Chapters 17-18 Summary and Analysis

Just as the rebel movement attracted volunteers, there were also many deserters and it was the desertions that bothered Fidel and Che because they knew their positions. Che ordered them tracked and killed for betraying the revolution. Che led his men to attack garrisons and other places in a direction separate from Fidel's men. The police were arresting and killing the rebels around the country,. When their coordinator Frank Pais was killed, there were demonstrations and strikes across the country.

By mid-1957, the Batista regime was becoming an embarrassment to the United States. American policy was geared to protect American financial interests in Cuba. Behind the scenes in Washington, the government was hoping Batista would lose the election. While this was going on, there were also increasing tension between Fidel and the urban part of the July 26 Movement when...