When Did Fidel Castro Start His Political Career?

The Cuban leader Fidel Castro's political career dates back to his student days; he was a law student in the University of Havana in 1945 when he first became involved in politics. Cuba then was under the regime of Fulgancio Batista who was to later become the dictator of Cuba in 1952. Castro viewed the government of Batista as being a pseudo one which forwarded foreign interests without caring for the welfare of the people.

He played a brief part in the attempt to overthrow the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic an attempt which ended in failure. He returned to Havana in 1950 and after receiving his law degree started practicing as a lawyer championing the cause of the destitute and politically oppressed.

Batista in 1952 staged a coup and became the dictator of the country; he cancelled the elections that were to be held in the same year and in which Castro was trying to get elected to the Cuban Congress. Castro along with his brother tried to overthrow the regime in July 1953 but the attempt failed and both were arrested. Released in 1955 his second attempt proved to be successful when his guerilla campaign launched in December 1956 succeeded in capturing Havana in 1959.

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