If 1898 and 1959 are the obvious turning points in modern Cuban history, 1935 is not far behind in significance. he republic established in 1902 had always lacked credibility. The economy saw spectacular boom and boost; political life was marked by rampant corruption; racial tensions frequently erupted; and always, behind the scenes, was the USA, ready to invoke the Platt Amendment and retake direct control of the island, as it did in 1906–09 and 1917–22. Oriente in particular was scarred by the violence of the so-called ‘race war’ [la guerra de razas]—one small incident of which saw the destruction of the property of the Spanish-American Iron Company at Daiquirí and the deployment of US marines from the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station. Then, between 1924 and 1933 Gerardo Machado ruled with an iron fist: especially after his unconstitutional re-election in 1928 police brutality and torture became commonplace. Opposition to Machado brought many sectors of society together and provided a political education for a new generation. The overthrow of Machado in 1933, quickly followed by the so-called ‘Sergeants’ Revolt', led to the short window of Ramón Grau San Martín's ‘government of 100 days’, which enacted a wide range of social, economic, and political reforms, quickly cut short by Fulgencio Batista's seizure of power in January 1934, first behind the scenes and then as President.