Cuban War of Independence

Cuban War of Independence

Lieutenant General Antonio Maceo's cavalry charge during the Battle of Ceja del Negro
DateFebruary 24, 1895 – December 10, 1898
(3 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Result

American intervention; independence granted in 1902

Belligerents

Republic of Cuba in Arms

Spanish Empire

Commanders and leaders
Strength
53,774–69,836 196,000
Casualties and losses
5,480 killed
3,437 dead from disease
9,413 killed
53,313 dead from disease
300,000 Cuban civilians dead

The Cuban War of Independence, fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). During the war, Spain sent 220,285 soldiers to Cuba—according to the Library of Congress, the largest army to cross the Atlantic until World War II. Spain created the first modern concentration camps in its reconcentration policy which caused at least 170,000 deaths or 10% of Cubans. The final three months of the conflict escalated to become the Spanish–American War, with United States forces being deployed in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines against Spain. W. Joseph Campbell argued that yellow journalism exaggerated atrocities attributed to Spanish forces against Cuban civilians and swayed American public opinion.