The United States supplied Batista with planes, ships and tanks, but the advantage of using the latest technology such as napalm failed to win them victory against the guerrillas. In March 1958, American President Dwight Eisenhower, disillusioned with Batista's performance, suggested he held elections, but the people showed their dissatisfaction with his government by refusing to vote. Over 75 per cent of the voters in the capital Havana boycotted the polls. In some areas, such as Santiago, it was as high as 98 per cent.
Fidel 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 the country. 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.
Che Guevara became second only to Fidel Castro in the new government of Cuba, and the man chiefly responsible for pushing Castro towards communism, but a communism which was independent of the orthodox, Moscow-style communism. He was the most aggressive, clever and successful of the guerrilla officers, and the most earnest in giving his men a Lenist education: he was also a ruthless disciplinarian.
In its first hundred days in office Castro's government passed several new laws. Rents were cut by up to 50 per cent for low wage earners; property owned by Fulgencio Batista and his ministers was confiscated; the telephone company was nationalized and the rates were reduced by 50 per cent; land was redistributed amongst the peasants including the land owned by the Castro family; separate facilities for blacks and whites: swimming pools, beaches, hotels, cemeteries etc., were abolished.
.....................continued on http://thecheschase5.blogspot.com/
Che Guevara with Fidel Castro