The IB History course requires you to develop an understanding of the different perspectives that explain the rise of dictators like Castro. It is useful to reflect on your knowledge to ascertain the issues and debates behind the story, and then see where the historians fit in.
Primary and Secondary Sources Task: Examine how primary and secondary sources explain Castro's rise to power. Refer to the selection of sources below or examine the sites that follow. For each source consider:
1. Is it primary or secondary?
2. What can you learn about why Castro came to power in 1959?
3. Is is an intentionalist, structuralist, marxist or revisionist perspective?
4. Is it reliable or trustworthy? - consider the what, when, who, why aspect of your source formula
Key issues:
Was Castro's rise inevitable?
How far was Castro ideologically driven?
Which factors are most important in explaining his rise?
Task: Read Balfour's perspective (p59-61Balfour) and see how far Stephen Lee's criteria for the rise of single party states by exploring the presentations of fellow students:
Failure of the political system
Economic factors
Castro economic rise.ppt
Ideology
Fidel Castro Ideology.ppt
Trauma
history trauma presentation.ppt
Loss of identity
Strong leader
Presentation_on_the_Cuban_Revolution.ppt
Key Question: How far were the typical conditions that Lee outlines relevant to Castro's rise to power in 1959?
Task: Briefly summarize how Intentionalist, Structuralist, Marxist and Revisionist (and Orthodox) historians would explain Castro's rise to power in Cuba:
How Much Historiography Should Be Included in Essays
The_Marxist_Interpretation_of_History.ppt
How to use different types of source
Evaluating sources
Primary and Secondary Sources
Task: Examine how primary and secondary sources explain Castro's rise to power. Refer to the selection of sources below or examine the sites that follow. For each source consider:
1. Is it primary or secondary?
2. What can you learn about why Castro came to power in 1959?
3. Is is an intentionalist, structuralist, marxist or revisionist perspective?
4. Is it reliable or trustworthy? - consider the what, when, who, why aspect of your source formula
Student Work
Sources for chloe n del.doc
Nicole Ungmin Sources and evaluation .doc
Charlie and Jonathan Sources (linked) and evaluation
Finding the Sources
Internet Modern History Source Book - make sure that you go to the section on Latin America. The CNN Cold War site has a section on Fidel Castro which also includes primary sources.