The Little War or Small War ( es, Guerra Chiquita) was the second of three conflicts between

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n rebels and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. It started on 26 August 1879 and after some minor successes ended in rebel defeat in September 1880. It followed the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Diez Años; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. O ...

of 1868–78 and preceded the final war of 1895–98, which resulted in American intervention and Cuban independence.

Origins

The war had the same origins as the

, and in many ways, it was a continuation of it. Following his release after the Pact of Zanjón, Calixto Garcia travelled to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

and organized the Cuban Revolutionary Committee with other revolutionaries. In 1878, he issued a manifesto against

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

rule of Cuba. This met with approval amongst other revolutionary leaders, and war began on August 26, 1879.

The war

The revolution was led by Calixto García, having been one of the few revolutionary leaders who did not sign the Pact of Zanjón. Among the other prominent leaders were

José Maceo José Marcelino Maceo Grajales ( 2 February 1849, La Delicia, Oriente Province, Cuba - 5 July 1896, Loma de Gato, Santiago de Cuba) was a Cuban Independence Activist and patriot of the 19th Century. Biography Early Years and Personality José ...

(the brother of

Antonio Maceo Lt. General José Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales (June 14, 1845December 7, 1896) was a Cuban general and second-in-command of the Cuban Army of Independence. Fellow Cubans gave Maceo the nickname "The Bronze Titan" ( es, el Titán de ...

), Guillermo Moncada, Emilio Núñez. The revolutionaries faced many problems which were difficult to overcome. They lacked experienced leaders other than García, and they had a dire shortage of weapons and ammunition. Further, they had no foreign allies to help them, and the population was both exhausted from the Ten Years' War and lacked faith in the possibility of victory, desiring peace instead. In the west of the island, most of the revolutionary leaders were arrested. The rest of the leaders were forced to capitulate throughout 1879 and 1880, and by September 1880, the rebels had been completely defeated.

Aftermath

Although the Spanish had made promises of reform, they were ineffective. The Spanish Constitution of 1876 was applied to Cuba in 1881, but this changed little. Although Cuba was able to send representatives to the

Cortes Generales The Cortes Generales (; en, Spanish Parliament, lit=General Courts) are the bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house), and the Senate (the upper house). The Congress of Deputies meet ...

, the Spanish parliament, in practice the representatives were among the most conservative in Cuba, and thus little was changed. The lack of any true reform resulted in another uprising 15 years later, the

Cuban War of Independence 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 (Cuba), Little War (1879–1880). The ...

, which came to be known as the ''War of '95''. The experience gained by the revolutionary generals in the Little War was a great help to them, and following the War of '95 and the linked

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cl ...

, Cuba gained independence from Spain.

References

{{Authority control Conflicts in 1879 Conflicts in 1880 Rebellions against the Spanish Empire Spanish colonial period of Cuba Wars involving Cuba Wars involving Spain 1879 in Cuba 1880 in Cuba Spanish American wars of independence Spanish–American War

Origins

The war

Aftermath

See also

References