LIBERATION ARMY

LIBERATION ARMY:

Armed branch of the Cuban Revolution during the different stages of the struggle for independence initiated on October 10. 1868 until its dissolution in January 1899, after the United States’ military intervention in the conflict.

Since the beginning of the insurrection, and once the institutions of the Government of the Republic of Cuba in Arms had been set up, there was certain consensus regarding the need of having a disciplined army with a centralized command. However, in the course of the Ten Years War (1868-1878), the regionalism prevailing in the Cuban society of those times, along with several factors of a political, economic and social nature, mainly the contradictions of the radical sector of the landowner class, which conducted the war until its final stage, kept this objective from becoming a reality

The Liberation Army throughout that stage did not really have a single command, but was in actuality the summation of all the insurrect squads with almost absolute independence, while the operational plans grew old subjected to unending discussions in the bodies of civilian power. This had a considerable influence in the outcome of that struggle with the capitulation of the Zanjon Pact, after the revolutionaries had heroically fought for a decade against a balance of power favorable to the enemy which was never lower than 10 men to 1, as the insurrect troops were never larger than 7,000.The revolutionary cause was saved for future attempts thanks to the staunch Protest of Baragua, staged by Major General Antonio Maceo.

When the Cuban once again had an armed uprising in 1895, the struggle had been plitically prepared for some years under the guidance of José Martí. The lessons of the past war was learnt by the patriots. The Liberation Army had a strong command and with broad independence to conduct the war. Major General Máximo Gómez assumed the position of General-in-Chief from the beginning of the hostilities and kept it until the end of the war. After the Invasion of the West campaign finished in 1896, the forces of the Liberation Army were organized into 6 army corps with 14 divisions, 34 brigades and 84 regiments, of which 34 were cavalry and 50 infantry and other forces. This structure was more the result of the territorial distribution than the number of troops, which at the end of the war was only 50 thousand men, of which only 25 thousand were armed.

This army fought almost without any resources, using combined methods of struggle, mainly irregular ones, against 300 thousand colonial soldiers from Spain, a country which was then one of the most important military powers in Europe, until the metropolis was exhausted, without money, men or energy to continue the war. By 1898, the Spanish troops only dominated the cities, while the revolutionary forces had dominion of the countryside and internal communications.

It was then that the opportunistic U.S. military intervention took place. Spain was defeated on Cuban soil thanks to the active participation of the Liberation Army forces under the command of Major General Calixto García.

On January 1, 1899, the Spanish flag was lowered and the American flag hoisted. Cuba was transformed from a Spanish colony to an American semi-colony. Annexation was not possible due to the firm resolution of the Cuban patriots. Nevertheless, an intervening government was imposed, the Council of Government of the Republic of Cuba was dissolved and the members of the Liberation Army were discharged.

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