From 1868 to 1898, the Cuban people opposed Spanish colonial rule and the revolutionary war for national independence. Also known as the Thirty Years War of Liberation of Cuba. Successively went through the first war of independence and the second war of independence.
The First War of Independence in the 1820s, after the collapse of Spanish colonial rule on the American continent, further strengthened its control and enslavement of Cuba. The Cuban people's dissatisfaction is rising day by day.
In September 1868, a revolution broke out in Spain, Queen Isabella II was overthrown, and the Cuban people took the opportunity to start a struggle for independence. On October 10th, patriots headed by plantation owner and lawyer Cespedes Borja del Castillo launched an uprising near Yala in the province of Oriente in eastern Cuba and published the "Call of Yala" , Calling on the people to fight for freedom, equality and independence, and received the response of people from all walks of life, including contracted Chinese workers. In late October, the insurgents captured Bayamo and approached Santiago, an important city in the east. Cespedes Borja del Castillo used Bayamo as a base to establish a republican government, and expanded the struggle to the provinces of Camaguey and Las Villas, increasing its strength to 26,000 by the end of the year More people. The colonial authorities sent 1,000 troops to suppress it and captured Bayamo on January 15, 1869. The insurgents were forced to disperse and conduct guerrilla warfare based in the subtropical jungle. On April 10th, the insurgents convened a constitutional convention in Guaymaro, Camagüey province, passed the constitution and elected Cespedes Borja del Castillo as president. In order to destroy the economic and military potential of the colonial occupation area, in January 1874, M. Gomez Baez and A. Maceo Grajales led the insurgents to march westward, in Las Guassima. In the Battle of Slovakia, 3,000 colonial troops were defeated by 1,300. After the insurgents entered the province of Las Villas, the plan to advance westward failed due to obstruction by conservatives and fell into a passive position of passive defense. At the beginning of 1877, Spain sent Campos with 25,000 aid troops to Cuba, launched a powerful offensive against the insurgents with the support of the local guardians, and divided the revolutionary team by means such as political bribery. The insurgents suffered successive setbacks. In February 1878, the "Treaty of Sanhon" was signed with Campos, and the First War of Independence failed. During the war, the colonial army killed 140,000 people and cost 700 million pesos. After the war, the colonial authorities were forced to recognize the freedom of black slaves and indentured Chinese workers who participated in the War of Independence, and announced the abolition of slavery and political reforms.
The radicals represented by Maceo Grajales and others refused to accept the Sanhon Treaty. In August 1879, C. García Iníguez and others launched another uprising in Orient Province, with 6,000 participants. The uprising was suppressed in the autumn of the following year, and many revolutionaries went into exile. The history of this uprising is called "Little War".
From 1880 to 1895, the Cuban people's struggle against colonial rule never ceased, and small-scale uprisings occurred one after another.
In the Second War of Independence, Spain not only refused to fulfill its promises, but further intensified the plunder of Cuba, and social conflicts intensified. At the same time, as the Cuban capitalist economy has developed to a certain extent, the proletariat and the national bourgeoisie have gradually formed, and the liberation movement has added new strength.
In April 1892, the outstanding revolutionary democrat JJ Marty Perez united the revolutionary organizations scattered at home and abroad to form the Cuban Revolutionary Party in New York, United States, and declared that he would win Cuba's complete independence through a revolutionary war.
On February 24, 1895, uprisings broke out in San Diego, Bayamo and other places, igniting the flames of the Second War of Independence.
On March 25th, Marty Perez and Gomez Baez issued the "Monte Christi Declaration" in Dominica, calling on Cubans to unite and fight.
In April, Maceo Grajales, Marty Perez, and Gomez Baez returned to Cuba to lead the uprising. The majority of blacks, mixed races, native whites and Chinese workers responded positively.
On May 5th, the revolutionary leaders met near San Diego to make a strategic decision to establish a new government and march to the west.
On the 19th, the insurgents encountered the colonial army in Dos Rios, and Marty Perez was shot and died.
In September, Cuba declared its independence and established the interim government of the Republic, with Gomez Baez and Maceo Grajales serving as the commander and deputy commander of the rebel army respectively. In order to destroy the colonial rule and liberate the entire island of Cuba, Maceo Grajales led more than 1,000 insurgents from Baragua on October 22 and marched towards the western region of the political and economic center of gravity. The insurgents adopted the tactics of avoiding strong attacks and attacking the weak, and attacked the enemy by surprise. They arrived in Mantua on January 22, 1896, in the western tip of Cuba. The famous "advanced operation" lasted 3 months, the insurrection army traveled 2,360 kilometers, fought 27 times, defeated the well-equipped 110,000 colonial army with more than 4,000 troops, created the miracle of winning more with less and becoming independent in the history of war. The turning point of the war. In February of the same year, V. Weiler became the governor of Cuba and promoted the "concentration camp system", cut off the supply and supply of the rebels, and sent 50,000 troops to encircle and suppress the base camp of the Las Villas rebels.
On December 7, Maceo Grajales was killed in action. Under the leadership of Gomez Baez, the insurgents persisted in guerrilla warfare and finally won the victory against "encirclement and suppression". The Spanish authorities were forced to recall Weiler and declared Cuban autonomy on November 25, 1897. The insurgents persisted in the struggle with the oath of "no independence and no survival". At the beginning of 1898, the military strength increased to more than 50,000, and 2/3 of the country was liberated. Spanish colonial rule began to fall apart. In order to replace Spain in controlling Cuba, the United States sent troops to Cuba in April of the same year, leading to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. The Spanish colonial army was completely defeated by the Cuban rebels and the American army.
On December 10, the United States and Spain signed a peace treaty in Paris. Spain gave up its sovereignty over Cuba and the United States took over. The Cuban War of Independence finally overthrew the 400-year colonial rule of Spain in Cuba due to the widespread support of the people and the adoption of flexible guerrilla tactics.
In May 1902, Cuba officially became independent.