Leadership in the Cuban Revolution
The Unseen Story
In this groundbreaking work, Anthony Kapcia offers a much-needed corrective to “Fidel-centric” histories of the Cuban Revolution, focusing instead on a wider cast of characters unknown to casual observers.
About the book
Much of the conventional literature on and most media readings of the Cuban Revolution seem to be mesmerised by the personality and role of Fidel Castro, an interpretation which often prevents a deeper political understanding of the Revolution’s underlying structures, bases of popular loyalty and ethos of participation.
In this groundbreaking work, Anthony Kapcia offers a much-needed corrective to “Fidel-centric” histories of the Cuban Revolution, focusing instead on a wider cast of characters unknown to casual observers. Besides the more obvious (albeit often misunderstood) contributions from Che Guevara and Raúl Castro, several other key players have been involved in the governing processes, often making a significant difference to the outcomes of debates, decisions and definitions. As well as analyzing their influence, Kapcia interprets their various roles within the wider process of nation building, demonstrating that Cuba has undergone an unusual, if not unique, process of revolutionary corporatism.
Leadership in the Cuban Revolution is essential reading for anyone interested in Cuba’s history and its future.
Contents
- Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Glossary of Spanish Terms Used
- Stylistic Notes
- Introduction: The Problem with “Fidel-Centrism”
- The Core Leadership: The Familiar Triumvirate
- The Formation of “The Vanguard”, 1953–58
- Taking Stock and Finding Direction, 1959–62
- The Years of “Revolutionary” Flux, 1963–75
- The Stable Years: Systems, Institutions and Bureaucrats, 1975–1986
- The Return of Fluidity: Rectification, Crisis, Disintegration and the Reformulation of the State, 1986–the present
- Inclusion and Exclusion: “Within” and “Against” the Revolution
- Inclusion and Collectivity in the Context of Nation-Building: A Revolutionary Corporatism?
- Bibliography
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