 Complete the following phrase:  In the years following its independence, the Cuban republic saw significant economic development, but also political corruption and a succession of despotic leaders, culminating in the overthrow of the dictator Fulgencio Batista by the 26th of July Movement, led by Fidel Castro, during the 19531959 Cuban Revolution. The new government aligned with the Soviet Union and embraced communism. In the early 1960s, Castros regime 