Fidel Castro transferred, to his brother, his responsibilities.
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz -LRB- -LSB- fiˈðel aleˈhandɾo ˈkastɾo ˈrus -RSB- ; August 13 , 1926 -- November 25 , 2016 -RRB- was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008 .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Cuban. Cubans. revolutionary. revolutionary. Republic of Cuba. Cuba. Prime Minister. Prime Minister of Cuba. President. President of Cuba. Politically a Marxist -- Leninist and Cuban nationalist , he also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011 .. First Secretary. First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. Communist Party of Cuba. Communist Party of Cuba. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Cuban. Cubans. Marxist. Marxism. Under his administration , Cuba became a one-party socialist state ; industry and business were nationalized , and state socialist reforms were implemented throughout society .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). one-party. one-party state. socialist state. socialist state. nationalized. Nationalization. state socialist. state socialism. Born in Biran , Oriente as the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer , Castro adopted leftist anti-imperialist politics while studying law at the University of Havana .. Biran. Biran. Havana. Havana. University of Havana. University of Havana. Oriente. Oriente Province. anti-imperialist. Anti-imperialism. After participating in rebellions against right-wing governments in the Dominican Republic and Colombia , he planned the overthrow of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista , launching a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953 .. Cuban. Cubans. President. President of Cuba. Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic#Trujillo Age ( 1930–61 ). Colombia. La Violencia. Fulgencio Batista. Fulgencio Batista. Moncada Barracks. Moncada Barracks. After a year 's imprisonment , he traveled to Mexico where he formed a revolutionary group , the 26th of July Movement , with his brother Raul Castro and Che Guevara .. Raul Castro. Raul Castro. 26th of July Movement. 26th of July Movement. Raul. Raul Castro. revolutionary. revolutionary. Che Guevara. Che Guevara. Returning to Cuba , Castro took a key role in the Cuban Revolution by leading the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batista 's forces from the Sierra Maestra .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Cuban. Cubans. Cuban Revolution. Cuban Revolution. guerrilla war. Guerrilla warfare. Sierra Maestra. Sierra Maestra. After Batista 's overthrow in 1959 , Castro assumed military and political power as Cuba 's Prime Minister .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Prime Minister. Prime Minister of Cuba. The United States came to oppose Castro 's government , and unsuccessfully attempted to remove him by assassination , economic blockade , and counter-revolution , including the Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961 .. assassination. Assassination attempts on Fidel Castro. economic blockade. United States embargo against Cuba. Bay of Pigs Invasion. Bay of Pigs Invasion. Countering these threats , Castro formed an alliance with the Soviet Union and allowed the Soviets to place nuclear weapons in Cuba , sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis -- a defining incident of the Cold War -- in 1962 .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Cuban. Cubans. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Cuban Missile Crisis. Cuban Missile Crisis. Cold War. Cold War. Adopting a Marxist -- Leninist model of development , Castro converted Cuba into a one-party , socialist state under Communist Party rule , the first in the Western Hemisphere .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). one-party. one-party state. socialist state. socialist state. Western Hemisphere. Western Hemisphere. Marxist. Marxism. Policies introducing central economic planning and expanding healthcare and education were accompanied by state control of the press and the suppression of internal dissent .. central economic planning. Economic planning. healthcare. Healthcare in Cuba. education. Education in Cuba. Abroad , Castro supported anti-imperialist revolutionary groups , backing the establishment of Marxist governments in Chile , Nicaragua , and Grenada , and sending troops to aid allies in the Yom Kippur War , Ogaden War , and Angolan Civil War .. revolutionary. revolutionary. anti-imperialist. Anti-imperialism. Marxist. Marxism. Chile. Presidency of Salvador Allende. Nicaragua. Junta of National Reconstruction. Grenada. People's Revolutionary Government ( Grenada ). Yom Kippur War. Yom Kippur War. Ogaden War. Ogaden War. Angolan Civil War. Angolan Civil War. These actions , coupled with Castro 's leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1979 to 1983 and Cuba 's medical internationalism , increased Cuba 's profile on the world stage .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Non-Aligned Movement. Non-Aligned Movement. Following the Soviet Union 's dissolution in 1991 , Castro led Cuba into its `` Special Period '' and embraced environmentalist and anti-globalization ideas .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Special Period. Special Period. anti-globalization. anti-globalization movement. In the 2000s he forged alliances in the Latin American `` pink tide '' -- namely with Hugo Chavez 's Venezuela -- and signed Cuba up to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). pink tide. pink tide. Hugo Chavez. Hugo Chavez. Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas. ALBA. In 2006 he transferred his responsibilities to Vice-President Raul Castro , who was elected to the presidency by the National Assembly in 2008 .. Raul Castro. Raul Castro. Raul. Raul Castro. transferred. 2006–2008 Cuban transfer of presidential duties. President. President of Cuba. transferred his responsibilities. 2006–2008 Cuban transfer of presidential duties. National Assembly. National Assembly of People's Power. Castro is a polarizing world figure .. His supporters view him as a champion of socialism and anti-imperialism whose revolutionary regime advanced economic and social justice while securing Cuba 's independence from American imperialism .. Cuba. Republic of Cuba ( 1902-1959 ). revolutionary. revolutionary. American imperialism. American imperialism. Critics view him as a dictator whose administration oversaw human-rights abuses , the exodus of a large number of Cubans , and the impoverishment of the country 's economy .. human-rights abuses. Human rights in Cuba. the exodus of a large number of Cubans. Cuban exile. He was decorated with various international awards and significantly influenced various individuals and groups across the world .. various international awards. List of awards and honours bestowed upon Fidel Castro