Fidel Castro (1926-2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who led the Cuban Revolution that overthrew President Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and subsequently governed Cuba, first as prime minister and later as president, until 2008. He established a one-party communist state, nationalizing major industries and aligning Cuba closely with the Soviet Union, a relationship that brought the world close to nuclear war during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. His government survived a US-backed invasion attempt at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 and decades of subsequent US economic embargo, while also drawing sustained criticism for suppressing political dissent and jailing opponents. He remained a dominant, polarizing figure in Cuban and world politics for nearly half a century before formally transferring power to his brother Raul Castro in 2008.
Facts
RoleCuban communist revolutionary and politician; leader of Cuba 1959-2011, serving as prime minister (1959-1976), president (1976-2008) and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (1965-2011) 1 Role
Role (category) Fidel Castro
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FAQs
What happened after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion according to the Office of the Historian?
The Office of the Historian says the failed invasion strengthened Castro's administration, which then proclaimed its intention to adopt socialism and pursue closer Soviet ties.
The US State Department's Office of the Historian states that the failed invasion strengthened the position of Castro's administration. It records that the force of exiled Cubans organized by the CIA landed at the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961 and was defeated within two days by Cuban armed forces under Castro's direct command. Afterward his administration openly proclaimed its intention to adopt socialism and pursue closer ties with the Soviet Union, and the United States turned to a further covert program, Operation Mongoose, which also failed to remove him from power.
Connections
In Era
Source Fidel Castro (Wikipedia)
Participant In
Source Wikipedia: Cuban Missile Crisis
Additional Source Wikipedia: Cuban RevolutionLead section (leadership)
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Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Wikidata: Fidel Castro
Sources
1. Fidel Castro (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead sentence, full given name
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
lead parenthetical, birth year
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
lead parenthetical, birth date
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
lead parenthetical, death year
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
lead parenthetical, death date
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
lead sentence, offices held
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011. He served as prime minister from 1959 to 1976, president from 1976 to 2008, and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1965 until 2011.
second paragraph, birthplace
Born in Birán, the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer, Castro adopted leftist and anti-imperialist ideas while studying law at the University of Havana.
Fidel Castro: Gender
He established a one-party communist state, nationalizing major industries and aligning Cuba closely with the Soviet Union, a relationship that brought the world close to nuclear war during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
In Era: The Contemporary Period, lead paragraph, lifespan
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 - 25 November 2016) was a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011.
View the Source Wikidata: Fidel Castro
Wikipedia: Cuban Revolution
WikipediaParticipant In: Cuban Revolution, Lead section (leadership)Quote, Participant In: Cuban Revolution, Lead section (leadership)
Following the attack's failure, Fidel Castro and his co-conspirators were arrested and formed the 26th of July Movement (M-26-7) in detention.
Wikipedia: Cuban Missile Crisis
WikipediaParticipant In: Cuban Missile Crisis, Infobox: commander1Quote, Participant In: Cuban Missile Crisis, Infobox: commander1
Nikita Khrushchev Anastas Mikoyan Rodion Malinovsky Matvei Zakharov Sergey Biryuzov Issa Pliyev Giorgi Abashvili Fidel Castro Raúl Castro Che Guevara
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