History Will Absolve Me (Spanish:"La historia me absolverá") is the concluding sentence and subsequent title of a four hour speech made by Fidel Castro on 16 October 1953. Castro made the speech in his own defense in court against the charges brought against him after leading an attack on the Moncada Barracks. Though no record of Castro's words was kept, he reconstructed them later for publication in what was to become the manifesto of his 26th of July Movement. The trial helped propel Castro into the public consiousness as a leading figure in the resistance to the government of Fulgencio Batista. The Cuban Revolution refers to the revolution that led to the overthrow of Fulgenchio Batista’s dictatorial government on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement and other revolutionary elements in the country. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1133x975, 212 KB) Cuban revolutionaries. ... The Cuban Revolution was the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s regime by the 26th of July Movement and the establishment of a new Cuban government led by Fidel Castro in the 1950s. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Granma is the yacht that was used to transport the fighters of the Cuban Revolution to Cuba in 1956. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 12,000 Casualties 80 800 ? Operation Verano was the name given to the summer offensive in 1958 by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 1,200 Casualties 3 ? 500 The Battle of La Plata was part of Operation Verano, the summer offensive of 1958 launched by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Fidel Castro General Eulogio Cantillo Strength 300 3,000 Casualties 70 70 ? The Battle of Las Mercedes was the last battle of Operation Verano, the summer offensive of 1958 launched by the Batistia government during the Cuban Revolution. ... Combatants Cuban Revolutionaries Cuban Government, Batista Commanders Camilo Cienfuegos Captain Abon Ly Strength 450-500 ? 250 Casualties  ?  ? The Battle of Yaguajay, was a decisive victory for the Cuban Revolutionaries over the soldiers of the Batista government near the city of Santa Clara in Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. ... The Battle of Santa Clara was a series of events in late December 1958 that led to the capture of Santa Clara, Cuba by revolutionaries under the command of Che Guevara. ... Flag of the The Cuban Revolution The 26th of July Movement (Spanish: Movimiento 26 de Julio) was the revolutionary organization led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista regime in Cuba. ... Che Guevara was a key figure in the Cuban Revolution, an uprising that successfully removed the longstanding dominance of General Fulgencio Batista over the island. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Radio Rebelde is a Cuban Spanish language radio station. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (pronounced ) (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was the de facto military leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1940, and thus the eminence grise of Cuban politics for that period of time, and the de jure President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 after... Comandante Dr. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara or El Che, was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, medic, political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ... Frank Pais was born on December 7, 1934 and was a Cuban revolutionary. ... Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (born June 3, 1931) is the Acting President of Cuba and First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State. ... Cuban poster showing Camilo Cienfuegos Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán (February 6, 1932 - October 28, 1959) was a Cuban revolutionary born in Havana. ... Celia Sánchez, veneered by the participants of the Cuban Revolution. ... Huber Matos was a Cuban revolutionary who successfully overthrew the dictatorship of General Fulgencio Batista along with Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, Raul Castro and others. ... William Alexander Morgan was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 19, 1928 [1]. His life origens are obscure and his death legendary (Abella, 2000). ... Carlos Franqui (born 1921) is a Cuban writer, poet, journalist, art critic, and political activist. ... Vilma Espín Guillois is a former Cuban chemical engineer and revolutionary who is married to Raúl Castro, Vice President of the Cuban Council of State, head of the Cuban Armed Forces and brother to Cuban President Fidel Castro. ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Flag of the The Cuban Revolution The 26th of July Movement (Spanish: Movimiento 26 de Julio) was the revolutionary organization led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista regime in Cuba. ... General Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (pronounced ) (January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was the de facto military leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1940, and thus the eminence grise of Cuban politics for that period of time, and the de jure President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 after...

Though sentenced to terms of up to 15 years for their roles in the Moncada attack^{sentences[›]}, all of the rebels were released after an amnesty in 1956. Castro relocated to Mexico before returning to Cuba on the Granma yacht alongside other revolutionaries including Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Together they fomented the Cuban revolution that was to take power in 1959. Granma is the yacht that was used to transport the fighters of the Cuban Revolution to Cuba in 1956. ... Che Guevara Dr. Ernesto Rafael Guevara de la Serna ( June 14, 1928¹ – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary and Cuban guerrilla leader. ... The Cuban Revolution refers to the revolution that led to the overthrow of Fulgenchio Batista’s dictatorial government on January 1, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement and other revolutionary elements in the country. ...

Castro's first court appearance

Fidel Castro under arrest in July 1953 after the Moncada attack

Castro made his first court appearance on 21 September 1953 in Santiago, where he defended around 100 other defendants arrested after the Moncada attack. Castro, as a qualified lawyer took on their defense basing his case on the illegality of the Batista regime and the inherent right of the citizen to rebel against what he perceived to be an illegal government. When asked who was responsible for the attack, Castro replied that "the intellectual author of this revolution is José Martí, the apostle of our independence". Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Santiago de Cuba is the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island nation of Cuba, some 540 miles (869 km) east south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana. ... José Martí Statue of José Martí on horseback in New Yorks Central Park - Anna Hyatt Huntington, 1959 Bust of José Martí in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida Statue of José Martí, Parque Central, Havana, by José Vilalta Saavedra, 1905 José Julián Martí y Pérez (January 28, 1853 – May...

Castro's defense was so successful that only 26 prisoners were found guilty and most were treated leniently. Castro's brother Raúl, a leader of the attack, was sentenced to 13 years on what was then called the Isle of Pines. While he was incarcerated awaiting trial, efforts were made to poison Fidel Castro to prevent him from appearing in court.^[1] Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz (born June 3, 1931) is the Acting President of Cuba and First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State. ... The Isla de la Juventud (English: Isle of Youth) is the largest island of Cuba after Cuba proper. ...

Castro's speech and sentence

Prison Presidio Modelo on the Isle of Pines where the Castro brothers were incarcerated. The block where they and the other Moncadistas were imprisoned is now a museum. (Photo taken in December 2005.)

Castro was brought before a different court on 16 October 1953 for sentencing. It was here that he reportedly made his four hour speech justifying his actions and outlining his plans for Cuba. During the trial, public outrage at the treatment of the prisoners was seriously diminishing Batista's standing among the population. A local judge telephoned Batista's staff to complain that Batista was reviving the brutal era of former president Gerardo Machado, while a Santiago bishop called upon the courts to spare Castro's life and sought support from Cuba's upper class Catholic contingent. Though Castro was sentenced to join his brother in prison for 15 years, the trial elevated him to semi-heroic status on the island. ^[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (1840 × 1232 pixel, file size: 493 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The prison Presidio Modelo on the island Isla de la Juventud (Cuba) where Fidel Castro was hold prisoned in 1953. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (1840 × 1232 pixel, file size: 493 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The prison Presidio Modelo on the island Isla de la Juventud (Cuba) where Fidel Castro was hold prisoned in 1953. ... The Presidio Modelo was a model prison in Cuba on the former Isla de Pinos (now the Isla de Juventud). Categories: Buildings and structures stubs ... The Isla de la Juventud (English: Isle of Youth) is the largest island of Cuba after Cuba proper. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Gerardo Machado, Time, 1933 Gerardo Machado (y Morales) (28 September 1871, Camajani – 29 March 1939, Miami Beach, Florida) was a Cuban general of Cuban War of Independence and the 5th president of Cuba. ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ...

Details of the Speech

Castro's speech contained numerous evocations of the "father of Cuban independence" José Martí, whilst depicting Batista as a tyrant. According to Castro, Batista was a "monstrum horrendum ... without entrails" who had committed an act of treachery in 1933 when he initiated a coup to oust Cuban president Ramón Grau. Castro went on to speak of the "700,000 unemployed workers", launching an attack on Cuba's extant healthcare and schooling asserting that 30% of Cuba's farm people couldn't even write their own names. A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... The President of Cuba is the Head of State of Cuba. ... Dr. Ramón Grau San Martín (1882-1969) was a Cuban revolutionary leader who led a successful student-labor uprising against the unpopular regime of Gerardo Machado in 1933. ... The Cuban government operates a national health system and assumes full fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of its citizens. ... Education in Cuba has for quite some time been among the best in Latin America, both before and after the Cuban Revolution. ...

In Castro's published manifesto, based on his 1953 speech, he gave details of the "five revolutionary laws" he wished to see implemented on the island.

1. The reinstatement of the 1940 Cuban constitution.
2. A reformation of land rights.
3. The right of industrial workers to a 30% share of company profits.
4. The right of sugar workers to receive 55% of company profits.
5. The confiscation of holdings of those found guilty of fraud under previous administrative powers.

Since attaining its independence from Spain, Cuba has had five constitutions. ... Agrarian reform can refer either, narrowly, to government-initiated or government-backed redistribution of agricultural land (see land reform) or can refer more broadly to an overall redirection of the agrarian system of the country, which often includes land reform measures. ...

See also

Cuba Portal

• List of speeches

Image File history File links Flag_of_Cuba. ... John F. Kennedy gives his memorable inauguration speech. ...

Content notes

September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Source notes

Hugh Thomas, Baron Thomas of Swynnerton (born October 21, 1931 in Windsor), is a British historian. ...

References

• Richard Gott. Cuba : A new history. p. 150-152
• Skierka, Volker. Fidel Castro: A Biography. Polity Press, 2004. ISBN 0-7456-3006-5
• Hugh Thomas. Cuba : The pursuit of freedom Book eight.

Richard Gott (born 1938) is a British left-wing journalist and historian, who has written extensively on Latin America. ... Hugh Thomas, Baron Thomas of Swynnerton (born October 21, 1931 in Windsor), is a British historian. ...

External links

• History Will Absolve Me (The complete speech)