Fidel Castro was born in Cuba in 1926. Both of his parents were illiterate, but they were determined that their children should receive a good education. He was sent to a Jesuit boarding school. Although he disliked the strict discipline of the school, soon he showed that he was extremely intelligent. However, except for history, he preferred sports to academic subjects. Castro was good at running, soccer and baseball, and in 1944 was awarded the prize as Cuba's best all-round school athlete.

After he had finished his education, Castro became a lawyer in Havana. As he tended to take the cases of poor people who could not afford to pay him, Castro was constantly short of money. His experience as a lawyer made him extremely critical of the great inequalities in wealth that existed in Cuba. Like many other Cubans, Castro resented the wealth and power of the American businesspersons who appeared to control the country.

In 1952 he became a candidate for Congress for the Cuban People's Party. He was a superb public speaker and soon built up a strong following amongst the young members of the party. The Cuban People's Party was expected to win the election but during the campaign. General Fulgencio Batista with the support of the armed forces took control of the country.

Castro concluded that revolution was the only way that the Cuban People's Party would gain power. He left for Mexico where he began a plan to attempt to overthrow the Cuban government. After building up a stock of guns and ammunition, Castro, Che Guevara, and eighty other rebels arrived in Cuba in 1956. This group became known as the July 26 Movement (the date that Castro had attacked the Moncada barracks). Their plan was to set up their base in the Sierra Maestra mountains. On the way to the mountains they were attacked by government troops. By the time they reached the Sierra Maestra there were only sixteen men left with twelve weapons between them. For the next few months Castro's guerrilla army raided isolated army garrisons and were gradually able to build up their stock of weapons.

Castro was now confident he could beat Batista in a head-on battle. Leaving the Sierra Maestra Mountains, Castro's troops began to march on the main towns. After consultations with the United States government, Batista decided to flee Cuba. Senior Generals left behind attempted to set up another military government. Castro's reaction was to call for a general strike. The workers came out on strike and the military were forced to accept the people's desire for change. Castro marched into Havana on January 9, 1959, and became Cuba's new leader. He has been having a dictatorship regimen for 47 years.