Army battalion surrenders at El Jigüe

Guides, scouts and local knowledge allowed a much smaller force to resist Batista’s army in the mountains.

The army failed to break through the rebel defensive zone, beginning the reversal of Operation Verano.

Rebels surrounded an army battalion near La Plata, cutting its supplies and communications.

The guerrillas cut roads and supplies, turning a government advance into a siege that undermined army morale.

Cuban opposition groups agreed to coordinate the struggle against Batista and support a provisional government after victory.

The rebels treated prisoners and returned many through the Red Cross, using the victory to contrast their conduct with dictatorship violence.

Government troops again tried to penetrate the rebel zone as Operation Verano weakened.

Rebel resistance prevented the government army from recovering the initiative in the Sierra Maestra.

Government forces attempted to trap Castro’s main force in the final major battle of the summer offensive.

Rebel manoeuvres and negotiated pauses enabled the guerrillas to escape the attempted encirclement. Batista’s offensive ended in failure.