Republic of Cuba (1902–1959)

Republic of Cuba
República de Cuba
1902–1906 1909–1959
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem La Bayamesa "The Bayamo Song"
Capital		Havana
Languages		Spanish
Religion		Roman Catholic
Government		1902–1940: Unitary presidential republic 1940–1952: Semi-presidential republic 1952–1959: Military dictatorship
President
•	1902–1906	Tomás Estrada Palma (first)
•	1952–1959	Fulgencio Batista (last)
Prime Minister
•	1940–1942	Carlos Saladrigas Zayas (first)
•	1959	José Miró Cardona (last)
Legislature		Congress
•	Upper Chamber	Senate
•	Lower Chamber	House of Representatives
Historical era		Modern Era
•	Platt Amendment	2 March 1901
•	Constitution adopted	20 May 1902
•	Treaty of Relations	17 February 1903
•	Treaty of Relations	29 May 1934
•	1940 Constitution	10 October 1940
•	Admitted to the United Nations	24 October 1945
•	Cuban Revolution	1 January 1959
Currency		Cuban peso
Preceded by Succeeded by United States Protectorate over Cuba Second Occupation of Cuba Second Occupation of Cuba Communist Cuba
Today part of		Cuba

The Republic of Cuba (Spanish: República de Cuba) of 1902 to 1959, refers to the historical period in Cuba from 1902, when Cuba seceded from US rule in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War that took Cuba from Spanish rule in 1898, until communist revolutionaries took power in 1959.

The official form of government was representative democracy though at times it was controlled by a military junta or otherwise unelected government. After becoming head of the armed forces in 1933, colonel Fulgencio Batista played a dominant role in Cuban politics over the next decades. The Cuban Revolution of 1953–1959 massively changed Cuban society, creating a socialist state and ending US economic dominance in Cuba.

The Republic of Cuba has been regarded as a client state of the United States. From 1902–1932 Cuban and United States law included the Platt Amendment, which guaranteed the US right to intervene in Cuba and placed restrictions on Cuban foreign relations. In 1934, Cuba and the United States signed the Treaty of Relations in which Cuba was obligated to give preferential treatment of its economy to the United States, in exchange the United States gave Cuba a guaranteed 22 percent share of the US sugar market that later was amended to a 49 percent share in 1949.

After the Spanish–American War, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris (1898), by which Spain ceded Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States for the sum of $20 million. Cuba gained formal independence from the U.S. on May 20, 1902, as the Republic of Cuba. Under Cuba's new constitution, the U.S. retained the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and to supervise its finances and foreign relations. Under the Platt Amendment, the U.S. leased the Guantánamo Bay naval base from Cuba.

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Wikipedia