Cuban War of Independence — armed conflict between the United States, Cuba and Spain
Cuba's final war of independence against Spain triggered the Spanish–American War and ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1895 to 1898
- Spanish troops deployed
- 220,285 soldiers
- Deaths from reconcentration policy
- 170,000 people
- Share of Cuban population killed
- 10 %
- Prior liberation wars fought
- 2 (Ten Years' War, Little War)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Cuba had fought two previous unsuccessful independence wars against Spain — the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). Ongoing Spanish colonial rule, economic grievances, and the suppression of Cuban autonomy fueled renewed armed resistance, which began on February 24, 1895.
Cuban independence fighters waged an armed insurgency against Spanish colonial forces from 1895 to 1898. Spain deployed over 220,000 soldiers and instituted a reconcentration policy — widely regarded as the first modern use of concentration camps — which caused at least 170,000 civilian deaths. Yellow journalism in the United States amplified reports of Spanish atrocities against Cuban civilians.
In the war's final three months, the United States intervened, transforming the conflict into the Spanish–American War. U.S. forces fought Spain in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Spain was ultimately defeated, ending its colonial presence in the Americas and ceding territories to the United States.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent