Peace of Zanjón

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The peace of Zanjón ( Spanish Paz de Zanjón ) or Treaty of Zanjón ( Pacto de Zanjón ) is the name of the document that sealed the end of the first Cuban war of independence against the Spanish colonial power ( Ten Years War ) in 1878 . However, the agreement did not guarantee Cuba's independence, which is why the Guerra Chiquita in 1879 and the Cuban War of Independence in 1895 .

occurrence

There were various reasons for the surrender. The most notable were the pronounced regionalism within the Liberation Army, the low level of support from the emigrants and the constant quarrels between the House of Representatives, the army and between the responsible military themselves.

On October 19, 1877, Tomás Estrada Palma , President of the Republic in Arms , was taken prisoner. According to existing agreements, this place was occupied by Francisco Javier de Céspedes , who in turn was replaced by General Vicente García . In this context, the commanders of the Camagüey province negotiated a ceasefire with the Spanish general Arsenio Martínez-Campos so that they could reorganize and continue the war. However, there were already strong reservations within the House of Representatives and some had lost faith in victory. They worked towards the repeal of the Spotorno decree , which forbids all business with the enemy. On December 21, the armistice was finally approved in a meeting with Spanish commanders.

After these negotiations, on January 15, 1878, Vincente García took over the office of President of the Republic in Arms. He went to Camagüey and had a secret meeting with General Arsenio Martínez on February 7th, where they agreed to convene a consultation meeting for the Cuban people to decide whether they would accept a peace without independence. Most of the fighters, disaffected, decided to end the hostilities. The Chamber of Representatives dissolved itself so that it would not violate the Guáimaro Constitution, which forbids the government to conclude agreements that do not have the aim of independence.

content

The document became valid on February 10, 1878 after the anti-Spanish fighters ( los mambises ) accepted the following conditions:

  • Unconditional surrender of the Cuban armed forces to the Spanish army
  • Dissolution and demobilization of the independence troops
  • Recognition of the Spanish government as the highest authority in Cuba
  • Formation of political parties that do not go against Spanish power
  • Freedom exclusively for those slaves who participated in the anti-Spanish troops
  • Freedom of the press and assembly, as long as they are not used for attacks against Spain

Nonetheless, Major General Antonio Maceo continued to achieve important successes. When he learned of the deal, he insisted on a meeting with Martínez-Campos, which took place on March 15, 1878. At this meeting, which went down in history as a protest from Baraguá , Antonio Maceo informed the Spanish general of his rejection of the Treaty of Zajón and the resumption of the war on March 23rd.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans-Joachim König: Cuba: From Object to Subject in the Historical Process? A historical overview. In: State Center for Political Education Baden-Württemberg : The Citizen in the State. Kuba Stuttgart, 2008, pp. 94-107. ISSN  0007-3121 .