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In 1952, former Cuban president Batista

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led a military coup and seized power

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when it became clear
he was not going to be re-elected.

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He placed Cuba 
under a repressive military dictatorship

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and began to establish close relations
with the United States.

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This allowed American companies

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to buy up the majority
of Cuba's natural resources,

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plus, under his rule, 
the country became a haven

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for organized crime syndicates,

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all of which angered a young lawyer
named Fidel Castro.

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Castro put together a group of 138 men,

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and on July 26th, 1953, 
attacked an isolated barrack in Moncada

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in the hope of securing more weapons.

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The attack was a disaster

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and the rebels were fought back.

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Most of those who were not killed
were captured,

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including Fidel and his brother Raúl.

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The public trial of the captured rebels
helped turn public opinion

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Castro's favor when he argued
against the dictatorship

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and said, "History will absolve me".

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He was sentenced to 15 years in prison,

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but Batista was under international
and domestic pressure

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for reforms and released
the political process in just 2 years.

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Fidel and Raul fled to Mexico to regroup
and make new plans for the revolution

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They met with other Cuban exiles

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and an Argentinian doctor
named Che Guevara,

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who joined the '26th of July Movement'.

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In the meantime a controversial election

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and increasing unemployment in Cuba,

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led to more and more anti-Batista riots,

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although they weren't
necessarily socialist.

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Batista responded by becoming
even more oppressive,

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which led to even more people
calling for him to resign.

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Back in Mexico,

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the revolutionaries purchased
a small yacht named 'Granma'

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and in November 1956,

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82 men set sail for Cuba.

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The Cuban government, however,
was aware

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that the rebels were returning to Cuba

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and attacked them.

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Only a handful of them survived
to escape up into the mountains.

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From their mountain base
they gathered new supporters

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and launched guerrilla attacks
on military targets

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Plus, foreign journalists
were allowed to visit

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and along with their
pirate radio station,

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this gave their struggle
international attention

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and ultimately increased
their popularity.

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Meanwhile, in the cities too,

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new rebel groups were launching
attacks against Batista.

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Angered and desperate, in 1958,

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Batista sent a large army
into the mountains

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to try and flush the rebels
out once and for all.

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However, this was a disaster

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and the hardened guerrilla fighters
were able to fight them back,

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causing many in the Army
to switch sides.

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The rebels then saw this 
as the perfect opportunity

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to launch a counterattack.

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Che Guevara took control
of one arm of the rebel army

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and headed to Santa Clara.

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Cienfuegos took another
and marched into Yaguajay

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and Castro followed
with the reinforcements.

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As they passed
through towns and villages

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they were largely welcomed,

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demonstrating to the world
that Batista's regime

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was on the brink of falling.

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The international community
persuaded Batista to flee,

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allowing the rebels to move
into Havana in January 1959,

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relatively unopposed.

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The revolutionaries took control of Cuba

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and their leaders, Fidel, Raúl and Che,
consolidated their power

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by wiping out all remnants
of Batista from the island,

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and arrested and killed
many of those old supporters.

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This, as well as a few other
repressive laws,

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led to a large number
of people fleeing to the US.

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On the other hand,
they nationalized the land

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that was owned by US companies,

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shut down the Mob's casinos

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and set about reforming
and improving health facilities,

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housing and schools.

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These socialist policies
angered the Americans,

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who decided to place
economic sanctions on them.

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The US would also go on to aid
a group of Cuban exiles,

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in an attempt
to oust Fidel Castro in 1962.

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But, the infamous 'Bay of Pigs'
invasion was a disaster.

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The aftermath
of the 'Bay of Pigs' invasion

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Castro announced that Cuba 
was a Socialist Republic

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and rushed into seeking
an alliance with the Soviets.

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and this friendship led to one
of the most infamous consequences

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of the revolution:
'The Cuban Missile Crisis'.

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The revolution spurred
on left-wing idealists in Latin America

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whose actions indirectly

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led to far-right reactionary dictatorships

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countries like Argentina and Chile.