Cuban War of Independence

Cuban War of Independence
Part of Decolonization of the Americas
DateOctober 20, 1868 - February 28, 1878
Location
Belligerents

Republic of Cuba in Arms

Spanish Empire
 Spain Borbonic restauration

  • Cuban loyalists
  •  Germany German advisors
Commanders and leaders
Carlos M. de Céspedes  
Perucho Figueredo
Ignacio Agramonte
Calixto García
Francisco Vicente Aguilera
Ramón Ortuño Rodríguez
Antonio Maceo Grajales
Amadeo I
Arsenio Martínez Campos
Valeriano Weyler
Francisco Lersundi Hormaechea
Units involved
Cuban Mambí Armed Forces Spanish Armed Forces
Casualties and losses
8,617 mambises killed
(3,437 by illness)
Around 300,000 cubans died during the Weyler Reconcentration policy
More than 63,000 killed
(9,413 in combat)
30,000 prisoners
100 canons captured
25,114 rifles captured
A total amount of 600,000 men died on Cuban territory during the independence conflict.

The Cuban War of Independence, also known as Guerra de los Diez Años (Spanish for Ten Years' War) or the Guerra Grande (Great War) and also the Guerra de Cuba (Cuba War) in Spain, was a war that was led by the Cuban revolutionary Carlos Manuel de Céspedes against the Spanish government in Cuba.

It began with the Cry of Yara on October 9, 1868, when Céspedes freed his slaves and declared Cuban independence.

Spanish General Valeriano Weyler implemented a policy destined to annihilate the Cuban independentists, the Reconcentration, that involved concentration camps. Around 300,000 to 400,000 people are believed to have died because of the policy, but it failed stop the war.