Why did Fidel Castro attack the Moncada military base in 1953?

Fidel Castro’s attack on the Moncada military barracks on July 26, 1953, was a revolutionary action aimed at overthrowing the regime of Fidel Castro’s predecessor, Fulgencio Batista.12

The attack was motivated by opposition to Batista’s seizure of power in March 1952, when he overthrew the government and aborted the elections in which Castro had been a legislative candidate. By launching this assault, Castro sought to challenge the legitimacy of the military-led government. Although the attack failed, it became the namesake for the 26th of July Movement, which eventually succeeded in toppling the Batista regime in 1959. Following his arrest for the attack, Castro used his defense trial to present a political manifesto titled "History Will Absolve Me," which outlined his opposition to the existing order.321