Cuba: Difference between revisions

The Spanish empire started to decline in the second half of the 19th century and after the [[Communard Wars]] and the subsequent Spanish economic crisis of the 1880's most Spanish colonies in the Americas gained independence. In an attempt to appease the Cuban nationalists, the Spanish crown unilaterally declared Cuba (along with Florida and Puerto Rico) as semi-autonomous states. However, this did very little to pacify the revolutionary sentiment.

The Cuban war for independence started in 1885 and lasted for 9 years with Cuban guerilla fighters using hit and run tactics to wear down Spanish imperial forces. Starting in 1890, the British empire started to covertly support and arm the Cuban rebels in order to (1) undermine the Spanish (the British and Spanish empires relationship started to deteriorate in the 19th century due to growing political and economic conflicts) (2) to create another friendly nation to grow their sphere of influence in the newly independent post colonial Hispanic nations. In 1894 Spanish forces were finally expelled from the country and the first republic of Cuba was proclaimed.