Ten Years' War

Ten Years' War

Embarkation of the Catalan Volunteers from the Port of Barcelona by Ramón Padró y Pedret [es]
Date10 October 1868 – 28 May 1878
(9 years, 7 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Location
Result Pact of Zanjón
Belligerents

 Spanish Empire

Commanders and leaders
Strength
  • 10,000–20,000 (1869)[2]
  • 10,000–12,000 (1873)[3]
  • 8,000+ (1878)
  • 181,000 (mobilized throughout the war)[4]
  • 30,000 (1868)[5]
  • 40,000 (late 1869)[2]
  • 55,000 (1870)[6]
  • 30,000 (1875)[7]
Casualties and losses

50,000[8]–100,000[9] dead


  • 40,000 guerrillas dead (25,000 due to disease and repression)[9]
  • 60,000 civilians dead[9]

81,248[4]–90,000[9] dead


  • 81,000 soldiers dead (54,000 due to disease)[9]
  • 3,200 dead marines[9]
  • 1,700 dead sailors[9]
  • 5,000 dead Cubans[9]

The Ten Years' War (Spanish: Guerra de los Diez Años; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War (Guerra Grande) 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. On 10 October 1868, sugar mill owner Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and his followers proclaimed independence, beginning the conflict. This was the first of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Little War (1879–1880) and the Cuban War of Independence (1895–1898). The final three months of the last conflict escalated with United States involvement, leading to the Spanish–American War.[10][11]

  1. ^ Clodfelter 2017, p. 306.
  2. ^ a b Thomas, Hugh Swynnerton (1973). From Spanish domination to American domination, 1762–1909. Volume I of Cuba: the struggle for freedom, 1762–1970 . Barcelona; Mexico: Grijalbo, pp. 337. Edition of Neri Daurella. ISBN 9788425302916.
  3. ^ Thomas, 1973: 345. 1,500 to 2,000 rebels fled to Jamaica.
  4. ^ a b Ramiro Guerra Sánchez (1972). War of the 10 i.e. Ten years. Volume II Havana: Editorial De Ciencias Sociales, p. 377
  5. ^ Florencio León Gutiérrez (1895). "Conference on the Cuban insurrection." Havana: Artillery Corps Printing, p. 25
  6. ^ José Andrés-Gallego (1981). General History of Spain and America: Revolution and Restoration: (1868–1931) . Madrid: Rialp Editions, p. 271. ISBN 978-8-43212-114-2. 20,000 Spaniards and 35,000 Cubans.
  7. ^ Nicolás María Serrano & Melchor Pardo (1875). Annals of the civil war: Spain from 1868 to 1876 . Volume I. Madrid: Astort Brothers, p. 1263
  8. ^ as estimated by José Martí in his work "The Revolution of 1868" cited by Samuel Silva Gotay in "Catholicism and politics in Puerto Rico: under Spain and the United States" p. 39
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Military Historical Victimary".
  10. ^ Charles Campbell, The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant (2017) pp. 179–198.
  11. ^ Hugh Thomas, Cuba: The Pursuit of Freedom (1971) pp. 244–263.