La Reforma Campaign facts for kids

The La Reforma Campaign was an important part of the Cuban War of Independence. It lasted for 16 months, from January 1897 to April 1898. During this time, Cuban forces led by Máximo Gómez fought against Spanish forces commanded by Valeriano Weyler.

Even though the Spanish army had many more soldiers (40,000 compared to 600 Cubans), Gómez used clever tactics. He used guerrilla warfare, which means fighting in small, surprise attacks. The weather also helped the Cubans. Because of these things, many Spanish soldiers (over 40 each day) died during the campaign.

Gómez's plan was to split his forces into small groups. He and his main team would keep moving, never staying in one place for long. He made sure the Spanish soldiers chasing him couldn't rest. He would attack their camps at night with small groups, keeping them awake and tired.

Gómez also used the environment to his advantage. The hot weather, bad roads, flooded rivers, and diseases weakened the Spanish soldiers. They were often tired, hungry, and sick. Gómez also had good spies who gave him information about the Spanish army's plans.

Quick facts for kids La Reforma Campaign
Part of Cuban War of Independence
The General Staff of the campaign
Date January 27, 1897 - April 1898 Location Pastures of La Reforma, Jatibonico, Santa Clara, Cuba Result Cuban victory
Belligerents
Cuban rebels	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Máximo Gómez Francisco Carrillo José M. R. Rodríguez	Valeriano Weyler
Units involved
4th Army Corps 5th Liberation Corps 6th Liberation Corps
Strength
600 Mambises	40,000 Infantry
Casualties and losses
Light casualties	25,000 killed

Why the Campaign Started

By 1897, the Cuban forces were facing many challenges. Spain had sent a lot of troops and supplies to Cuba. Also, important Cuban leaders like Antonio Maceo Grajales had been lost. It was also hard to get supplies because foreign help mostly arrived in the eastern part of the island. The Cuban government also struggled to communicate with its forces in western Cuba.

After Maceo's death, the Spanish general Valeriano Weyler thought the war was almost over. He believed that if key Cuban leaders were gone, the revolution would fail. But Gómez had a different idea. He knew Weyler thought killing leaders would end the fight. So, Gómez decided to make a plan to keep the fight going.

Gómez thought about going to Havana, but he decided against it. He knew that if he went there, the war in the west might end, which would make Weyler happy. Instead, he chose to stay where he was. This would force Weyler to come and find him.

Gómez knew Weyler had many soldiers guarding military lines called "Las Trochas." Weyler didn't dare to move these soldiers. So, if Gómez stayed put, Weyler would have to pull soldiers from other areas like Pinar del Río, Havana, Matanzas, and Sagua La Grande to chase him. This would give the Cuban forces in those areas a chance to regroup and rest.

How the Campaign Unfolded

Gómez carefully planned the campaign. He wanted to force Weyler to send a huge number of soldiers into a specific area. This area was the pastures of La Reforma. It was a small space, about 70 square kilometers, near Sancti Spíritus. It was protected by 10,000 Spanish soldiers.

Gómez knew how the Spanish troops fought. They preferred using infantry (soldiers on foot) and heavy artillery. Their columns were slow and hard to move. Gómez used this knowledge to his advantage. He also had a good system for watching the enemy. Cavalry patrols kept an eye on all roads and troop movements. The land itself also helped the Cubans.

Gómez's strategy was to be very mobile. He knew what the enemy was doing and aimed to make them physically and mentally exhausted.

He avoided big, direct battles that could cause many losses for his smaller army. Instead, he constantly harassed the enemy day and night. This wore them down. He explained his tactics to General José de Jesús Monteagudo Consuegra:

…the time has come to fight hard like you. knows how to do it. Don't rush people into compromised sets. Try to wage infantry warfare, from ambush to ambush, guard your horses and take advantage of the night, securing your position, the dump; by day to occupy it, and at night and without danger, burst UD. a column of 1000 men with only 20, because it prevents you from sleeping and the next day those soldiers will be down and you catch them weaker...

Gómez always stayed close to the enemy's movements. This allowed him to retreat when needed, but also to observe them. He could then move freely and attack the enemy from behind without stopping.

To make his plan work, Gómez reorganized his forces. He restructured the 4th Army Corps. This included both military and civilian parts. He made sure the local communities and their leaders (prefectures) cooperated well.

Gómez's main force included his personal guards and a regiment led by Colonel Armando Sánchez. Together, they had about 600 men. The rest of the 4th Army Corps helped by interrupting enemy movements. Sometimes, they also directly supported Gómez's main attacks.

Early Battles: February-May 1897

The Cubans needed to trick the Spanish forces into going to Sancti Spíritus. Gómez did this by giving the Spanish army false information. He made them believe he was planning to invade the west. He even let fake messages reach the enemy, saying he would march west soon.

One of his tricks was attacking Arroyo Blanco, a fortified town. This town had a special communication system that connected directly to Sancti Spíritus and Havana. On January 27, Major General Francisco Carrillo Morales began to surround the town. The Cubans even used a special compressed air cannon.

Gómez wrote in his diary:

...my main purpose is to see how to force Weyler to move large forces over these Las Villas jurisdictions, weakening those he has deployed over Matanzas , Havana and Pinar del Río ...

To help Arroyo Blanco, the Spanish army sent a strong group of soldiers from Ciego de Ávila. The Cubans attacked them in the pastures of Juan Criollo. The Spanish soldiers fought back, causing some Cuban casualties. But the Spanish continued to Arroyo Blanco and freed the town.

Even though the Cubans didn't win this battle, it helped Gómez achieve his goal. After the fight, Weyler set up his main headquarters in Sancti Spíritus. He placed over 50,000 men in the areas of Sancti Spíritus, Cienfuegos, and Santa Clara. 40,000 of these were in Sancti Spíritus alone. He also increased patrols and surveillance.

Weyler fell into Gómez's trap. He ordered his brigades to destroy enemy resources and watch the passes to the west. He wanted them to chase any large Cuban groups.

Despite the large number of Spanish soldiers, Gómez kept fighting. He led strong battles against larger forces, like the Battle of Santa Teresa on March 8-9, 1897. The Cuban army fought well-organized Spanish forces. The fighting was intense and stopped at nightfall. During the night, the Cubans kept harassing the Spanish, who were protected by a listening system set up by Gómez.

When the fighting started again at dawn, the Cubans were ready. The battle was strong, and the Spanish eventually took the Cuban positions due to their larger numbers.

Gómez knew the Spanish would retreat towards Arroyo Blanco because of the land. So, he ordered his troops to set up ambushes and harass the enemy. This caused many Spanish casualties. Then, he ordered his troops to retreat to La Reforma.

The Cuban forces continued to succeed. This forced the Spanish to reorganize their army. They tried to increase their operations in May, even though it was the rainy season with intense heat. This weather made it hard for them to fight. Weyler tried to change his strategy and operate his troops directly between the Río Jatibonico del Norte and Río Jatibonico del Sur, and the Trocha de Júcaro a Morón.

The Spanish increased their pursuit of the Cubans. But Gómez kept his troops moving constantly in different directions. They marched long days in areas where the climate was not good for the Spanish soldiers. The Spanish had to endure exhausting daytime shifts under strong sun and rain, and constant harassment at night.

Gómez ordered the 4th Army Corps to move behind the enemy lines. At first, this didn't happen. Instead of fighting in Sagua, Cienfuegos, and Matanzas, they attacked near Sancti Spíritus, using many resources. This made Gómez's situation harder. However, the 4th Army Corps, led by General Francisco Carrillo Morales and José María Rodríguez Rodríguez, continued to operate behind the enemy lines.

See also

In Spanish: Campaña de La Reforma para niños