Fidel Castro biography. Biography, life story of Fidel Castro

Last update material November 26, 2016

In Cuba, the leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, died at the age of 90.

Son of a planter and a cook

This man was destined to become a legend during his lifetime. His image seems to be known to everyone on the planet, including penguins in Antarctica and the inhabitants of the depths of the world's oceans. Some adore him with all their souls, others hate him to the point of unconsciousness, but even his enemies recognize his extraordinary personal courage and fantastic performance.

Fidel Alejandro Castro Rus born on August 13, 1926 in the village of Biran in eastern Cuba, in the family of a wealthy planter. However, only his father was rich, Angel Castro Argis, Spanish emigrant who managed to make his fortune in sugar cane. Fidel's mother Lina Rus Gonzalez, was a cook in a planter's house. The rich lord seduced the poor girl, but did not abandon her, but continued the relationship. In the end, Angel married his beloved - after she bore him five children.

Both Fidel's father and mother were illiterate and dreamed that their children would receive a good education. Already at school, Fidel surprised those around him with his desperate courage, leadership qualities and phenomenal memory.

Letter to President Roosevelt

He took his first step into the revolution at the age of 13, taking part in a workers' uprising on... his own father's plantation.

At the age of 14, Fidel entered into correspondence with strongmen of the world this, writing a message to the President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt. In the letter, he congratulated the president on his re-election to a second term and asked: “If it’s not difficult for you, please send me an American 10-dollar bill. I've never seen it, but I'd really like to have it. Your friend".

“I was very proud when I received a response from a member of the presidential administration. The message was even posted on the school bulletin board. Only there was no banknote in it,” the adult Castro recalled about this. Not everyone believed the story of the letter to Roosevelt until it was found in one of the American archives in 2004.

Then there were studies at the prestigious Bethlehem College and at the Faculty of Law of the University of Havana. In those years, Fidel read a lot, including the works of various political figures and revolutionaries, without giving preference to anyone.

Lawsuit against dictator

In 1950, LLB and Dr. civil law Fidel Castro entered into private legal practice in Havana. Interest in politics was expressed in joining the Party of the Cuban People, in which, however, Castro almost immediately began to be criticized for radicalism.

On March 11, 1952, a coup took place in Cuba, as a result of which came to power Fulgencio Batista. Coups in Cuba were not uncommon, but Castro’s young lawyer considered this unacceptable, and on March 24 he presented it to the Havana court for particularly important and urgent cases, accompanied by an evidence base lawsuit on criminal prosecution of Batista for violating constitutional norms and seizing power.

“Otherwise, how can this tribunal judge an ordinary citizen,” asked Castro, “who takes up arms against this illegal regime that came to power as a result of betrayal? It is absolutely clear that the conviction of such a citizen would be an absurdity, incompatible with the most elementary principles of justice.”

The lawsuit, of course, had no effect, but added to Fidel’s fame.

Fighters led by Fidel Castro storm the Moncada army barracks, where units of Batista's army (Fulgencio Batista y Saldivar) are stationed. City of Santiago de Cuba. 1953 Photo: RIA Novosti

Desperate

Realizing that it will not be possible to achieve victory over Batista in the courts, Castro gathers like-minded people for an armed uprising. The conspirators plan to seize the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba and the barracks in the city of Bayamo. There is no experience in military operations, but there is a frantic desire to defeat the dictatorship.

On July 26, 1953, 165 desperate men led by Fidel attacked the barracks, whose garrison numbered 400 soldiers and officers. The attempted uprising ended in failure. The surviving revolutionaries, including Fidel and his brother and like-minded Raul, were arrested.

During the trial, Fidel defended himself. His speech on the last day of the trial was his first public speaking, which was talked about not only in Cuba, but throughout the world.

“Sentence me! It does not matter! History will justify me!” - Fidel Castro ended his speech.

For the attempted coup, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but after 22 months he was released under an amnesty. The prison did not change him - the stubborn Castro managed to organize a protest behind bars on the day when Fulgencio Batista himself decided to visit the prison. For this, the enraged administration put Fidel alone in front of the prison morgue, deciding that only there the rebel would not be able to rouse anyone to revolt.

Fidel Castro testifies in the Vivac prison in Santiago de Cuba. 1953 Photo: RIA Novosti

"In 1956 we will either be free or victims"

After his release, he went to Mexico, where his comrades were already waiting for him. Fidel said it was necessary to prepare a new uprising.

An Argentine doctor was among those who joined Fidel in Mexico Ernesto Guevara, future Comandante Che.

And again, the plan for the uprising is based not on precise calculations, but on the enthusiasm of young revolutionaries, whose intentions are no secret to the authorities. What kind of secret is there if Castro wrote about his intentions in August 1956 to the Cuban magazine “Bohemia”, through which he addressed directly to Batista: “in 1956 we will either be free or victims. I solemnly confirm this statement, being in full consciousness and considering that there are 4 months and 6 days left until December 31st.”

On November 25, 1956, the revolutionaries set off for Cuba on the motor yacht Granma. It was not a ship of revolution, but a complete hell - the old vessel was overloaded and was about to sink, and the rebels showed signs of seasickness.

“The whole ship was living tragedy: men holding their stomachs with sadness on their faces; some simply plunged their faces into buckets, others sat motionless in strange positions in clothes covered with vomit,” as Che Guevara wrote about this voyage.

When landing in Cuba, government troops attacked the exhausted revolutionaries. Part of the detachment was destroyed, part was taken prisoner. Two small groups managed to escape, but a few days later they accidentally came across each other. They managed to escape to the mountains.

Leader of the Revolution

Batista happily rubbed his hands - the revolution had failed before it had even really begun. But the stubborn Castro, even with a small detachment, decided to attack police stations. And gradually ordinary Cubans, dissatisfied with the regime, began to join Fidel. When Castro's detachment grew to several hundred people, Batista gathered several thousand soldiers to put an end to the annoying rebel. However, some government forces fled, and some joined Fidel.

The forces of the rebels grew, and the forces of the authorities melted away. The small group grew to the size of the Rebel Army. And gradually it became clear that the revolution was winning.

And the question arose: what next? Castro himself said during battles with Batista’s troops: “I am not interested in power. After the victory, I will return to my village and practice law.” But the insightful Che Guevara already said then: “He possesses the qualities of a great leader, which, combined with his courage, with his energy and with his rare ability to recognize the will of the people again and again, raised him to the place of honor that he now occupies.” .

Reproduction of the drawing “Fidel Castro” by artist Viktor Ivanov. Photo: RIA Novosti

Washington's fatal mistake

Castro's radicalism frightened Cuban liberals. His desire to create a state in which best conditions for peasants and the urban poor, leads to him being called a “communist.”

But Fidel himself did not position himself that way. Unlike Comandante Che, a staunch communist, Castro stood at a crossroads at that time and was not averse to enlisting the support of the United States.

But the United States, which was accustomed to deciding the fate of the Cubans against their own will, considered the overthrow of Batista an unacceptable insolence that should have been punished.

Later, veterans of the American intelligence services and the State Department admitted that America missed the opportunity to come to an agreement with Castro, pulling him over to its side. And the frank desire to remove Fidel from power pushed him into the arms of the USSR.

Since the summer of 1959, the United States began preparing an operation to overthrow Fidel Castro. Everything was allowed - assassinations, terrorist attacks and, as an apotheosis, intervention.

Fidel swears allegiance to socialism

April 15 american planes with the insignia of the Cuban Air Force attacked Cuban airfields, which led to casualties. At the funeral, Castro said: “They cannot forgive us for the fact that we are under their noses, and that we carried out a socialist revolution under the nose of the United States!”

Fidel, calling his revolution “socialist,” made a choice from which there was no turning back.

On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 people from the so-called “2506 Brigade,” the backbone of which were Cuban emigrants, landed in the Bay of Pigs area. According to the CIA, this was how the overthrow of Castro should begin. But in the end it all ended in the complete defeat of the “2056 brigade” and the disgrace of the United States throughout the world.

After this, the idea of ​​getting rid of Castro became an obsession for the American authorities. Fearless Fidel accepted the challenge - he agreed to the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, which caused the famous "Cuban Crisis" of 1962.

Its end almost led to a break with the USSR - Khrushchev, when recalling the missiles, did not consider it necessary to consult with Fidel, which caused extreme irritation in the Cuban leader. The crack that appeared in the relationship was eliminated with great difficulty.

Prime Minister of the revolutionary government of Cuba Fidel Castro at one of the sites of the invasion of American troops in the Playa Giron area. 1961 Photo: RIA Novosti

"Olympic champion" in speeches and assassination attempts

Having failed to achieve military success, the United States besieged Cuba economic sanctions, believing that sooner or later the Castro regime will fall under their weight. At the same time, the special services were preparing assassination attempts against Fidel, of which there were 638 throughout his life.

“If the ability to survive assassination attempts was an Olympic discipline, I would have a gold medal in it,” Castro ironically remarked on this matter.

What Castro could not be denied was consistency. Having chosen socialism, he confidently led Cuba along this path, achieving success in some places, making mistakes in others, but always remaining true to his choice.

It seems that he could “ignite” any anti-communist with his fantastic speeches, which he could deliver for several hours, and in such a way that the audience listened to him all this time with bated breath. His longest speech at the UN lasted 4 hours and 29 minutes. At the Third Congress of the Cuban Communist Party in 1986, he spoke for 7 hours and 10 minutes.

The matter was not limited to speeches about the fight against imperialism - Fidel’s boys fought for the cause of socialism all over the world. It is no coincidence that in the 1984 American action film Red Dawn, the United States, together with Soviet troops It was the Cubans who occupied it.

Advertising in the name of the people

Castro was reproached that over the years he had turned from a fiery revolutionary into a dictator who did not spare anyone, including yesterday’s comrades. Critics, looking at the economic situation of Cuba in the 1990s, grinned: look what this Castro with his socialism brought to the “Island of Freedom”!

At the same time, we somehow forget the moment that American intelligence did not stop subversive operations against Cuba until beginning of the XXI century, and attempts on Castro himself were being prepared up to and including the period of President Clinton’s reign. It would be strange to expect Fidel to liberalize the regime under such conditions, especially since he had a vivid example before his eyes Soviet Union. As for the economic situation of the country, when assessing it we must remember the half-century American embargo, the damage from which was colossal.

When the Soviet Union fell in 1991, the West began to expect the collapse of Fidel's regime any day now. And really, what could Cuba hope for, having lost the help of the USSR and the Soviet bloc?

Castro relied only on himself. He introduced market elements in the economy, created favorable treatment for tourists, established informal contacts with Cuban emigrants, who became a source of investment in the island’s economy.

In 2000, Fidel came out to celebrate May Day wearing stylish sneakers, which stunned both Cubans and foreign journalists. Then it turned out that the sports shoe manufacturer paid for such advertising by supplying sneakers to Cuban children and athletes.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Nikita Khrushchev on the podium of the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin. Nearby are Kliment Voroshilov and Leonid Brezhnev. Moscow, 1963. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Special correspondent in case of death

Despite all the problems and shortcomings, Castro achieved what he dreamed of in his youth - Cubans received high-quality free education and high-quality free medical services.

In the 1990-2000s, Cuban doctors accepted for treatment children from Russia and other CIS countries who had suffered in various disasters and natural disasters. Cuba treated them for free - Fidel never forgot how Soviet specialists once helped his country.

He was buried an infinite number of times. When Castro's health really deteriorated in the early 2000s, some media outlets set up correspondent offices in Cuba to be the first to report on the death of the fiery revolutionary. Journalists sat in bars for months, sipping Hemingway's favorite cocktail, but nothing happened - Castro was still the most alive.

In 2006, the disease turned out to be so serious that Castro decided to resign as head of Cuba, handing it over to his brother Raul. Fidel underwent surgery, after which he did not appear in public for a long time. The media wrote that he was slowly fading away, or even had already died.

“Life without ideas is worth nothing”

But he pulled out again, demonstrating amazing love of life and willpower. He continued to write articles analyzing the current situation in world politics. Spiteful critics claimed that journalists were writing these articles for him, but Castro suddenly appeared in public again, communicated with people, and everyone understood that it was still the same, albeit older, Fidel.

In April 2014, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov, who met with Castro, said about him: “Physically, of course, he has weakened, but if you could see his eyes! The eyes are burning, the eyes are lighting up."

Physical immortality does not exist in the world; everyone passes away, even the greatest. The only difference is what a person leaves behind, was his life filled with meaning?

“Life without ideas is worth nothing. There is no greater happiness than to fight for them,” said Fidel Castro.

HAVANA, November 26. /Corr. TASS Igor Pokutniy/. The leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, died at the age of 91.

This was announced by the Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers, Raul Castro, on state television.

“I am here to inform our people, our friends in America and the world, that today, November 25, 2016, at 22:29 (06:29 Saturday Moscow time), the Commander-in-Chief passed away Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Ruz," he said. According to him, in accordance with the will of the deceased, "his remains will be cremated."

As Raul Castro noted, in the coming hours the funeral organization commission will present detailed information about how farewell events will be organized.

Biography

Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 in the village of Biran into the family of the owner of a large sugar plantation in the Cuban province of Oriente. In 1945 he entered the University of Havana. Received legal education. IN student years began political activity. In his political career Castro harshly criticized dictator Fulgencio Batista.

In 1953, he led the assault on the Moncada barracks, after which he was arrested and sentenced to a long prison sentence. prison term. At the final court hearing, he made a famous speech, which he ended with the words: “History will vindicate me!” In 1955 he was released under a general amnesty.

That same year he emigrated to Mexico, where he began preparing an uprising. He founded the July 26 Movement and began preparing to overthrow the Batista regime.

On November 25, 1956, Cuban revolutionaries under the leadership of Fidel Castro set off for Cuba on the motor yacht Granma. In December 1956, Fidel Castro, together with his brother Raul and Argentine doctor Ernesto Che Guevara, led a revolutionary movement on the island against Batista. After the victory of the revolution in January 1959, Fidel Castro became Prime Minister of Cuba.

In 1961, Fidel Castro became a laureate of the International Lenin Prize "For Strengthening Peace Among Nations." In 1963, Fidel Castro was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Among his numerous awards and honors are two Orders of Lenin (1972 and 1986), a medal " Golden Star" (1963) and the Order of the October Revolution (1976).

In 1965, after becoming the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Castro transformed Cuba into a one-party socialist republic. From 1976 to 2008, he served as Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of Cuba, as well as Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

On February 19, 2008, 5 days before the expiration of his term of office, Fidel Castro announced that he was refusing to join the new term as Chairman of the State Council and Commander-in-Chief. Since 24 February 2008, the National Assembly people's power Cuba elected Raul Castro as leader of the country.

On April 19, 2011, Fidel Castro officially resigned as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, whose powers were transferred to Raul Castro.

Biography and episodes of life Fidel Castro. When born and died Fidel Castro, memorable places and dates important events his life. Revolutionary quotes and politician,Photo and video.

Years of Fidel Castro's life:

born August 13, 1926, died November 25, 2016

Epitaph

“It seems to me that a person should not live after he begins to notice that the years are becoming stronger than him, and the flame bursting from the heart becomes trembling and weak.”
Fidel Castro

Biography

The charismatic Cuban leader Fidel Castro was one of the most famous revolutionaries in modern history. His constant cigars and beard, military caps and berets became in their own way a symbol of the Island of Freedom. And it’s not surprising: Castro was in power for almost half a century, and in the eyes of the whole world, the concepts of “Cuba” and “Fidel” became almost identical.

Meanwhile, the famous rebel did not come from the bottom. His father was a large Cuban landowner, and the young man received a good education, first at an elite college and then at the capital’s university. It was there that Fidel, imbued with leftist views, became interested in politics. The ardent disposition of the future leader greatly contributed to this: everyone who knew Castro throughout his life noted his ardor, courage and active character.

Castro had only graduated from university a couple of years ago when, as a result of a military coup, Fulgencio Batista, who had close ties to the United States, came to power in Cuba. Like many of his compatriots, the young Fidel was outraged by the victory of a regime he considered illegitimate. Together with like-minded people, he undertook unsuccessful attempt the seizure of the Moncada military barracks, which resulted in Castro's arrest and prison sentence.

The imprisonment did not cool Fidel: released early, he emigrated to Mexico, where he continued preparations for the overthrow of the Batista regime even more actively. Already on next year Castro and his associates returned to Cuba, which was the signal for the start of the guerrilla war. In less than three years, the actions of Fidel and his people were crowned with success: Batista fled, and Fidel Castro became the de facto new ruler of Cuba.

In a political sense, the figure of Castro was associated not only with the revolutionary movement, but also with the subsequent many years of confrontation with the United States. America could not possibly approve of the victorious socialist regime in a country located literally nearby. On the other hand, such a balance of power naturally led to a rapprochement between Cuba and the USSR: in the eyes of many ordinary Soviet people Fidel Castro was a hero.

Castro's reign in Cuba was one of the longest in the history of world states. Vigorous energy and love of life supported the spirit of the Cuban leader for many decades: Fidel Castro voluntarily abandoned the post of head of the country in favor of his younger brother Raul only at the age of 81. There were many rumors about the deterioration of his health in last years life, but they were most often refuted by Fidel himself or those who communicated with him.

Fidel Castro passed away at the age of 90 (the official cause of death was not disclosed). In connection with his death, nine days of national mourning were declared in Cuba.

Life line

August 13, 1926 Date of birth of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz.
1941 Admission to a Jesuit college.
1945 Graduating from college and entering the University of Havana.
1950 Obtaining a bachelor's and doctorate in civil law, starting legal practice.
1953 Participation in the unsuccessful assault on the Moncada barracks, as a result of which Fidel Castro was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
1955 Release under amnesty and emigration to Mexico, where Fidel Castro, together with his brother Raul and Ernesto Che Guevara, organized the revolutionary July 26 Movement.
1956 Return to Cuba to overthrow the regime of Fulgencio Batista. The beginning of guerrilla warfare and the formation of the Rebel Army under the command of Fidel Castro.
1959 Batista's overthrow. Fidel Castro becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Cuba.
1962“Cuban crisis”, worsening relations between Cuba and the United States.
1963 Fidel Castro receives the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and an honorary Doctor of Law from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.
1961-2011 Fidel Castro holds the post of first secretary of the Central Administration of the Communist Party of Cuba.
1976-2008 Fidel Castro holds the post of Chairman of the Council of State of Cuba.
2009 Fidel Castro receives the title of honorary doctor of the Russian Trade and Economic University.
November 25, 2016 Date of death of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz.
December 4, 2016 Funeral of Fidel Castro in Santiago de Cuba.

Memorable places

1. The village of Biran (Oriente province), where Fidel Castro was born.
2. University of Havana, where Fidel Castro studied at the Faculty of Law.
3. The former Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba (now a museum), in which the Castro brothers took part in the armed assault.
4. Former prison Presidio Modelo (now a museum), where Castro spent 22 months in prison.
5. New York, where at the meeting General Assembly UN in 1960, Fidel Castro gave a famous speech, the longest in the history of the organization (4.5 hours).
6. Murmansk, where Fidel Castro’s visit to the USSR began in 1963.

Episodes of life

Fidel Castro took a personal and active part in his planned armed operations. His comrades were forced to specifically ask him not to go on the attack himself and not to expose his life to excessive danger.

Initially, Castro did not express overtly socialist sentiments. Only a year and a half after the victory of the revolution, he officially declared its socialist character.

Fidel Castro's life was constantly in danger: the Cuban leader entered the Guinness Book of Records for the number of assassination attempts planned on him - more than 600.

Documentary film "638 ways to kill Castro"

Testaments

“What we did was to teach us that nothing is impossible. After all, what seemed impossible yesterday has become possible today. And therefore nothing will seem impossible to us tomorrow.”

“The reality of the world seems to have been designed to promote selfishness, individualism and the dehumanization of man.”

“The most advanced weapons that fill the arsenals of rich and prosperous nations can easily destroy the uneducated, the sick, the poor and the hungry. But it cannot eliminate ignorance, disease, poverty and hunger.”

“I have never seen any contradiction between the ideas by which I live and the ideas by which Jesus lived.”

“Feelings are more important than knowledge.”

Condolences

“The name of this outstanding statesman is rightfully considered a symbol of an entire era in modern world history.”
Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation

"Fidel Castro lived great life, full of events and challenges. He was not just a politician and leader. First of all, he was a bright person, a leader. Friendly and allied relations between our country and Cuba were built thanks to his personal participation.”
Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

“For our generation, Fidel is not just a foreign statesman. It seems that he was always with us - when we were children, when we went to school, when we studied at universities, got married, raised our children, worked. We took turns general secretaries and presidents, but Fidel remained.”
Vladimir Medinsky, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation

There are not many leaders in the world who have made such a striking impression as the leader of Liberty Island. Fidel Castro is a legendary personality who has a special charm and a lot of fans not only among ardent lovers of politics. The President of Cuba led this revolutionary country for quite a long period, amounting to half a century.

Biographical information

in 1926 in the provincial town of Biran. The family of the future ruler was not wealthy, but, on the contrary, was quite poor. Fidel's mother worked as a cook, and his father was a modest landowner. His parents had no education, so they were most eager to give their children what they themselves did not have.

Since childhood, Fidel had an excellent memory, thanks to which he became the best student in his school. In addition to this talent, Castro was distinguished by his determination and rebellious revolutionary character. As a teenager, he took an active part in uprisings involving workers on his father's plantations.

After graduating from school, in 1941, the future president of Cuba entered a prestigious college, and then the University of Havana. After completing his studies at the university, Fidel began his professional activities, providing free legal support to the people.

Political beliefs and early career

Thanks to his revolutionary spirit, the future president of Cuba begins his activities in the popular political party. The next step is trying to get into parliament, which was initially unsuccessful. But Fidel does not stand still and leads the movement of fighters against the dictatorial regime, which also becomes a failure; moreover, as a result of the failure, Castro ends up in prison for a fifteen-year sentence.

Thanks to a general amnesty, Fidel is released and leaves the country. Moving to Mexico promised the young revolutionary a new adventure, which was called the “26 July Movement.” Among its participants are many legendary personalities, namely his brother Raul Castro and Che Guevara.

Return to the historical homeland

Thanks to Fidel's return to Cuba and the capture of its capital, the dictator Batista's regime fell. The revolutionary himself became military commander-in-chief, then accepted the offer to become Cuban prime minister.

Over the twenty-year period of his activity at the head of state, the first president of Cuba did the impossible for the country, turning it into a prosperous state in which economic growth was visible to the naked eye.

Particular concern for the population was evident in the social sector. A striking example of the results of the activities were free medical care and increased educational levels. During this period, the President of Cuba established friendly relations with the powerful Soviet Union.

Ardent political activity

The deployment of Soviet missiles on the island in 1962 led to a deterioration in relations between Liberty Island and America. As a result, enmity with Western countries was caused, which entailed the transition of a huge number of his comrades to the side of America.

Nevertheless, the Cuban president continued to act in one direction. There were many attempts on his part to destroy world capitalism, which was unfriendly to the Cuban consciousness.

The growth of the economic level and its accompanying indicators stopped in the eighties, during the period when additional capital investments in the Cuban financial system by the Soviet Union stopped. This resulted in an economic crisis and a disappointing status for Cuba - the poorest country in the world.

2006 was a fatal year for Fidel Castro. Due to serious health problems, he was forced to hand over the reigns to his younger brother. In 2008, the President of Cuba became the official leader of Liberty Island.

Fame, health and assassination attempts

Being a popular and legendary person, ex-president Cuba interfered with the activities of many political figures. In order to achieve your goal, a large number of some of them resorted to conspiring with CIA agents on the issue of destroying Fidel. The number of attempts was about 600. Fortunately, they were all nipped in the bud, thanks to the skills of the special agents of this state. The murder attempts were the most incredible, ranging from assassination attempts during underwater hunting and ending with the impregnation of the cigars that the Comandante loved to smoke with a poisonous composition.

Since 2006, Fidel’s health has deteriorated significantly, and the question of leaving his leadership position has become an issue. Progressive Parkinson's disease played a cruel joke on the legendary Comandante in 1998, turning him into a paranoid and aggressive person. Moreover, the great Cuban leader long time suffered from rectal cancer and was operated on in 1989. From time to time, rumors about his death arise in the press, which Fidel periodically refutes with his appearance in society.

Personal life

Even small children know the name of the President of Cuba, but his personal life is classified as “Top Secret”. It is a well-known fact that he had three true love. These women bore him seven children, and only one son was born in a legal marriage.

The last wife who was for a long time right hand and assistant commandant, committed suicide in 1985.

The official heir of the great revolutionary is called Fidelito. He is Fidel's firstborn. His mother is the daughter of the famous ruler of Cuba, who was in power during the time of Batista.

Financial position

During his leadership of the country, Fidel earned a considerable fortune, which, according to official sources, amounted to $550 million in 2005, and a year later the figure doubled. Due to this factor, Castro was among the richest inhabitants of the planet.

His financial situation is evidenced not only by his bank account, but also by the presence in his arsenal of expensive yachts, mansions and a huge number of security guards.

Cuban Revolution
Chronology
Events
Attack on the Moncada barracks Speech “History Will Acquit Me” Disembarkation from the yacht "Granma" Operation Verano Battle of La Plata Battle of Las Mercedes Battle of Yaguajay Battle of Santa Clara
Various articles
Movement 26 July Radio Rebelde
People
Fulgencio Batista Fidel Castro- Che Guevara Raul Castro - Camilo Cienfuegos Frank Pais - Uber Matos Celia Sanchez - William Morgan Carlos Franchi - Vilma Espin Norberto Collado

Fidel Alejandro Castro Rus(Spanish) Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, genus. August 13; Biran, Oriente province, Cuba) - Cuban revolutionary, statesman, political and party leader, comandante, Chairman of the State Council of Cuba from 2008 to 2008. ().

Castro transferred his powers to his younger brother Raul Castro on July 31, 2006. On February 19, 2008, five days before the end of his term of office, he announced that he was not going to take up a new term either as Chairman of the State Council or as Commander-in-Chief. On February 24, 2008, the National Assembly elected Raul Castro as President of Cuba.

On March 21, 2011, Castro announced his intention to resign as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.

On April 19, 2011, at the closing of the VI Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, it became known that Fidel Castro left the post of First Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Raul Castro became the new First Secretary.

early years

Childhood

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926 in Cuba in the town of Biran (Oriente province) in the family of a native of the Spanish province of Galicia, Angel Castro. However exact date and even the month of Fidel Castro’s birth is unknown or hidden - according to other sources, he was born on April 13, 1926. There is also evidence that he was born in 1927. His father is Angel Castro Argis (1875-1956), an emigrant from Spain, a former poor farmer who became rich and became the owner of a large sugar plantation. Mother - Lina Rus Gonzalez (1903-1963), was a cook on her father's estate. She bore Angel Castro five children before he married her. Remembering his childhood, Fidel said this:

I was born into a landowner's family. What does it mean? My father was a Spanish peasant from a very poor family. He came to Cuba as a Spanish immigrant at the beginning of the century and began working in very difficult conditions. Being an enterprising man, he soon attracted attention and occupied certain leadership positions at construction sites that were carried out at the beginning of the century. He managed to accumulate some capital, which he invested in the purchase of land. In other words, how business man, he became successful and became a land owner... Such things were not so difficult in the early years of the republic. Then he rented additional land. And when I was born, I was really born into a family that could be called landowning. On the other hand, my mother was a simple, poor peasant woman. Therefore, in our family there was no what could be called oligarchic traditions. However, objectively speaking, our social position at that moment was such that we belonged to families with relatively high economic incomes. Our family was the owner of the lands and enjoyed all the advantages and, one might say, privileges inherent in landowners in our country.

Letter from 14-year-old Fidel Castro to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Although Castro's parents were illiterate, they tried to provide a good education for their children. At school, Fidel was one of the best students thanks to his truly phenomenal memory. At the same time, Fidel's revolutionary nature manifested itself. At the age of 13, he participated in a workers' revolt on his father's sugar plantation. Max Ladder, school friend Castro recalled: “ He had great courage. They said who would follow Fidel, die or win» .

Youth

In 1941, Fidel Castro entered the privileged Bethlehem College. His mentor was the Jesuit Father Lorento, who noted determination and vanity in the boy. In college, Fidel got into many fights and often carried a gun. I once bet with a friend that I would crash into a wall while riding a bicycle at full speed. And crashed. I had to stay in the hospital later, but Castro won the bet.

In 1945, Fidel brilliantly graduated from college and entered the University of Havana to study law. During his student years he lived modestly. His room at the boarding house was in chaos; the only thing that was in order were the books of the revolutionary José Martí on the shelves. In those years, Fidel Castro read a lot of Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, and General Primo de Rivera. He had no sympathy for communists, but once joked: “ Ready to become a communist immediately if they make me Stalin» .

Revolutionary

The beginning of the journey: Challenge to the regime

In 1945 he entered the Faculty of Law of the University of Havana, from which he graduated in 1950 with the degrees of Bachelor of Laws and Doctor of Civil Law. After graduating from university, he entered into private legal practice in Havana; in particular, he handled the affairs of the poor for free. During this time, he joined the Party of the Cuban People ("Orthodox") and was considered for the same party's nomination to parliament in the 1952 elections. March 10, however, party leadership did not approve Castro's candidacy as a candidate for parliament, citing his radicalism.

A prisoner

Fidel Castro on trial

As for me, I know that prison will be for me ordeal, which has never been for anyone else. For me it is full of threats, low and cowardly cruelty. But I am not afraid of prison, just as I am not afraid of the wrath of the despicable tyrant who took the lives of my 70 brothers! Give your verdict! It doesn't matter! History will justify me!

Lines from some of Fidel's prison letters addressed to the woman he loved became public:

I send you tender greetings from my prison. I always remember and love you... although I haven’t known anything about you for a long time. I received that sweet letter that you sent with my mother, and I will always keep it with me. Know that I will gladly give my life for your honor and your happiness. The opinion of the world should not worry us; everything truly important is stored in our consciousness. Despite all the wretchedness of this life, there are timeless, eternal things, such as my memory of you, which will remain with me until the grave... You are a woman. A woman is the most tender thing in the world... A woman in a man’s heart is a source of sacred and inviolable veneration.

The following lines indicate the conditions of the conclusion:

About myself I can say that my loneliness ends only when in the small funeral home located opposite my cell they lay some deceased prisoner, one of those who are often mysteriously hanged or strangely killed - people whose health has been undermined beatings and torture...

On September 21, the court sentenced Castro to 15 years in prison. In mid-February 1954, Batista visited the Presidio Modelo prison, where the participants in the assault on the Moncada barracks were serving their sentences. Fidel organized a noisy protest and, as punishment, was placed in solitary confinement, located opposite the prison morgue.

In May 1955, Castro was released under a general amnesty, having served about 22 months for organizing an armed rebellion. That same year, Castro emigrated to Mexico.

Mexico

On July 7, 1955, Fidel flew to Mexico, where Raul and other comrades were waiting for him. Fidel Castro flew from Havana to Merida, the capital of Yucatan, from there he took a local company's plane to the port city of Vera Cruz, and from there he boarded a bus and went to Mexico City. The revolutionaries settled in the house of a woman named Maria Antonia Gonzalez Rodriguez, who had been living in exile for several years. Maria Antonia recalled: “ Fidel arrived with one suitcase full of books, and under his arm he held another bundle of books. There was no other luggage.»

Here they began to prepare an uprising. Fidel founded the “26 July Movement” and began preparing for the overthrow of Batista. On August 26, his letter was published in the most popular Cuban magazine, Bohemia, in which he warned the dictator:

Victory of the revolution

In the summer of 1958, Batista's army launched a major offensive against the revolutionary forces, after which events began to develop rapidly. Castro's armed forces were joined by units of the Student Federation, which opened the so-called Second Front in the Sierra del Escambray mountains in the central part of the island. In the west, in Pinar del Rio, the Third Front operated, under the control of the Revolutionary Movement of the 26th of July.

Prime Minister

Matos Mutiny

After some time, Fidel himself arrived in Camagüey. A message was broadcast on the radio that Fidel Castro had arrived to investigate an emergency case and all citizens speaking in defense of the revolution should come to the square. On the square the commandant addressed them with short speech, saying that a conspiracy was brewing in the province, led by Uber Matos, who was currently holed up in the regimental barracks, and that he had arrived to thwart the counter-revolutionary conspiracy. Fidel invited everyone who cares about the fate of the revolution to follow him. Fidel Castro moved unarmed ahead of the crowd following him, personally broke the lock on the barracks gate, disarmed the sentry and arrested the conspirators. “The process lasted 5 days, if, of course, you could call it that. It was more like a tribunal. Before the start, I was shown a stack of papers, and for the first time I saw that I was being accused of treason and incitement of rebellion,” recalls Matos. Uber Matos was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and after serving his sentence he was exiled to Venezuela, after which he joined the militant emigration; his son also became a prominent figure in emigrant circles

Political repression

Repression against figures of the Batista regime and opposition to the Castro regime (including former wrestlers against Batista) began in Cuba shortly after the revolution and continued further. Particularly massive arrests were carried out in 1961, when stadiums and other similar places were converted to hold those arrested.

Operation Bay of Pigs

Many versions of the failure of the operation have been put forward. The most popular of them is the version about the Americans’ refusal of previously promised military assistance to the landing of emigrants; version of an incorrect assessment of the strength of the Cuban army and the support of Castro by the population; version about poor preparation of the operation as such.

Transition to socialist orientation

After attempting to overthrow the revolutionary government of Cuba, Fidel Castro announced his country's transition to a socialist path of development. Back on April 16, 1961, at the funeral of the victims of the American bombing of the island, Fidel uttered the following words:

However, only on May 1, Fidel Castro announced the socialist nature of the Cuban revolution.