Promotion after El Jigue
Castro promotes Garcia to commander after the victory over Battalion 18.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1958 in Cuba — Page 3
Explore 163 historical events and records for Cuba in 1958.
Historical records for Cuba in 1958
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 163 unique records.
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July
Promotion after El Jigue
Sardinas is promoted to commander for his service during the offensive.
Ambush of Company P
Sunol helps ambush an army company moving supplies toward surrounded troops.
Company P Forced Back
Ramos Latour helps force Company P to retreat from its supply mission.
Supply Column Ambushed
Del Rio's fighters support the ambush blocking army supplies.
Yara River Ambush
Galvez participates in the rebel attack against the advancing army company.
Battalion 11 Encirclement Planned
Castro plans to surround Battalion 11 after the victory at El Jigue.
Battalion 17 Withdrawal Ordered
Cantillo orders Battalion 17 to withdraw from its exposed mountain position.
Promotion to Commander
Castro promotes Paz after his service against the government offensive.
Death near Providencia
Chavez is killed alongside Ramon Paz during fighting against retreating battalions.
Death near Providencia
Paz is killed while attempting to block retreating army forces.
Second Santo Domingo Battle
Castro commits rebel forces against army units withdrawing through the northern sector.
Wounded during Withdrawal
Sanchez Mosquera is seriously wounded while Battalion 11 escapes the rebel encirclement.
Battle of Las Mercedes
At Las Mercedes, government forces nearly encircle Castro's guerrillas; Castro later obtains a cease-fire that helps his surviving forces withdraw.
Battle of Las Mercedes
Escapes encirclement during Batista's offensive.
Battle of Las Mercedes Begins
Cantillo uses Battalion 17's withdrawal to draw rebel forces into a prepared trap.
Las Mercedes Trap
Batista's army attempts to lure Castro's fighters into an encirclement at Las Mercedes.
Operation Verano
Castro's forces escape destruction at Las Mercedes.
Rebel Forces Committed at Las Mercedes
Castro sends forces to attack Battalion 17 during its apparent retreat.
Death at El Jobal
Ramos Latour is killed while fighting government troops during the Las Mercedes battle.
Initial Surrender Demands Rejected
Quevedo initially refuses rebel demands while waiting for relief.
Prisoners Transferred to Red Cross
Castro arranges the transfer of captured government soldiers to Red Cross representatives.
Second Front Expansion
United States consular reporting estimates that Raúl Castro's force has grown from about 150 fighters to between 2,000 and 3,000 men by mid-1958.
Surrender Messages to Battalion 18
Castro sends messages urging Quevedo to surrender the isolated battalion.
August
Battle of Las Mercedes Cease-Fire
General Eulogio Cantillo accepts a temporary cease-fire requested by Fidel Castro during the Battle of Las Mercedes; the rebels use the pause to withdraw.
Escape from Las Mercedes Completed
Castro's remaining forces complete their withdrawal from Cantillo's encirclement.
Ninth Column Command
Matos receives command of the Rebel Army's Ninth Column, Antonio Guiteras, for operations during the final phase of the struggle against Batista.
Operation Verano
By August 8th, Castro's entire army had escaped back into the mountains, Operation Verano had been a failure for the Batista Government
Operation Verano
Cantillo signs a secret armistice with the 26th of July movement, ending the Verano offensive
Operation Verano
The failed offensive leaves Batista's army weakened.
Operation Verano
By August 8, Castro's main force has escaped the government encirclement, bringing Operation Verano to an unsuccessful end for Batista's army.
Operation Verano Fails
Cantillo's offensive ends without destroying Castro's guerrilla army.
Operation Verano Terminated
Batista's army ends the campaign without eliminating the rebel command.
Promotion to Commander
Fidel Castro promotes Huber Matos to commander after Matos's support for the Sierra Maestra rebels and his March arms delivery.
Summer Offensive Ends
Operation Verano ends after the rebels escape the army's final encirclement.
Post-Verano Invasion Columns Planned
Castro prepares columns under Camilo Cienfuegos and Che Guevara for operations beyond the Sierra Maestra.
Radio Rebelde Victory Address
Castro broadcasts an account of the defeated summer offensive and rebel treatment of prisoners.
Central Cuba Campaign Prepared
Castro assigns Guevara command of rebel forces moving into Las Villas.
Operation Verano
After the defeat of the Batista "ofensiva", Castro's forces began their offensive
Operation Verano
After surviving Operation Verano, Castro's forces begin a wider counteroffensive intended to carry the rebellion beyond the Sierra Maestra.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.