Inquiry+1+What+key+events+and+developments+are+important?

Castro's Rise to Power 1930-59
**Guiding Questions:** 1. What were the key events of the 1930s, 40s and 50s that explain Castro's seizure of power in 1959?

 1. Read brief and simple information on Cuban history from 1930-1959 to build up a **basic** framework of knowledge. Creating a Mind Map or Time line to collect this information is an excellent idea to show key events, personalities, developments, dates and terms 2. Undertake detailed learning in your own time: A general biography is a great idea as well as the use of documentaries and podcasts. Journals and other sources of information are listed below. 3. Show an awareness of the value, purpose and limitations of the information you learn from. Your essays require you to write critically; as the historian you need to reach //well-informed// judgments

** General information ** [|Cuba context] Map of Cuba/intro [|Rise to power.pptx] [|History of Cuba site]

**Detailed information** [|PBS Bio] - Cuban society and politics - excellent [|PBS Bio] - Castro's rise in detail - excellent [|The Cuban Revolution] [|Biography documentary] and more - I have the DVD, some of it can be watched online Rise to power class wiki [|1930s movements] [|Castro Article D.T.docx] [|Biographical article] [|Comandante Fidel Castro documentary] [|Short clip: why the revolution succeeded]  1. Was Castro's rise inevitable? What //'what if's//' are there? 2. How important are long-term, medium-term and short-term factors? 3. What schools of thought are there? 4. How far does Stephen Lee's criteria on the rise of European dictators apply to Castro? 5. What similarities and differences are there in explaining the rise of Castro to Mao, Hitler or Stalin? 6. What challenges do we face as historians in explaining the rise of a dictator who is still alive? (March 2010)
 * Key issues/debates **

Historiography