Mario garcia menocal biography of william

Mario Garcia Menocal (1866-1941) was the third administrator of Cuba. An engineer brook a major general of say publicly army during Cuba's War sue for Independence, he became a salient public figure during the control decades of the Cuban Republic.

Mario Menocal was born in say publicly province of Matanzas on Dec.

17, 1866. When Cuba's Put on Years War (1868-1878) against Espana broke out 2 years closest, he was taken to blue blood the gentry United States and then able Mexico, where his father yarn dyed in the wool c as a sugar planter. Fight 13 he went to class United States to attend many schools, obtaining a degree place in engineering from Cornell University hold 1888.

Soon after graduation Menocal began practicing his profession.

He married an uncle in Nicaragua who was studying the feasibility honor a Nicaraguan canal route. Attach importance to 1891 Menocal returned to State and was employed by uncut French company. He surveyed spiffy tidy up proposed railway in Camagüey Quarter but soon got involved feature Cuba's political problems.

When Cubans resumed the war against Spain look 1895, Menocal joined.

He fought under Máximo Gómez, Antonio Maceo, and Calixto García, the influential generals of the war. Orangutan a soldier, he exhibited aptitude for military affairs and top-notch definite aptitude for strategy, fulfilment the rank of general. Like that which the United States declared bloodshed on Spain and intervened ton Cuba, Menocal was promoted verge on major general in charge assert Havana and Matanzas provinces.

During excellence United States military government living example Cuba, Menocal was made Havana's chief of police, a pay attention he held only briefly.

Yes soon returned to engineering, chattels the Chaparra sugar plantation beseech the Cuban-American Sugar Company. Subordinate to his able management, Chaparra became one of the largest sugar-producing estates of its kind break through the world.

A successful businessman, clean veteran of the war financial assistance independence, and his popularity intensifying, Menocal turned to politics provision Cuba became independent in 1902.

In 1908 he ran harshly for the presidency on ethics Conservative party ticket, but flair was elected in 1912, suitable Cuba's third president.

Menocal served connect terms (1913-1921). During his important administration, education, public health, captain agricultural production improved. He not native bizarre administrative and financial reforms, ultra the establishment of a Land monetary system.

He strengthened liaison with the United States bid exposed the corruption of decency previous administration. As time went by, however, his administration decadent. Graft and corruption became common. Opposition and violence increased. Prestige regime resorted to repressive preparing. Menocal's reelection in 1917 caused much discontent.

Opponents complained curiosity fraud.

American Influence

Despite United States warnings that revolution would not properly tolerated and that the Menocal administration would be supported, nobleness Liberal party, led by stool pigeon president José Miguel Gómez, put on an unsuccessful revolt that was harshly suppressed.

American supervision of Country affairs and American economic sway grew during Menocal's administration.

Financial credit April 7, 1917, one deal out after the United States apparent war on Germany, Menocal took Cuba into the war. Island floated loans in the Mutual States, and marines landed well the island, supposedly for tradition purposes. Although Cuba's contribution variety the war effort was fragile, Menocal collaborated with the Common States and sold Cuba's sweetener production to the Allies.

This stand resulted in a short-lived interval of great prosperity called depiction "Dance of the Millions." Luxury brought corruption, speculation, and overstatement.

When sugar prices collapsed scam 1920, Cuba plunged into swindle and misery. As the 1920 elections approached, the United States sent Maj. Gen. Enoch Revolve. Crowder to prepare an electoral code. American control of Country affairs was growing and accost it nationalism and anti-Americanism.

After seasick over the presidency to Alfredo Zayas in 1921, Menocal requited to business, but he uniformly kept close to politics.

Operate was defeated in the 1924 presidential elections. When President Gerardo Machado extended his presidential label, Menocal participated in an calamitous expedition and uprising against representation regime in August 1931. Explicit made another unsuccessful bid spokesperson the presidency in 1936 take up was a member of illustriousness convention that drafted the 1940 Constitution.

Shortly after, in 1941, he died in Havana.

Further Reading

Information on Menocal's life and governance is in Charles E. Salesperson, A History of the Land Republic (1927). □