Fidel Castro
by Grayson Maser
Early Life of Castro
- born into peasant family in Spain
- He was conscripted to fight in the Cuban War of Independence at a young age
- Castro has 2 siblings, a brother and a sister.
- Castro and his family suffered from poverty until he lived on his own.
Studies/Schooling
- Castro had an interest in history, geography, and debating.
- He wasn't very talented academically, as he was very sporty and didn't care too much.
- Castro studied Law at the University of Havana.
- Castro helped Cuban President Ramon Grau's presidency as he delivered a public speech in November of 1946. This speech earned him a front page spot on many newspapers.
Marriage/Love Life
- Castro married Mirta Diaz-Balart in October of 1948.
- They had a son together, Fidel Angel Castro.
- He had an affair with Natalia Revuelta, and they had a daughter named Alina Fernandez Revuelta.
- He then had 5 other sons with his second wife (Dalia Soto del Valle). Their names are Antonio, Alejandro, Alexis, Alexander, and Angel Castro Soto del Valle.
Politics/Dictatorship
- Castro gained an interest for politics, and he had a desire to improve lives of the poorest Cuban classes.
- He became a candidate in the 1952 election for a seat in Cuba's House of Representatives.
- Castro gathered 160 armed men and assaulted the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, a Cuban military base. He was defeated and put on trial.
- Castro was placed in charge of the military in 1959.
- Castro made massive changes to Cuba, and allowed things like the Soviet Union to construct missile sites on Cuba, as he had an intention of threatening the United States. He created the Cuban Missile Crisis, none the less.