Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
should be able to conduct the country's affairs without the risk
of another military takeover.
The Military in Haitian History
The origins of Haiti's military lie in the country's revolution,
which began with a slave rebellion in 1791 and culminated in
French withdrawal in 1803 (see Fight for Independence, 1791-
1803, ch. 6). A decade of warfare produced a military cadre
from which Haiti's early leaders emerged. Defeat of the French
demonstrated Haiti's considerable strategic stamina and tactical
capabilities, but Haiti's victory did not translate into a successful
national government or a strong economy. Lacking an
effective constitution, Haiti was usually ruled by force. The
armed forces, which had been united against the French, fragmented
into warring regional factions. The militarv soon took
control of almost every aspect of Haitian life, and officers
assumed responsibility for the administration ofjustice and for
municipal management. According to a Haitian diplomat, the
country in its earlier days was "an immense militarv camp."
Without viable civilian institutions, Haiti was vulnerable to military
strongmen, who permanently shaped the nation's authoritarian,
personalist, and coercive style of governance.
During the latter half of the nineteenth century, the army
either failed to protect the central government or directly
caused the government's collapse by means of a coup. In addition,
rural insurgent movements led by piquets and cacos limited
the central government's authority in outlying areas. These
groups carried on guerrilla warfare into the twentieth century;
they remained active until put down by the United States
Marines in 1919.
Prolonged instability weakened the army. By the end of the
nineteenth century, Haiti's militarv had become little more
than an undisciplined, ill-fed, and poorly paid militia that
shifted its allegiances as battles were won or lost and as new
leaders came to power. Between 1806 and 1879, an estimated
sixty-nine revolts against existing governments took place;
another twenty uprisings or attempted insurrections broke out
between 1880 and 1915. At the beginning of the twentieth century,
Haiti's political problems attracted increasing foreign
involvement. France, Germany, and the United States were the
major actors. In 1915, as mob violence raged, the United States
occupied the country (see United States Involvement in Haiti,
1915-34, ch. 6).
462