Emergence to power
Conditions in which authoritarian leader came to power Methods used by authoritarian leader
Factor Hitler (1919-34) Castro (1945-59)
Economic ● 1919 Treaty of Versailles (ToV) + 1920 Paris Peace Conference + 1921 ● Late 1950s: US financial interests (investments in Cuban companies,
factors London Schedule of Payments - Crushing reparations + territorial subsidiaries with local Cuban investment)
(provided the losses ○ 90% of mines; 80% of public utilities; 50% of railways; 40% of sugar
ideal ○ 132 bil gold marks → Reduced to 121 bil (Young Plan) production; 25% of bank deposits
conditions for ○ Lost 48% of iron resources (Rhineland independence) → Dependence on US (Cuban stability relied on US interference),
the ● 1923 Hyperinflation crisis great extent of US control over economy, US motivated to interfere in
emergence of ○ Caused by Reichsbank printing money to support general Cuban politics to protect interests
authoritarian strike against France’s invasion of the Ruhr ● Overreliance on sugar industry
states) ○ Middle-class suffered from huge loss of savings ○ Accounted for 80-90% of national agricultural production
● 1929 Great Depression (GD) ○ Vulnerable to price fluctuations
Hitler: Mainly ○ Dawes Plan (1924) + Young Plan (1929) made Germany ○ Seasonal employment - often poor
a result of dependent on US loans ● 1929 Great Depression → Economic recession + poverty
post-WW1 ○ Unemployment - 1929: 1.5 mil → 1932: 6 mil (30% of ○ National income fell (1925: 708 mil pesos → 1933: 294 mil)
strife workforce) ; Industrial production halved ○ ¼ of workers became unemployed
(reparations, ○ Incited middle class fears of hyperinflation ○ Sugar crop worth dropped (1929: $200 mil → 1932: $40 mil)
struggle for ○ Nazi votes - 1928: Nazis 2.6% of the vote → 1932: 37%
● 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreement
territory) + GD ○ Nazi seats in Reichstag - 1928: 12 → 1930: 107
○ Gave US imports preferential tariffs → US could flood Cuban market
→ Low QoL, caused public to turn toward radical political parties
with goods
Castro: USA ■ 1949-58: 75% of all imports came from US, 65% exports
domination of went to the US
finance → ● Inflation → Threatened living standards
stifled ○ Rising to 40% a year for foodstuffs while pay levels stagnated
economic ○ Real estate prices soared (1941: $12 a metre → 1957: $200)
growth, led to ○ 1952-54: Income per head fell by 18%
discontent + ○ 1956: Unemployment at 17%
anti-Americani → Stifled Cuba’s economic growth, low QoL, desire for independence from the US,
sm contributed to anti-US sentiment + increasing nationalism
,Social ● Revanchism + Revisionism of ToV ● Urban-rural classicist divide, income inequality: East vs West
divisions/ ○ Distrust of the socialist govt - “November criminals” who ○ West (e.g. Oriente province): Ex-slaves lived in poverty, had poor
signed the “diktat” and took on the full blame of the war in War public welfare
factors
Guilt Clause (Article 231) ■ Avg rural income: $91; Only 2% could afford eggs
● Socialist vs Nationalist ■ 1:2423 doctors in Oriente vs 1:227 doctors in Havana
Hitler:
○ Socialist - workers: Supportive of trade unions ■ Catholic Church associated w/ elite, no welfare provided to
Political
○ Nationalists - war veterans, industrial elites: Anti-trade union, the poor
ideological
middle-class, property owning ○ East (e.g. Havana & cities): Colonists (Spanish) was prosperous,
differences
● Lower-middle class severely affected by 1923 hyperinflation benefitted from US tourism
● Communist vs Nationalist ■ National income: $374
Castro:
○ Fear of the Left after Communist revolution in Russia (1923) ■ Only 20% of population lived in Havana, but it had >80% of
Classism
● Communists (atheists) vs Catholic Church (ideological differences) investment in construction + 62% of salaries & wages
→ Income inequality, causing resentment resulting from unequal
benefits from US intervention
● Racial: Spaniards vs Afro-Carribeans
○ Spaniards dominated ruling class, 60% of Spaniard population had
white origins
○ Afro-Carribeans formed an underclass, were politically insignificant
● Traditional elites vs peasant population
○ Landowners benefited from wealth generated by sugar industry,
lived in the wealthy East
○ Military leadership was corrupt (operational command not always
appointed for military skills)
○ Catholic Church provided little welfare to the poor
○ High pressure on peasants
Long hours, low pay, little education
■ Castro (“History will absolve me”): “85% of small Cuban
agriculturalists are paying rent and living under the constant
threat of expropriation from their plots of land.”
● Rising crime + gangsterism
○ The American mafia dominated tourism
○ Proliferation of casinos and prostitutes (end of the 1950s: Havana
had 270 brothels)
→ Caused high social distress (Suicide rates in 1951: 849 per year
→ 1955: >1000 per year)
Weakness ● Weak constitution → Public lost faith in democracy ● Government instability prior to Batista
of political ○ Article 48: Decisions could be made quickly in “emergency” ○ By 1952, changed govts 4 times after uprising against Machado
situations (1933)
system
■ Non-democratic, President and Chancellor can make ■ Machado dictatorship → Provisional govt led by Grau →
, (lack of faith in decisions without consulting Parliament Batista’s presidency (1940-44) → Autentico presidency
current govt) ■ Hindenburg forced to use Article 48 to override the (1944-48) → Batista’s coup (1952)
Reichstag during GD: Reichstag didn’t agree with ● Domination of the US
Similar - Brüning’s plan to cut govt expenditure → showed ○ After Treaty of Paris (1898), politics dominated by US interests
inability of inability to commit to democracy, undermined power ■ Election law denied social justice, enabled only literate, rich
dominant of the Reichstag males to vote, blacks were excluded
regime to ○ Proportional representation → Led to coalition government ■ Elections rigged in favour of pro-US political candidates
respond to forming ○ Lack of true independence angered Cuban public, anti-US sentiment,
issues + their ■ 6 coalition governments between 1925-9 desire for independence, increasing nationalism + revolutionary
inherent ■ Difficult to get consensus b/c no party was ever able sentiment
unpopularity achieve a ⅔ majority → Inefficient decision making ● Failure to gain/retain support
(e.g. inability to solve economic crises of GD) ○ During 1940 presidency: supported by socialists due to his labour
Different - ● Ineffective solutions to economic issues laws + support for labour unions
Weimar failed ○ Poor decisions, Chancellor Brüning decided to cut govt ■ Failed to address social inequity + corruption → unable to
mainly due to expenditure of wages + unemployment welfare to cope w/ retain former popular support
economic failing tax revenue ○ Pro-American, pro-capitalist, puppet govt of US
crisis (enjoyed ○ Socialist govt → Seen as a betrayal by the working class ■ Adhered to pro-US economic policy → drove away plantation
period of ● Association w/ ToV owners, industrialists, bankers (business interests negatively
prosperity ○ “Stab in the back” myth, impacted by US economic policies, saw potential for future
before) ; November criminals → Distrust of social democrats (leading losses) to support Castro (who promised to end US
Batista’s party SPD) corporatism)
political ● Political intrigue within Weimar Government → Inability to unite against ○ Failed to counter Castro’s propaganda → Portrayed as brutal+corrupt
alignment + Nazism ● Batista’s oppressive despotism
engagements ○ General von Schleicher disagreed w/ von Papen’s reactionary ○ Heavy censorship of the media
in corruption policies, persuaded several government ministers to turn ○ Seized power in a coup → suspended constitutional guarantees,
created his against Papen → Resigned from office eliminated opposing political parties, suspended right to vote
own ○ Supported by industrialists, Papen plots to put Hitler as ○ Severe repression, use of violence against late 1950s student
unpopularity Chancellor and himself as Vice-Chancellor to oust von protests
Schleicher, who was Chancellor ■ Students named as “martyrs”
● Political instability → Demonstrated opposition toward Weimar Republic ● Batista’s corrupt dictatorship
○ Spartacus uprising (Communist) (1919) → Working class ○ Low paid officials expected to top up income through bribery+graft
hatred of SPD ○ Associations with crime organisations (e.g. American Mafia)
○ Kapp Putsch (Nationalist) (1920) ■ Sanctioned + gave mafia control of Havana's racetracks and
○ Munich Putsch (Nationalist) (1923) casinos
→ Failures of Weimar Government caused the public to have little confidence ■ Personally profitted from drug, gambling, and prostitution
for the existing democratic political regime, resulting in the turn towards businesses (30% cut from casinos, hotels, nightclubs run by
extremist parties (rise of political extremism) mafia, contributed millions of dollars to Swiss bank accounts)
→ Fostered social climate of gangsterism + depravity (by the
end of 1950s: Havana had 270 brothels)
○ Faith in Cuban govt undermined by succession of corrupt leaders
Conditions in which authoritarian leader came to power Methods used by authoritarian leader
Factor Hitler (1919-34) Castro (1945-59)
Economic ● 1919 Treaty of Versailles (ToV) + 1920 Paris Peace Conference + 1921 ● Late 1950s: US financial interests (investments in Cuban companies,
factors London Schedule of Payments - Crushing reparations + territorial subsidiaries with local Cuban investment)
(provided the losses ○ 90% of mines; 80% of public utilities; 50% of railways; 40% of sugar
ideal ○ 132 bil gold marks → Reduced to 121 bil (Young Plan) production; 25% of bank deposits
conditions for ○ Lost 48% of iron resources (Rhineland independence) → Dependence on US (Cuban stability relied on US interference),
the ● 1923 Hyperinflation crisis great extent of US control over economy, US motivated to interfere in
emergence of ○ Caused by Reichsbank printing money to support general Cuban politics to protect interests
authoritarian strike against France’s invasion of the Ruhr ● Overreliance on sugar industry
states) ○ Middle-class suffered from huge loss of savings ○ Accounted for 80-90% of national agricultural production
● 1929 Great Depression (GD) ○ Vulnerable to price fluctuations
Hitler: Mainly ○ Dawes Plan (1924) + Young Plan (1929) made Germany ○ Seasonal employment - often poor
a result of dependent on US loans ● 1929 Great Depression → Economic recession + poverty
post-WW1 ○ Unemployment - 1929: 1.5 mil → 1932: 6 mil (30% of ○ National income fell (1925: 708 mil pesos → 1933: 294 mil)
strife workforce) ; Industrial production halved ○ ¼ of workers became unemployed
(reparations, ○ Incited middle class fears of hyperinflation ○ Sugar crop worth dropped (1929: $200 mil → 1932: $40 mil)
struggle for ○ Nazi votes - 1928: Nazis 2.6% of the vote → 1932: 37%
● 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreement
territory) + GD ○ Nazi seats in Reichstag - 1928: 12 → 1930: 107
○ Gave US imports preferential tariffs → US could flood Cuban market
→ Low QoL, caused public to turn toward radical political parties
with goods
Castro: USA ■ 1949-58: 75% of all imports came from US, 65% exports
domination of went to the US
finance → ● Inflation → Threatened living standards
stifled ○ Rising to 40% a year for foodstuffs while pay levels stagnated
economic ○ Real estate prices soared (1941: $12 a metre → 1957: $200)
growth, led to ○ 1952-54: Income per head fell by 18%
discontent + ○ 1956: Unemployment at 17%
anti-Americani → Stifled Cuba’s economic growth, low QoL, desire for independence from the US,
sm contributed to anti-US sentiment + increasing nationalism
,Social ● Revanchism + Revisionism of ToV ● Urban-rural classicist divide, income inequality: East vs West
divisions/ ○ Distrust of the socialist govt - “November criminals” who ○ West (e.g. Oriente province): Ex-slaves lived in poverty, had poor
signed the “diktat” and took on the full blame of the war in War public welfare
factors
Guilt Clause (Article 231) ■ Avg rural income: $91; Only 2% could afford eggs
● Socialist vs Nationalist ■ 1:2423 doctors in Oriente vs 1:227 doctors in Havana
Hitler:
○ Socialist - workers: Supportive of trade unions ■ Catholic Church associated w/ elite, no welfare provided to
Political
○ Nationalists - war veterans, industrial elites: Anti-trade union, the poor
ideological
middle-class, property owning ○ East (e.g. Havana & cities): Colonists (Spanish) was prosperous,
differences
● Lower-middle class severely affected by 1923 hyperinflation benefitted from US tourism
● Communist vs Nationalist ■ National income: $374
Castro:
○ Fear of the Left after Communist revolution in Russia (1923) ■ Only 20% of population lived in Havana, but it had >80% of
Classism
● Communists (atheists) vs Catholic Church (ideological differences) investment in construction + 62% of salaries & wages
→ Income inequality, causing resentment resulting from unequal
benefits from US intervention
● Racial: Spaniards vs Afro-Carribeans
○ Spaniards dominated ruling class, 60% of Spaniard population had
white origins
○ Afro-Carribeans formed an underclass, were politically insignificant
● Traditional elites vs peasant population
○ Landowners benefited from wealth generated by sugar industry,
lived in the wealthy East
○ Military leadership was corrupt (operational command not always
appointed for military skills)
○ Catholic Church provided little welfare to the poor
○ High pressure on peasants
Long hours, low pay, little education
■ Castro (“History will absolve me”): “85% of small Cuban
agriculturalists are paying rent and living under the constant
threat of expropriation from their plots of land.”
● Rising crime + gangsterism
○ The American mafia dominated tourism
○ Proliferation of casinos and prostitutes (end of the 1950s: Havana
had 270 brothels)
→ Caused high social distress (Suicide rates in 1951: 849 per year
→ 1955: >1000 per year)
Weakness ● Weak constitution → Public lost faith in democracy ● Government instability prior to Batista
of political ○ Article 48: Decisions could be made quickly in “emergency” ○ By 1952, changed govts 4 times after uprising against Machado
situations (1933)
system
■ Non-democratic, President and Chancellor can make ■ Machado dictatorship → Provisional govt led by Grau →
, (lack of faith in decisions without consulting Parliament Batista’s presidency (1940-44) → Autentico presidency
current govt) ■ Hindenburg forced to use Article 48 to override the (1944-48) → Batista’s coup (1952)
Reichstag during GD: Reichstag didn’t agree with ● Domination of the US
Similar - Brüning’s plan to cut govt expenditure → showed ○ After Treaty of Paris (1898), politics dominated by US interests
inability of inability to commit to democracy, undermined power ■ Election law denied social justice, enabled only literate, rich
dominant of the Reichstag males to vote, blacks were excluded
regime to ○ Proportional representation → Led to coalition government ■ Elections rigged in favour of pro-US political candidates
respond to forming ○ Lack of true independence angered Cuban public, anti-US sentiment,
issues + their ■ 6 coalition governments between 1925-9 desire for independence, increasing nationalism + revolutionary
inherent ■ Difficult to get consensus b/c no party was ever able sentiment
unpopularity achieve a ⅔ majority → Inefficient decision making ● Failure to gain/retain support
(e.g. inability to solve economic crises of GD) ○ During 1940 presidency: supported by socialists due to his labour
Different - ● Ineffective solutions to economic issues laws + support for labour unions
Weimar failed ○ Poor decisions, Chancellor Brüning decided to cut govt ■ Failed to address social inequity + corruption → unable to
mainly due to expenditure of wages + unemployment welfare to cope w/ retain former popular support
economic failing tax revenue ○ Pro-American, pro-capitalist, puppet govt of US
crisis (enjoyed ○ Socialist govt → Seen as a betrayal by the working class ■ Adhered to pro-US economic policy → drove away plantation
period of ● Association w/ ToV owners, industrialists, bankers (business interests negatively
prosperity ○ “Stab in the back” myth, impacted by US economic policies, saw potential for future
before) ; November criminals → Distrust of social democrats (leading losses) to support Castro (who promised to end US
Batista’s party SPD) corporatism)
political ● Political intrigue within Weimar Government → Inability to unite against ○ Failed to counter Castro’s propaganda → Portrayed as brutal+corrupt
alignment + Nazism ● Batista’s oppressive despotism
engagements ○ General von Schleicher disagreed w/ von Papen’s reactionary ○ Heavy censorship of the media
in corruption policies, persuaded several government ministers to turn ○ Seized power in a coup → suspended constitutional guarantees,
created his against Papen → Resigned from office eliminated opposing political parties, suspended right to vote
own ○ Supported by industrialists, Papen plots to put Hitler as ○ Severe repression, use of violence against late 1950s student
unpopularity Chancellor and himself as Vice-Chancellor to oust von protests
Schleicher, who was Chancellor ■ Students named as “martyrs”
● Political instability → Demonstrated opposition toward Weimar Republic ● Batista’s corrupt dictatorship
○ Spartacus uprising (Communist) (1919) → Working class ○ Low paid officials expected to top up income through bribery+graft
hatred of SPD ○ Associations with crime organisations (e.g. American Mafia)
○ Kapp Putsch (Nationalist) (1920) ■ Sanctioned + gave mafia control of Havana's racetracks and
○ Munich Putsch (Nationalist) (1923) casinos
→ Failures of Weimar Government caused the public to have little confidence ■ Personally profitted from drug, gambling, and prostitution
for the existing democratic political regime, resulting in the turn towards businesses (30% cut from casinos, hotels, nightclubs run by
extremist parties (rise of political extremism) mafia, contributed millions of dollars to Swiss bank accounts)
→ Fostered social climate of gangsterism + depravity (by the
end of 1950s: Havana had 270 brothels)
○ Faith in Cuban govt undermined by succession of corrupt leaders
