The Cuban Revolution of 1933 (), also called the Sergeants' Revolt, was a coup d'etat that occurred in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

in September 1933. It began as a revolt of sergeants and enlisted men in the military, who soon allied with student activists in the

Directorio Estudiantil Universitario The Directorio Estudiantil Universitario (DEU; ) was founded in 1927 by University of Havana students against the backdrop of a power grab by President Gerardo Machado consisting of constitutional reforms designed to prolong his presidential term by ...

. The coup deposed Carlos Manuel de Céspedes y Quesada as president, installing a new government led by a five-man coalition, known as the Pentarchy of 1933. After only five days, the Pentarchy gave way to the presidency of Ramón Grau, whose term is known as the

One Hundred Days Government The One Hundred Days Government (Spanish: ''Gobierno de los Cien Días'') is the name normally used in Cuba to refer to the Cuban government of Ramon Grau which lasted from 10 September 1933 until 15 January 1934. Background Leading up to thi ...

. The leader of the revolt, Sergeant

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (born Rubén Zaldívar; January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who played a dominant role in Cuban politics from his initial rise to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of t ...

, became the head of the armed forces and began a long period of influence on Cuban politics.

Background

End of Machado regime

The authoritarian policies of

Gerardo Machado Gerardo Machado y Morales (28 September 1869 – 29 March 1939) was a general of the Cuban War of Independence and President of Cuba from 1925 to 1933. Machado was elected president in 1924 as the leader of the Liberal Party, a moderate reform ...

and the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

beginning in 1929 plunged Cuba into an economic and social crisis, amidst which opposition groups proliferated. Pressure and demonstrations by the

(Student Directory) and workers, as well by US Ambassador Sumner Welles, forced Machado to resign. Carlos Manuel de Céspedes y Quesada led a provisional government that included members of the opposition group ABC in its cabinet. Other groups from the Machado opposition were unsatisfied with the provisional government, which to them represented an unacceptable compromise with US interventionism. On August 24, the Student Directory issued a Manifesto-Program that denounced the ABC and made various demands, including the formation of a new government.

Military

After the fall of Machado, the military perceived its situation as precarious. Opposition forces controlled

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. A group of sergeants began meeting at the Columbia barracks, forming the Columbia Military Union. Their ambition to improve conditions in the army quickly expanded to a plan for regime change.Aguilar (1972), pp. 159–160. "Already on August 26, 1933, a so-called "Junta de los Ocho," formed by dissatisfied sergeants, began to meet in the enlisted men's club at the Columbia military barracks. The result was the formation of the Columbia Military Union. The program of this junta aimed at organizing the lower ranks of the army in order to obtain better conditions and better opportunities for promotion. Soon, realizing the disorganization and weakness of the high-ranking officers they began to plot a general insurrection. This group, later called the Junta of the Eight (despite uncertainty about numbers) included Batista and other members of his ABC cell, as well as Pablo Rodríguez, whom some perceived to be the group's leader, and Jaime Mariné. A funeral for Sergeant Miguel Ángel Hernández y Rodríguez, captured and killed by the Machado government in May 1933, took place on 19 August 1933. This gave Batista the opportunity to do a passionate oration which brought him attention as a future leader. At the funeral he met with journalist

Sergio Carbó Sergio Carbó (born 1891 - April 18, 1971) was a prominent Conservative journalist and leader of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, Cuban Revolutionary party. Early history Sergio Carbó was born in the La Habana Province of Cuba. Journalism Sergio ...

, who acted as an important contact for him in the civilian world. In August the group of sergeants created a manifesto calling for dignity, respect, and benefits for soldiers, and declaring the duty of soldiers to rebel. Batista asked the ABC, to which he belonged, to publicize the manifesto. The ABC, which had established itself as part of the ''

status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

'' government, refused, and Batista and others left the group. Other factions within the military were also plotting against the Céspedes government, and some spoke openly against it. As the movement grew, the plotters met in larger venues, including the masonic ''Gran Logia de Cuba'' and a military hospital. These preparations became somewhat obvious, but meetings continued to occur on the pretext of planning projects to improve quality of life for enlisted men. The action mostly took place in Havana, with some outreach to

Matanzas Province Matanzas () is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns in the province include Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos and the capital of the same name, Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is also located in this province. Among Cuban provinces, ...

soon before the coup.

Coup

On September 3 and 4 some of the lower-ranking officers at Columbia barracks directly raised issues of back pay and promotions with the senior officers. On September 4, Captain Mario Torres Menier appeared at a meeting of the enlisted men at Camp Columbia. Batista allowed him to enter. The soldiers made their complaints with mounting enthusiasm; Torres Menier withdrew to consult with other superior officers. Another meeting was scheduled for 8PM. In the interim, leaders of the coup rallied their supporters. Batista contacted Carbó and secured the support of Juan Blas Hernández, a rebel who opposed Machado for two years. The meeting that evening took place in a theater. The senior officers had been excluded. Batista spoke from onstage, declaring:

From this moment forward, do not obey anyone's orders but mine. First sergeants must immediately take control of their respective military units. If there is no first sergeant, or if he refuses to take command, the senior sergeant must do so. If there is no sergeant, a corporal. If there is no willing corporal, then a soldier, and if not, then a recruit. The units must have someone in command and he must be an enlisted man.

Thus the sergeants took uncontested control of Columbia barracks and soon established communications with sympathetic officers in other cities. Members of the Student Directory—beginning with José Leyva, Ramiro Valdés Daussá, Juan António Rubio Padilla, Carlos Prío Socarrás, Rubén de León, and Justo Carrillo—came to the barracks and joined forces with the army. While President Céspedes was away from Havana to survey

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

damage, the rebels forced the remaining government officers in Havana to leave their posts. They then issued a proclamation announcing that they were in control of the country, and set up a

Pentarchy Pentarchy (, ) was a model of Church organization formulated in the laws of Emperor Justinian I () of the Roman Empire. In this model, the Christian Church is governed by the heads (patriarchs) of the five major episcopal sees of the Roman Em ...

modeled on the then-current government of Uruguay. After President Céspedes returned on September 5, members of the junta arrived at his office and informed him that they were to receive the government from him. Swayed by their claim to command the allegiance of the military rank and file, Céspedes vacated the

Presidential Palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

.Aguilar (1972), pp. 161–162.

Junta

The junta of officers and students proclaimed that it had taken power in order to fulfill the aims of the revolution; it briefly described a program which included economic restructuring, punishment of wrongdoers, recognition of public debts, creation of courts, political reorganization, and any other actions necessary to construct a new Cuba based on justice and democracy. Both Grau and Batista visited Welles on September 5 to seek support from the US and ascertain its position. Only five days after the coup, the Student Directory promoted Ramón Grau, one of the members of the Pentarchy, to the role of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

, replacing the Pentarchy. The coup displaced 900 officers from command. Of these, 200 rejoined the armed forces under Batista; 300 went into retirement, exile, or prison; and 400 gathered at the Hotel Nacional, to await a return to power. The sergeants consolidated their power over the military at the Battle of the Hotel Nacional, in which the higher-ranking officers were eliminated. Batista, having pushed Rodríguez out of power, emerged as the foremost leader.Argote-Freyre (2006), p. 58. The ensuing

issued a number of reformist declarations but never gained diplomatic recognition from the US; it was overthrown in January 1934 under pressure from Batista and the US.

References

Sources

* Aguilar, Luis E. (1972). ''Cuba 1933: Prologue to Revolution''. Cornell University Press. . * Argote-Freyre, Frank (2006). ''Fulgencio Batista: From Revolutionary to Strongman''. Rutgers University Press. . * Carrillo, Justo. (1994). ''Cuba 1933: Students, Yankees, and Soldiers''. New Brunswick & London: Transaction Publishers. . English version of ''Cuba 1933: estudiantes, yanquis y soldados'' (1985), Institute of Interamerican Studies, University of Miami, . * * Whitney, Robert W. (2001). ''State and Revolution in Cuba: Mass Mobilization and Political Change, 1920–1940''. University of North Carolina Press. {{ISBN, 0-8078-2611-1. 1933 in Cuba Conflicts in 1933 September 1933 in North America 1930s coups d'état and coup attempts Political history of Cuba Republic of Cuba (1902–1959)