Fidel Castro Rise To Power

Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926, to Angel Castro and Lina Gonzales in Oriente Province in southeastern Cuba. Castro 's father was a wealthy sugar plantation owner. Both of his parents were illiterate and did not understand the value of an education. Castro, from a young age, had no desire to overseer a sugar plantation, but he had a strong passion for getting an education. He pleaded with his parents to send him to school, and at six years old, he was sent to a Jesuit boarding school in Santiago de Cuba. Hillstrom explained that the boarding schools held values of "honor, pride, charity, and generosity, and they warned against greed and materialism" (110). Castro was very intelligent and excelled in history and debates. He had a strong

Castro used his position as a lawyer to pursue politics. His real passion and an inner drive were in politics. He wanted to represent the people of Cuba and to be their leader. Castro was angered by corrupt politicians and social injustice. In 1952, Castro became a candidate for a seat in the Cuban parliament. He was in a position to fulfill his desire to represent the people and be the leader of Cuba. According to Hillstrom, this opportunity ended abruptly when "General Fulgencio Batista overthrew the government, canceled the elections, and established himself as a dictator"

Fidel Castro was intelligent, tough, and aggressive like his father, determined to pursue any goal he set for himself (Bourne 29). He described himself as having a straightforward character that kept him in conflict with authorities, specifically when he was a student at the University of Havana (37). Castro was confident in himself and his vision. He did not need anyone to motivate him as he motivated himself. As a politician and leader of a nation, Castro was controlling, authoritative, and dominated all aspects of the nation. His specific trait for impassioned speeches allowed him to persuade the people to believe in him as a leader to develop a better nation. It is debated that Castro was a success for maintaining a dictatorship and defying the U.S. Others believed that he was a narcissist and psychopath due to his erratic behaviors. According to DePalma, "To many, Fidel Castro was a self-obsessed zealot whose belief in his destiny was unshakable, a chameleon whose economic and political colors were determined more by pragmatism than by doctrine." Nahavandi defined a "proactive personality type as someone who routinely identifies opportunities, challenges the status quo, takes initiatives, and perseveres even when blocked by obstacles" (120). Castro fits this definition as having a proactive personality type. This specific trait contributed to his success in