Lillian Guerra

This project addresses a gap in scholarly and public understandings of the origins of Cuban social and political radicalism by exploring the pivotal period between 1946 and 1959 when a consensus on the need for anti-imperialist revolution reached its peak. It analyzes the social policies of the state before and during the Batista dictatorship as well as the role of messianic discourse in shaping public support for a radical program of dramatic socio-economic change. Based on previously unknown archival collections and oral history, this book reveals that the civilian-led struggle was far more responsible for Batista's fall than Fidel Castro's guerrillas; the opposition movement's success hinged more on morally defeating Batista in the public's mind than on defeating the state militarily.