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Based on Brenner’s Wind that Swept Mexico, the documents provided by E. B. Burns (pp. 214-218; 229-254), and the documentary “The Castro Challenge”, evaluate the following statement: “Both the Mexican and the Cuban revolutions were movements led by the upper classes especially intellectuals, without much involvement from neither the lower- nor the middle-class. In the end, those revolutions only produced a few changes beneficial to the richest segments of the two societies.” Be specific and provide examples and properly cited references.
Both the Mexican and the Cuban revolutions were carried out by representatives of the upper class of the society, who were guided either by their idealistic views and desire of power, but they could not succeed without the support of large masses of people, who stumbled in poverty and need. In fact, it is due to the support of the most marginalized part of the population, leaders of the Mexican and the Cuban revolutions could get human resources to command and to use to take the power and to defeat the ruling regimes. In this respect, leaders of the Mexican Revolution, Francisco I. Madero, and the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, were representatives of the upper class and originated from wealthy families. At the time of the revolutions, both Francisco Madero and Fidel Castro were young men, who were ambitious and idealistic. They attempted to change the life of the large part of the population that stumbled in poverty. Many peasants in Cuba and Mexico lived from hand to mouth, being deprived of their land. Many workers had to work for low wages and in great need. In such a situation, both political leaders, Fidel Castro and Francisco I. Madero promoted the idea of provision peasants with the land that peasants could use for farming. At the same time, they attempted to improve the position of workers and to overcome poverty which was an essential part of any worker in both Mexico and Cuba. However, the major part of the population lived in rural areas and both Francisco I. Madero and Fidel Castro attempted to attract peasants and change their life for better. As for representatives of the middle class they were not numerous in Cuba and Mexico but many of them were compassionate to ideals of the Mexican and Cuban revolution. In addition, the population of Mexico and Cuba was tired of the dictatorship regimes established by Diaz in Mexico and Batista in Cuba. The dictators supported the ruling class and helped the ruling elite to exploit representatives of the lower class. In such a situation, the revolution was a logical and essential solution of the bunch of problems that made the life of the large part of the population of Mexico and Cuba unbearable.
However, in spite of the idealistic promises of the revolutionaries, neither Mexico nor Cuba did really change the life of the poorest for better, whereas the position of the rich did not really change much after the revolutions. The ruling elite was deprived of the political power shortly after the revolution but many representatives of the upper classes have preserved their economic influence, especially in Mexico, where landowners and capitalists have preserved their land and capitals. As for Cuba, the revolution did not really deprive the ruling economic elite of its influence. In fact, it was only opponents of Fidel Castro’s regime who emigrated from Cuba, whereas the supporters of Fidel’s regime gained the full power in the country. In such a way, what have changed in Mexico and Cuba after revolutions were the ruling elites, whereas the quality of life of the large masses of the local population was extremely low. In this regard, Cuba was in a particularly difficult position because the country faced the problem of the international economic isolation that deprived the country of profitable international trade. As a result, the country slipped to poverty even faster than before the revolution. On the other hand, reforms, such as agrarian reform conducted in both Mexico and Cuba facilitated the life of peasantry but did not solve all of their problems.
Thus, it proves beyond a doubt that the Mexican and the Cuban revolutions changed the ruling elite but at the political level mainly. However, the revolutions did not improve the life of the poorest strata of the population, whereas the new ruling regimes concentrated power in their hands and enjoyed their unlimited power at full extent.

Works Cited
Burn. Conflict and Creation. Chicago: Routledge, 2005.
Brenner. The Wind that Swept Mexico. New York: St. Martin Press, 2007.
Hellman, J. Mexican Lives. New York: Random House, 2008.