Cuban Independence: The Three Wars for Freedom

The Background: The First Two Cuban Wars

Taking advantage of the October Revolution of 1868, part of the native bourgeoisie, along with mestizos and freed slaves, staged an independence and abolitionist movement. One of its leaders, Carlos Manuel Céspedes, staged the uprising known as the Grito de Yara, initiating the First Cuban War or the Ten Years' War (1868-1878). After ten years of fighting between rebels and Spanish troops, the Peace of Zanjón was signed by General Martínez Campos. It offered an amnesty to captured rebels and promised more autonomy for the island. However, these promises were ultimately not met.

The Second Cuban War (1879), known as the Little War, was brief and had limited impact. Since then, Cuban trade became increasingly oriented toward the United States, which had made major capital investments on the island, especially in the sugar industry. Additionally, Spain was reluctant to fulfill the agreements made in Zanjón.

During the Restoration, two political parties were founded in Cuba: the Liberal Autonomist Party, which reflected the aspirations of self-government, and the Constitutional Union, the party of the big planters who dominated the island. The latter were distancing themselves from Spain since the leaders of the Restoration, Cánovas and Sagasta, paid no attention to their requests.

The Events: The Third War in Cuba (1895-1898)

When the third conflict erupted, it became the main concern of the Spanish government. The war began with the "Grito de Baire" uprising, led by Antonio Maceo and Máximo Gómez in 1895. That same year, José Martí, the main leader of Cuban independence, died. To quell the uprising, General Martínez Campos was sent. He soon realized that the new revolt was more extensive than the previous ones and that the revolutionaries had the support of the peasant population. He also understood that military repression alone could not resolve the conflict. Therefore, he tendered his resignation, advising the appointment of General Valeriano Weyler, who would act with great brutality against the rebels.

Spain launched a massive mobilization of troops. Weyler completely turned the military situation around, using a strategy to fight the guerrillas of Maceo and Gómez. This strategy involved partitioning the territory of the island through trochas, or fortified lines, that prevented the passage of the insurgents. With the death of Maceo, the war was virtually won by Spain, but then came the American intervention.