pay an exorbitant sum to stay in Cuba - and the ship was forced to return to Germany.

All those opposed to Batista's regime were brutally tortured and killed by the police, army and Rural Guard to the point where death became a common sight in Cuba, leading to many Cubans fleeing into exile in the US. Batista even had a murderous SecretPolice of his own, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_for_the_Repression_of_Communist_Activities Bureau for the Repression of Communist Activities]] or BRAC. As the Cuban Revolution got underway and more and more Cubans rallied under the nationalist banner of UsefulNotes/FidelCastro, the persecution intensified - even teenagers were tortured and killed by the police. Such was the hatred towards Batista that middle-class Cubans and Cuban exiles would rally behind Castro and openly support his revolution, something that the exile community prefers not to discuss today. By 1958, Batista faced an arms embargo from the US, a disastrous all-out offensive that only strengthened the revolutionaries, and even Havana in revolt. On New Year's Eve, 1959, he fled Cuba into exile, never to return.

After doing everything in his power to handicap his successor administration with what time he had left in office, he left Cuba to live in the US for 8 years. In 1952 he returned to Cuba to run for Cuban president again, but wound up running in dead last behind 2 other candidates. With defeat all but guaranteed, Batista, with military backing, [[TheCoup overthrew the government]] and installed himself as its despotic President. During his dictatorship, in stark contrast to his 1940 presidency, he favored the elite instead of the people of Cuba that he had once supported. As a result, Havana [[ViceCity became a playground for the Mafia and American tourists]], essentially becoming the {{UsefulNotes/Las Vegas}} of the Caribbean, [[BananaRepublic and the rest of the island became a playground for Corporate America]]. Corruption was rampant and the needs of actual Cubans were generally ignored. 2 out of every 3 Cubans living in the countryside had no access to basic household features such as running water, electricity, or even basic tiled floors. Batista's own reforms had failed within a decade, and he had no problem with the new state of affairs as long as he held power.

However, he eventually managed to get a job as a railroad brakeman which enabled him to attend night classes at a Quaker-run school. He joined the Cuban Army as a stenographer. While overseeing military trials for opponents of Cuban dictator Gerardo Machado, he fell into contact with the revolutionary prisoners and was radicalized. In 1933, he launched the Sergeants' Revolt, overthrowing Machado's corrupt government, appointed himself Chief of Staff, and installed a series of puppet presidents until he himself was elected in 1940. During his term as both kingmaker and elected President, he was very popular and progressive, pursuing left-wing policies and carrying out radical reforms, to the point that even the Cuban Communist Party supported him - and in turn, they were under his control. Ultimately, he achieved all his goals and finished his term successfully. Despite this, however, he was unable to secure a re-election, and rumors abounded of him hiring thugs to intimidate dissenting journalists with castor oil, as well as consulting the US ambassador for his agreement on all government policy. He also turned away Jewish refugees from Germany, after demanding each passenger pay an exorbitant sum to stay in Cuba.

After doing everything in his power to handicap his successor administration with what time he had left in office, he left Cuba to live in the US for 8 years. In 1952 he returned to Cuba to run for Cuban president again, but wound up running in dead last behind 2 other candidates. With defeat all but guaranteed, Batista, with military backing, [[TheCoup overthrew the government]] and installed himself as its despotic President. During his dictatorship, in stark contrast to his 1940 presidency, he favored the elite instead of the people of Cuba that he had once supported. As a result, Havana [[ViceCity became a playground for the Mafia and American tourists]], essentially becoming the {{UsefulNotes/Las Vegas}} of the Caribbean, [[BananaRepublic and the rest of the island became a playground for American businesses]]. Corruption was rampant and the needs of actual Cubans were generally ignored. 2 out of every 3 Cubans living in the countryside had no access to basic household features such as running water, electricity, or even basic tiled floors. Batista's own reforms had failed within a decade, and he had no problem with the new state of affairs as long as he held power.

All those opposed to Batista's regime were brutally tortured and killed by the police, army and Rural Guard to the point where death became a common sight in Cuba, leading to many Cubans fleeing into exile in the US. Batista even had a murderous SecretPolice of his own, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_for_the_Repression_of_Communist_Activities Bureau for the Repression of Communist Activities]] or BRAC. As the Cuban Revolution got underway and more and more Cubans rallied under the nationalist banner of UsefulNotes/FidelCastro, the persecution intensified - even teenagers were tortured and killed by the police.

However, within Havana and the few other major cities, life was about as good as it was possible to get in Latin America, due to a long trend of economic development and Batista's own progressive reforms that he now shunned. Even in 1959, Cuba was a wealthy country by world standards. It ranked 5th in the hemisphere in per capita income, 3rd in life expectancy, 2nd in per capita ownership of automobiles, telephones, and television sets. Cuba's literacy rate, 76%, was the 3rd highest in Latin America. Cuba also ranked 11th in the world in the number of doctors per capita. Cuba's income distribution also compared favorably with that of other Latin American societies.

However, he eventually managed to get a job as a railroad brakeman which enabled him to attend night classes at a Quaker-run school. He joined the Cuban Army as a stenographer. While overseeing military trials for opponents of Cuban dictator Gerardo Machado, he fell into contact with the revolutionary prisoners and was radicalized. In 1933, he launched the Sergeants' Revolt, overthrowing Machado's corrupt government, appointed himself Chief of Staff, and installed a series of puppet presidents until he himself was elected in 1940. During his term as both kingmaker and elected President, he was very popular and progressive, pursuing left-wing policies and carrying out radical reforms, to the point that even the Cuban Communist Party supported him - and in turn, they were under his control. Ultimately, he achieved all his goals and finished his term successfully. Despite this, however, he was unable to secure a re-election, and rumors abounded of him hiring thugs to intimidate dissenting journalists with castor oil, as well as consulting the US ambassador for his agreement on all government policy.

However, he eventually managed to get a job as a railroad brakeman which enabled him to attend night classes at a Quaker-run school. He joined the Cuban army, and in 1933 he was a participant in the Sergeants' Revolt, overthrowing Gerardo Machedo's corrupt government and installing a series of puppet presidents until he himself was elected in 1940. During his term as both kingmaker and elected President, he was very popular and progressive, pursuing left-wing policies and carrying out radical reforms, to the point that even the Cuban Communist Party supported him - and in turn, they were under his control. Despite this, however, he was unable to secure a re-election, and rumors abounded of him hiring thugs to intimidate dissenting journalists with castor oil, as well as consulting the US ambassador for his agreement on all government policy.

However, he eventually managed to get a job as a railroad brakeman which enabled him to attend night classes at a Quaker-run school. He joined the Cuban army, and in 1933 he was a participant in the Sergeants' Revolt, overthrowing Gerardo Machedo's corrupt government and installing a series of puppet presidents until he himself was elected in 1940. During his term as both kingmaker and elected President, he was very popular and progressive, pursuing left-wing policies and carrying out radical reforms, to the point that even the Cuban Communist Party supported him. Despite this, however, he was unable to secure a re-election, and rumors abounded of him hiring thugs to intimidate dissenting journalists with castor oil.

After doing everything in his power to handicap his successor administration with what time he had left in office, he left Cuba to live in the US for 8 years. In 1952 he returned to Cuba to run for Cuban president again, but wound up running in dead last behind 2 other candidates. With defeat all but guaranteed, Batista, with military backing, [[TheCoup overthrew the government]] and installed himself as its despotic President. During his dictatorship, in stark contrast to his 1940 presidency, he favored the elite instead of the people of Cuba that he had once supported. As a result, Havana [[ViceCity became a playground for the Mafia and American tourists]], essentially becoming the {{UsefulNotes/Las Vegas}} of the Caribbean, [[BananaRepublic and the rest of the island became a playground for American businesses]]. Corruption was rampant and the needs of actual Cubans were generally ignored. 2 out of every 3 Cubans living in the countryside had no access to basic household features such as running water, electricity, or even basic tiled floors.