The Cuban War of Independence: Spain's Colonial Struggle
The Cuban War of Independence
Antecedents, Causes, and the Start of the Insurrection
After the Peace of Zanjón, which ended the Ten Years' War, the Spanish metropolis had committed to introducing reforms on the island. However, all it did was enhance the exploitation of the colony and its Hispanization. This desperate situation spurred both independence and autonomy supporters into action.
For 15 years, plots were hatched against the mother country, paving the way for the Baire Uprising. The autonomists were supportive of reforms but continued to demand more significant changes, greater legal certainty, and legal equality with the mainland. A key development was the foundation of the democratic, Antillean, and interracial Cuban Revolutionary Party by José Martí.
The Uprising and Shifting Strategies
In 1894, a project by Martí to invade the island, supported by Nationalists and the revolutionary party, failed. The timid reforms proposed by Abarzuza did not satisfy the autonomists, who expected more from the mother country, and they subsequently joined the Nationalists in the uprising.
On February 24, 1895, a new rebellion began, known as the Grito de Baire. The Cánovas government sent General Martínez Campos with the task of pacification, as he had done in the previous war, but the insurrection spread throughout the island. In response, General Valeriano Weyler was appointed Captain-General and arrived on the island in February 1896, determined to win the war at any cost.
As the number of insurgents increased, Weyler introduced a substantial change in warfare tactics with immediate effect: in a few months, he managed to pacify the eastern provinces. The course of the war shifted from an unfavorable situation for Spain under Martínez Campos to a much harsher approach under Weyler.
Political Fallout and U.S. Involvement
Political life on the Iberian Peninsula was plagued by the war. Sagasta supported Cánovas, approving the war budgets in 1895.
The United States approved aid to the insurgents, and the Spanish feared a direct U.S. attack, trying to de-escalate the situation. However, the end of President Cleveland's presidency led to fears of a shift in the U.S. position. This shift occurred immediately: the new President, William McKinley, began a more openly interventionist stage. Internal and external pressure brought the Cánovas government to the brink of collapse by June 1897, although the Liberals were not inclined to undertake the task of government.