In the decades after the Second World War, Latin American nations struggled to find a political balance that integrated long-excluded groups such as women, workers, and peasants in the face of growing anxiety and resistance by liberal oligarchs. Populist politicians rose to power by building a base of support among the urban and rural poor. They often combined charisma with promises of social change, particularly through national economic development that would create more and better job opportunities. The populists’ nationalist economic projects and appeals to the masses were often met with unease by traditional economic and political power holders as well as the United States, which viewed their policies as a step toward communism. In many cases, the conservative reaction against populists led the armed forces to seize power. Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro carved an alternative path in Cuba. Castro went beyond the reforms advocated by populists and sought an outright revolutionary transformation of Cuban society.