10 Years War (10 Okt 1868 Jahr – 28 Mai 1878 Jahr)

Beschreibung:

Also called the First Cuban War of Independence, followed by the Little War [1879–1880] and the Third Cuban War of Independence [1895–1898].

Lax enforcement of the slave trade ban had resulted in a dramatic increase in imports of Africans, this occurred despite a strong abolitionist movement on the island. The economic crisis of 1857 caused many businesses to fail and in 1865, Cuban elites placed four demands upon the Spanish Parliament: tariff reform, Cuban representation in Parliament, judicial equality with Spaniards, and full enforcement of the slave trade ban.

The Spanish Parliament at the time was changing, the colonial government imposed a six percent tax increase on the Cuban planters and businesses. The failure of the latest efforts by the reformist movements and another economic crisis in 1866/67 heightened social tensions on the island. The Spaniards, representing 8% of the island's population, were appropriating over 90% of the island’s wealth. Objections to these conditions sparked the first serious independence movement, especially in the eastern part of the island.

In July 1867, the "Revolutionary Committee of Bayamo" was founded under the leadership of Cuba’s wealthiest plantation owner, Juan Martín. The conspiracy rapidly spread to Oriente’s larger towns, where Martín became the main leader of the uprising in 1868. After three days of combat, the rebels seized the important city of Bayamo.

Throughout the early months of 1859, the eastern provinces joined the revolution, though the uprising was not supported in the westernmost provinces. Gradually a new generation of skilled battle-tested Cuban commanders rose from the ranks. In April, a constitutional assembly took place in the town of Guáimaro. It was intended to provide the revolution with greater organizational and juridical unity. Martín was elected in April as the first president of the Republic.

By early 1870, the Spanish colonial government had failed to reach an agreement with the insurrection forces, they opened a war of extermination. The colonial government passed several laws: arrested leaders and collaborators of the insurgency were to be executed on the spot, ships carrying weapons would be seized and all persons on board immediately executed, and males 15 or older caught outside of their plantations or places of residence without justification would be summarily executed.

Activities in the Ten Years' War peaked in the years 1872 and 1873, but after the death of Martín, Cuban operations were limited. Rebels began an invasion of Western Cuba in 1875, but the vast majority of slaves and wealthy sugar producers in the region did not join the revolt.

Spain's efforts to fight were hindered by the civil war (Third Carlist War) that broke out in Spain in 1872. When the civil war ended in 1876, the government sent more Spanish troops to Cuba, until they numbered more than 250,000. In the long run Spain gained the upper hand.

Eventually Spain made peace with the rebels, accepting most of the original requests. Though their enforcement and up-keeping of these new laws were dubious at best.

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