The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy

This timely and provocative study provides a reexamination of the Cuban revolution and places it firmly in a historical context. Beginning with the inauguration of the republic in 1902 and addressing Castro's triumphant entry into Santiago de Cuba in 1959, The Cuban Revolution highlights the factors that made Cuba susceptible to revolution, including its one-crop (sugar) economy and U.S. interference in Cuban affairs. While identifying radical nationalism--the defense of national sovereignty and social justice--as a legitimate factor behind the revolution, author Marifeli Pérez-Stable also provides insight into the problems facing Castro's Cuba. Arguing that the revolution actually ended in 1970, she blames its defeat on the regime's profitable yet doomed dependence on the Soviet Union. She further charges that Cuba's leaders failed to diversify the economy, to sustain development, or to create democratic institutions. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Latin American history and politics, The Cuban Revolution, Third Edition, offers students fresh insights into contemporary Cuba.

New to this Edition

* Revised coverage of radical nationalism that demonstrates how the actions of Cubans themselves-the elites, the popular sectors, and the middle classes-made the revolution possible
* A more central focus on the tensions between Fidel Castro's leadership, Cuban institutions, and economic policies
* New, largely unpublished research in Chapters 2 and 3
* A new concluding chapter, in which the author updates the transition from Fidel to Raúl Castro