Appendix A Brief Chronology 9 March 1952
Former president Fulgencio Batista seizes power in Cuba,
suppresses political parties.
26 July 1953
Student militants led by Fidel Castro fail in attempt to
take Moncada fort in Santiago de Oriente and set off a
popular rebellion; most of those caught are killed. At his
trial on 16 October, Castro gives 'History Will Absolve
Me'speech.
June 1954
CIA-organized Liberation Army stages 'invasion' of Gua­
temala, instigating coup against elected government of
Jacobo Arbenz.
May 1955
Following a general amnesty, Castro and supporters form
26th of July Movement, go to Mexico to begin planning
insurrection.
October 1955
Castro tours Cuban communities on US East Coast, or­
ganizing support.
2 December 1956
82 members of 26th of July Movement land from the
yacht Granma in Oriente province; a dozen survivors
reach the Sierra Maestra; Cuban government claims Cas­
tro is killed.
24-26 Feb. 1957
Series by Herbert L. Matthews in the New York Times
proves Castro is alive, inspiring Cuban supporters and
US press.
March 1957
Three sons of US servicemen at Guantanamo base join
rebel band in Sierra Maestra.
19 May 1957
Robert Taber's documentary, 'Rebels of the Sierra Maes­
tra: The Story of Cuba's Jungle Fighters', airs on CBS.
261
CHRONOLOGY
WHERE THE BOYS ARE
March 1958
Denunciations of US support for Batista in Congress
lead to Eisenhower administration embargo on further
weapons shipments to Cuba.
April 1958
General strike by 26th of July Movement in Havana fails.
July 1958
US servicemen and civilians taken hostage by Raul Cas­
tro's column in Sierra Crista!'
December 1958
Eisenhower's private envoy fails in last-minute attempts
to convince Batista to resign in favor of a coalition gov­
ernment to exclude Castro. 26th of July Movement be­
gins final offensive.
1 January 1959
In New Year's first hours, Batista flees Cuba; 26th of July
Movement assumes power.
15 April 1959
Fidel Castro arrives in United States on 'truth operation',
tours Washington, D.C, New York City, and Harvard and
Princeton universities.
3 June 1959
Agrarian Reform law promulgated, ending period of am­
biguity in US-Cuban relations; State Department pro­
tests, demands immediate full compensation.
18-24 July 1959
Castro resigns as premier to force resignation of Provi­
sional President Manuel Urrutia, then resumes office.
13 August 1959
Major William Morgan of US plays leading role in block­
ing exile landing from Dominican Republic; hailed by
Castro, loses US citizenship.
22 October 1959
Arrest of anti-Communist Major Huber Matos and a
group of his officers.
November 1959
US begins covert hostilities against Cuba, including sup­
port for exile groups in Florida; consensus reached
among policymakers to remove Castro.
23 January 1960
Robert Taber's article in The Nation leads to organization
of Fair Play for Cuba Committee (FPCC) by Taber and
Alan Sagner.
February 1960
Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan of USSR visits island;
Cuba and Soviet Union sign agreement to barter Soviet
industrial goods for 5 million tons of sugar over five
years.
4 March 1960
Munitions ship La Coubre explodes in Havana harbor,
US withdraws ambassador 'for consultations' in response
262
to Castro's charges of US involvement.
17 March 1960
Eisenhower approves plan for exile invasion.
6 April 1960
New York Times advertisement announces formation of
FPCC
7 May 1960
Cuba and Soviet Union establish diplomatic relations.
June-July 1960
US-owned refineries refuse to refine Soviet oil, are na­
tionalized. Most of Cuba's guaranteed quota of sugar
sales to US is cut. Soviet Union pledges support for Cuba
against any aggression. FPCC delegation of African­
Americans including Robert F. Williams, LeRoi Jones and
Harold Cruse visits Cuba.
August 1960
Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy be­
gins attacks on Republican 'softness' towards Castro. So­
cialist Workers Party enters FPCC after negotiations with
Taber.
September 1960
During attendance at meeting of UN General Assembly,
Castro stays at Theresa Hotel in Harlem, greets world
leaders.
13 October 1960
Cuba nationalizes all major enterprises still in private
hands.
19 October 1960
Eisenhower administration announces embargo on trade
with Cuba as Kennedy continues to attack Republican
presidential candidate Nixon for losing Cuba, calls for
aid to counter-revolutionaries on island.
24 October 1960
Final expropriation of 166 remaining US-owned busi­
nesses.
November 1960
Kennedy elected. C Wright Mills's Listen, Yankee publish­
ed. Candidacy for mayor of New York City by Norman
Mailer on pro-Fidel platform aborted. LeRoi Jones's es­
say 'Cuba Libre' appears in Evergreen. Ronald Hilton arti­
cle in 19 November Nation exposes US-run training
camps for exile invasion in Guatemala.
23 December 1960 FPCC delegation of 326 people departs from Miami on
'Christmas Tour'.
January 1961
US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba, bans travel to
island. FPCC ordered to register as foreign agent, refuses.
Charges in hearing of Senate Internal Security Subcom­
mittee that Cuban government paid for 6 April 1960
263
WHERE THE BOYS ARE
Times ad. Taber stays in Cuba to avoid indictment.
March 1961
Alliance for Progress announced . Theodore Draper's
'Castro's Cuba: A Revolution Betrayed?' appears in En­
counter.
3 April 1961
Kennedy administration releases 'White Paper on Cuba',
written by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr, accusing Castro of be­
traying revolution.
15 April 1961
Havana bombed in preparation for exile invasion; US
Ambassador to UN Adlai Stevenson claims raid is by de­
fectors from Cuban Air Force. Castro declares for first
time that revolution is 'socialist'.
17 April 1961
Brigade 2506 lands at Playa Gir6n in the Bay of Pigs on
Cuba's south coast. Defeated in three days by Cuban mi­
litia as Kennedy refuses to authorize US air strikes. Pro­
test meetings and rallies across US.
August 1961
Robert F. Williams receives asylum in Cuba. FPCC begins
rapid decline.
2 December 1961
Fidel Castro declares 'I am a Marxist-Leninist.'
September 1962
Richard Gibson, Taber's successor as executive secretary
of FPCC, flees US.
October 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis.
May 1963
Committee for Non-Violent Action begins Quebec-to­
Guantanamo Peace Walk.
22 November 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald, purported member of FPCC,
charged with shooting Kennedy.
Index Acheson, Dean 115 African·Americans: civil rights movement 8-9, 148-9, 153-4, 170n60, 240,255; sup port for Cuban revolution 120-23, 131-2,147-54,219-20 Afro Magazine 122-3 Alba, Victor 230 Aldermaston marches 4 America 119-20 American Civil Liberties Union 23 American Labor Party 20 Americans for Democratic Action 224 anticolonialism 7, 13-14,25,36,45, 47,23 1 anti·Communism 7; in US films 43-4 antifascism 20-21 Anti·lmperialist League 14 Antioch College 217, 248n49 Arnaz, Desi 58 Asphalt Jungle 42 Associated Press 215 Baldwin, James 141 Ba ra n. Pa ul 209 Bay of Pigs invasion 6.161,214-16; media coverage 211-12. 214-6; protests
against. in US 216-22. 224-5; signifI­
cance of 203-4; support for. in US
225-6, 228.233
Batista. Fulgencio 62, 66. 71, 122; during World War II 20; siezes power. 1952 24 BaxandaU. Lee 158, 163 Beals, Ca rleton 17-19,55, 125-6, 127, 140, 175 Beats 183-4, 188-92 Bendiner, Elmer 25 Berle, Adolf A., Ir 22,164,181,212 Betancourt, R6mulo 24 Bowles, Chester 206, 227 Brando, Marlon 41-2 264 Bridges, Harry 209 Browder, Earl 20, 22, 31 n24 Brown University 217 Bundy, McGeorge 116 California, University of 90,155 ,160,209, 211,218 Cam us, Albert 4 Ca pote, Truman 141 Castro, Fidel 62-5. 258-9; 1955 tour of US 64-5; April 1959 tour of US 3, 112-16, 149-52; compared with Ken­
nedy 195-9; criticism of 144, 213-4; First Declaration of Havana 158 ; Marx­
ism of241; as non-Communist 71,77, 114; popularity in US 5,110-11,114­
16; in Sierra Maestra 18.84-5; US pol­
icy toward 36, 101n42, 108-9; and US students 114-16; US views of 39, 45, 61-2,116-18 Castro, Raul 63, 70, 84, 89. 101n32, 144. 164 Cas uso. Teresa 120 Ca tholic Church: and Cuban revolution 119-20.237; and Mexican revolution 14, 29n4 Ca tholic Worker 5. 234 CBS News 2. 49 , 82.116. 132n9 Ce ntral Intelligence Agency 35. 226; and Bay of Pigs 87, 200n15. 214. 215. 221; and Guatemala 22.27 Chicago. University of 160 Childress, Alice 148 Christian Century 19, 127 Cienfuegos, Camilo 63, 84; February 1959 visit to US 112 ci nema: Asphalt Jungle 42; Cuban Rebel Girls 97-9; 'Mexico Western' genre 43-4; Rebel Without a Cause 53; Where 265