How did Fidel Castro’s rebels use the Sierra Maestra during the Cuban Revolution?

Following the near-annihilation of his forces after landing in Cuba in December 1956, Fidel Castro and a small group of survivors—including Raúl Castro and Che Guevara—retreated to the Sierra Maestra mountain range.12

The rebels utilized this rugged, heavily wooded terrain as a strategic base to launch a guerrilla campaign against the government of Fulgencio Batista. Over the course of two years, the mountains served as a sanctuary where the 26th of July Movement successfully recruited hundreds of volunteers. From this stronghold, the rebels engaged and defeated Batista’s increasingly demoralized armed forces in several battles, eventually building the momentum necessary to advance westward across the island and ultimately overthrow the regime in 1959.312