Occupation of Cuba (1906-1909)

The Occupation of Cuba (1906-1909), also known as the Cuban Pacification, was a military operation launched by the United States, in goals of stabilizing Cuba, protect North American economic interests, and to hold democratic elections in the country. in September 1906, following the collapse of Tomás Estrada Palma's regime, president of the United States Theodore Roosevelt ordered the invasion of Cuba, which the United States' troops would remain in Cuba for nearly 4 years.

First occupation

The U.S had previously occupied Cuba during the Spanish-American war, on April 1898, when the US's president at the time, William McKinley, issued a blockade proclamation. The following day president McKinley ordered 125,000 troops to be mobilized against Spain, later 200,000. And on 25 April, the US had announced the war against Spain. The US's mobilized troops were set to sail to Cuba on June 14, where they defeated Spanish forces at San Juan, Lawton, and El Caney on July 1 and 2. The U.S. destroyed the Spanish fleet on July 3 as it tried to escape form Santiago harbor, ending the war with Spain.

Prelude

"Revolution spreading. Everything quiet." what the U.S. chargé d‟affaires in Cuba, Jacob Sleeper, had wrote in summer 1906 as a rebellion started in Cuba following the previous elections. The rebellion spread quickly throughout Cuba, and the Cuban government failed to stop it. Theodore Roosevelt wanted to avoid military action in Cuba, due to the rising casualties and costs of the ongoing war in the Philippines. Despite president Theodore Roosevelt's desire to not execute military actions in Cuba, the US military took action and emplaced American policies during the 3 year occupation.

Second occupation

After several requests by the Cuban president Palma, president Roosevelt assisted, sending Commander James Colwell, commander of the U.S.S. Denver to Havana, and Commander William F. Fullam, commander of the U.S.S. Marietta, to protect American interests in Cuba. The Denver was first to arrive to Cuba on 12 September, entering the port of Havana. Colwell went ashore with 124 marines and 3 artillery pieces, and secured the presidental palace on 13 September. Commander Fullam arrived in Cienfuegos, and landed the sailors himself. By the time William Howard Taft arrived in Cuba with the Peace Commission on September 19. Roosevelt chose Charles Magoon, governor of the Panama canal zone,to govern the established provisional government. Magoon became the governor of the provisional government on October 13, 1906. 58 US army officers served in the government, this military presence helped unifying efforts of the Cuban Pacification Army and the civilian leadership. Frederick Funston took command of the Army in Cuba on October 2, 1906, but Taft replaced him shortly after with J. Franklin Bell. Theodore J. Wint took command from Bell at the beginning of 1907 until February 27, 1907, when due to health reasons, Thomas H. Barry took command instead of him.

The Cuban Pacification Army made a campaign plan, along six lines of effort of physical occupation of the population centers to control lines of communication. Such as: railroads, ports, and communication facilities, the start of road marches and military exerrcises in order to explore the country and be seen by the Cubans. The first action conducted by the army was the occupation of Cuba's population centers and communication networks. The army deployed soldiers where major disarmament from the rebels would occur, and where sugar cane farms and mills were located. Soldiers established posts, as well as along key railways, ports, and infrastructure in the largest cities. In two weeks, the disarmament proccess have gone quickly, and most of the 24,479 rebels have gave up their weapons, the disarmament was done peacefully, as the US soldiers would give rations to the rebels and their horses valuing 44,080 dollars, so the rebels wouldn't take goods from the civilians by force on the way home.

Aftermath

The US ended its military intervention in Cuba on January 28, 1909, when Jose Miguel Gomez was elected as president, but the last troops fully withdrew from the island on February 6. the U.S. maintained Cuba as a strategic base to protect its interests in the Caribbean and Latin America without annexing the island, through the naval base at Guantanamo even after the withdrawal.