One of the driving forces behind the adoption of the 1940 constitution was Fulgencio Batista. From 1933, when he engineered the Revolt of the Sergeants, until 1959, when he stepped down as prime minister, Batista was the leading figure in Cuban politics. At first he was a true reformer, and he expanded the educational system, implemented a major public works program, and fostered economic growth. By 1952, however, Batista had become more conservative. That same year he suspended the constitution and declared himself a dictator. For the next seven years he ruled Cuba with a heavy hand, in much the same way as had Machado.

Batista's actions drove a number of Cubans to work actively for his overthrow, among them a young lawyer named Fidel Castro. Castro had been a candidate for the Cuban parliament in the elections of 1952, which Batista had also suspended, and he...