The Caribbean is home to a number of independent island states - former colonies of European powers that gained state independence in the 19th-20th centuries. All of them, being located on the islands, do not differ in their large territory and high population size, but the specifics of the historical development of these states necessitated the formation and strengthening of their own armed forces. Cuba currently has the most numerous and well-equipped armed forces among the island states of the Caribbean. But a review of the history and analysis of the state of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba is beyond the scope of our article - this topic is so extensive that it requires separate consideration. Therefore, in our article we will focus on the armed forces of other Caribbean states. Among them, the Dominican Republic has the most numerous armed forces.
The largest army after Cuba
In 1821, the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo was able to achieve independence, but already in the next 1822 it fell under the control of the neighboring Republic of Haiti and remained in its composition until 1844. In 1844 there was an uprising against the Haitian government, as a result of which the eastern part of the island was proclaimed the Dominican Republic. Since that time, the date of the official declaration of the country's independence is February 27, 1844. However, in 1861 Spain again managed to seize the Dominican Republic and only four years later, in 1865, the Dominicans managed to finally drive out the invaders. The history of the Dominican Republic is an endless series of military coups and uprisings, confrontation with neighboring Haiti and difficult relations with the United States of America. Considering that the Dominican Republic has always remained a backward country in socio-economic terms, popular unrest and uprisings periodically broke out here. This factor, as well as the constant problems with the troubled neighbor - Haiti, necessitated the creation and maintenance of armed forces, which are quite numerous by the standards of the Caribbean countries. The army has always played a significant role in the political history of the Dominican Republic, where military juntas of the classical Latin American type have repeatedly come to power. The armed forces of the Dominican Republic in the first decades of its political independence were not distinguished by a large number of personnel and, moreover, by good weapons and equipment.
The number of the country's armed forces during the period of the "First Republic" was about 4,000 soldiers and officers. The armed forces consisted of 7 line infantry regiments, several separate battalions, 6 cavalry squadrons and 3 artillery batteries. In addition, at the disposal of the country's leadership were the Civil Guard, which was an analogue of the internal troops and serving in the provinces of the country, and the National Naval Armada, which included 10 ships: the 20-gun frigate "Hibao", the brigantine "San Jose" with 5 artillery tools; schooner "La Libertad" with 5 guns; schooner "Santana" with 7 guns; schooner "La Merced" with 5 guns; schooner "Separacion" with 3 guns; schooner "" February 27 "with 5 guns; schooner "Maria Luisa" with 3 guns; schooner "30March "with 3 guns; schooner "Esperanza" with 3 guns. The National Marine Armada had 674 sailors and officers. Also in the Dominican Republic there was a military expeditionary force recruited by the first president, Pedro Santana, in Ato Mayor and El Seibo. This corps was armed with machetes and spears, and the direct command of the corps was carried out by Brigadier General Antonio Duverger. On the northern borders of the republic, the Northern Expeditionary Force was stationed under the command of Major General Francisco Salcedo. In the early years of independence, the Dominican Republic spent up to 55% of the country's national budget on defense, which was associated with the constant military incursions of Haiti, which tried to annex the eastern part of the island and subjugate the Dominican Republic to its rule.
The socio-economic and political weakness of the Dominican Republic led to the fact that by the beginning of the twentieth century. she fell into a strong economic dependence on the United States. On May 5, 1916, American troops landed on the island and occupied the territory of the Dominican Republic. The consequence of the American military occupation, which lasted eight years - until 1924, was the elimination of the armed forces of the Dominican Republic. In 1917, in the second year of the occupation, the National Guard of the Dominican Republic was created. The model for its creation was the United States Marine Corps, whose instructors trained officers and soldiers of the Dominican Republic National Guard. In June 1921, the military governor of Santo Domingo, Rear Admiral Thomas Snowden, signed an order to reorganize the National Guard into the National Police. In 1924, the American military occupation of the country ended, and Horacio Vasquez won the presidential elections, one of the first decrees of which was the transformation of the Dominican National Police into the National Army.
In February 1930, a military coup took place in the Dominican Republic. Power in the country was seized by General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina (1891-1961), who served as commander-in-chief. On August 16, 1930, he was officially elected president of the country - 99% of voters voted for Trujillo. Rafael Trujillo, from a poor family (his grandfather was a sergeant in the Spanish army), worked as a telegraph operator for three years in his youth, then he was fired and took up crime, trading in robbery and cattle stealing. Young Trujillo spent several months in prison, and then organized a gang "42", also engaged in robbery. After the American occupation, in 1918, the 27-year-old Trujillo joined the National Guard organized by the occupation regime and in nine years rose from lieutenant to general. It was during the reign of Trujillo that the reorganization of the Dominican army began, which continued to perform mainly police functions. In 1937, the number of the country's armed forces reached 3,839 officers and soldiers, including police officers. In 1942, the armed forces numbered 3,500 army soldiers and officers and 900 police officers. In 1948, the country's air force was created. The army became the main stronghold of power of Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo Molina, who established a tough dictatorship and was at the head of state for more than thirty years - until 1961, when he was killed as a result of a conspiracy by a group of representatives of the country's military and economic elite. One of the hallmarks of Generalissimo Trujillo's dictatorship was his anti-Haitian policy of deporting Haitian refugees from the Dominican Republic. Despite the fact that the Dominican Republic itself remained an extremely disadvantaged country, living conditions in Haiti were even worse, which stimulated an influx of refugees. In turn, Trujillo sought to reduce the percentage of the African population of the country, for which, on the one hand, he accepted any European immigrants - both Spanish migrants and Jews who fled from the fascist European countries refugees. The Dominican army became the main instrument of Trujillo's anti-Haitian policy. The functions of the country's political counterintelligence, which was engaged in repression of dissidents, were performed by the Military Intelligence Service under the leadership of Johnny Arbenz Garcia (1924-1967), a former sports reporter who joined Trujillo.
Currently, the armed forces of the Dominican Republic number 64,500 people and consist of the ground forces, the air force and the navy. The land forces of the Dominican Republic have 45,800 soldiers and officers. They include 6 infantry brigades, an auxiliary brigade and an air squadron. The country's air force is based at two air bases in the north and south of the country, respectively. Their number is 5,498 officers and soldiers. The DR Air Force is armed with 43 aircraft and helicopters. The history of the Dominican Republic Air Force began in 1932, when a national aviation unit was formed as part of the army. However, until 1942, the country was able to acquire only about ten aircraft. In 1942, the aviation received the name of the aviation company of the national army. After a group of political opponents of Trujillo tried to invade the republic from Cuba in 1947, the president ordered the purchase of bombers and fighters from the United States. But the United States refused to sell aircraft. Then Trujillo acquired it in the UK. Then, after the signing of the 1947 Rio Treaty, the republic received 25 fighter-bombers and 30 training aircraft from the United States. After that, the aviation company was transformed into an independent branch of the armed forces and renamed the Military Aviation Corps of the Dominican Republic. Since 1962, military aviation has been named the Air Force of the Dominican Republic. The Navy of the Dominican Republic is armed with 3 warships, 25 boats and 2 patrol helicopters. The number of the personnel of the Navy reaches 4,000 officers and sailors. The country's armed forces continue to perform primarily police functions, actively participating in the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, smuggling and illegal migration from Haiti to the Dominican Republic and from the Dominican Republic to the United States.
The recruitment of the armed forces of the Dominican Republic is carried out by hiring citizens of the country for military service under the contract. Citizens aged 16-45 are liable for military service. Military officers are trained at the Military Academy, the Air Academy, and the Naval Academy, as well as at US military schools. At the Military Academy, the course of study is designed for 4 years and 3 months, upon graduation, graduates receive a bachelor's degree in military sciences. At the Naval Academy, the training period is 4 years, at the Air Academy - also 4 years in three specialties - aviation maintenance, ground handling and aircraft maintenance. The following military ranks are established in the country's army and navy: 1) lieutenant general (admiral), 2) major general (vice admiral), 3) brigadier general (rear admiral), 4) colonel (fleet captain), 5) lieutenant colonel (frigate captain), 6) major (corvette captain), 7) captain (fleet lieutenant), 8) first lieutenant (frigate lieutenant), 9) second lieutenant (corvette lieutenant), 10) cadet (midshipman), 11) sergeant major, 12) first sergeant, 13) staff sergeant, 14) sergeant, 15) corporal, 16) private first class (sailor first class), 17) private (sailor). In accordance with the Constitution of the Dominican Republic, the president of the country is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He exercises leadership of the armed forces through the Minister of the Armed Forces and the commanders of the army, navy and air force. The minister and his deputies are military personnel. The Minister of the Armed Forces is appointed by the President, while the Minister, with the approval of the President, appoints his deputies. As a rule, the minister of the country's armed forces carries the rank of lieutenant general (or admiral - if he is a naval officer). Currently (since 2014) the Minister of the Armed Forces of the country is Lieutenant General Maximo Muñoz Delgado. Each branch of the armed forces has its own General Staff. The Dominican Republic is divided into three defense zones - military districts. The Southern Defense Zone is centered in Santo Domingo, the Northern Defense Zone in Santiago de los Caballeros, and the Western Defense Zone in Barahona. In addition to the military units themselves, the Ministry of the Armed Forces has military security agencies formed from military personnel and civilian personnel and performing extensive functions in the field of ensuring the country's security. These include: Dominican Armed Forces Anti-Terrorism Command, Department of National Research, Specialized Airport Security and Civil Aviation Corps, Specialized Metro Security Corps, National Environmental Protection Agency, Specialized Tourist Security Corps, Special Port Security Service, Special Land Border Guard Service.
Haiti: army disbanded, police function
Until the early 1990s. the eponymous Republic of Haiti, located in the western part of the island of Haiti, also had a fairly large military force by Caribbean standards. Their history began at the end of the 18th century in the process of a heavy armed struggle for national independence. The ten-year War of Independence not only helped to form the Haitian army, but also brought forward from among the former African slaves - blacks and mulattos - military leaders who have played a vital role in the political history of the country. For two centuries, the military has been the main instrument of political governance in the country. The need for an increase in military spending was due to constant rivalry with the neighboring Dominican Republic. But political instability in Haiti itself has led to a weakening of the military. At the end of the 19th century, the Haitian army was an undisciplined and poorly paid militia, divided into detachments, loyal not so much to the country as to their commanders. At the beginning of the twentieth century. the Haitian army consisted of 9000 soldiers and officers, 308 generals. In 1915, Haiti was occupied by the United States of America, after which the former Haitian army was disbanded. In February 1916, the Haitian Gendarmerie was formed with the participation of the American Marine Corps. Initially, the Haitian gendarmes were commanded by officers and sergeants of the US Marine Corps. The functions of the gendarmerie included ensuring public order, in addition, it was also responsible for ensuring the execution of orders from the American command. In 1928, on the basis of the Haitian Gendarmerie, the Haitian Guard was created, which formed the core of the country's armed forces after the end of the American military occupation in 1934. The United States sought to create a modern army in Haiti capable of providing defense and internal order in the country. Therefore, the training of the Haiti Guard was also carried out by American officers and sergeants. But almost immediately after the end of the period of the American occupation, the political situation in the country worsened. The military again took over the functions of state administration in the absence of another force capable of bringing order to the country.
When the dictator François Duvalier came to power in Haiti in 1957, he tried to neutralize the influence of the military elite on the political life of the country, relying on paramilitaries under his personal control. Duvalier retired most of the senior Haitian army officers who had been trained by American instructors during the occupation. Duvalier's personal control was the presidential guard and the civilian militia formed in 1959 - the very Tonton Makuta, who became widely known for their massacres of opponents of the regime. The civilian militia was recruited from young lumpen residents of the slums of Port-au-Prince and other cities in the country. In 1961, Duvalier closed the Military Academy in an effort to weaken the army's position and prevent the possibility of replenishment of the officer corps. Duvalier's next step was the expulsion of American instructors in 1963, since the dictator saw in their activities to train the Haitian army a potential danger to his power. However, discontent with the Duvalier regime was also expressed by employees of the paramilitary formations created by him. Thus, in 1967, 19 officers of the presidential guard were executed on charges of organizing explosions near the presidential palace. The situation began to change in 1971, when Jean-Claude Duvalier came to power in the country, seeking to modernize the defense and security system of the Haitian state. He included a number of paramilitary commanders in the army officer corps. In 1972 the Military Academy of Haiti was reopened. However, the army did not defend the regime of Duvalier Jr., which collapsed in 1986. The troops refused to shoot at opposition demonstrations, and there were cases of unrest among the soldiers. However, in the late 1980s. the Haitian army continued to carry out predominantly police functions. After the overthrow of the Duvalier regime, the role of the military in Haiti has grown significantly. In 1988 alone, there were four military coups, and in 1989 - the fifth military coup. In the army itself, dissatisfaction with junior officers and non-commissioned officers with the level of wages and the provision of military personnel grew. At the same time, during this period, a distinctive feature of the armed forces was a high degree of corruption and complicity in the drug trade. The lack of a professional police force in Haiti made it much more difficult to fight crime. Ultimately, in 1995, Haiti disbanded its military. Peacekeeping units from the United States, France, Canada and Chile were deployed in Haiti, which helped stabilize the political situation in the country. In 2005, it was the UN peacekeeping forces that carried out a series of operations against the armed criminal groups rampaging in Port-au-Prince. During this period, the main role in UN operations was played by the Brazilian military personnel, whose number in the UN contingent in Haiti increased to 1200 people. Currently, the Haitian military only exists on paper. The Haitian National Police, which has a well-trained and armed SWAT riot control team, and the Haitian Coast Guard are responsible for maintaining internal order and protecting the country's borders.
The Haitian Coast Guard Commissioner is one of the few police units in the world that is focused on the duties of both the Coast Guard and the Maritime Police. In addition, the Haitian Coast Guard also serves as a rescue service. The history of the Haitian Coast Guard began in the late 1930s, when two boats entered service. During World War II, the Coast Guard received six 83-foot boats, followed by several more patrol boats transferred by the American Coast Guard. In 1948, a US Navy mission arrived in Haiti. Since that time, the United States has provided substantial assistance in equipping and training the Haitian Coast Guard personnel. In 1970, the Coast Guard attempted an armed rebellion. Three Coast Guard ships fired at the Duvalier presidential palace in Port-au-Prince, but were driven away by aircraft. The ships surrendered to American soldiers from the Guantanamo base, after which they were disarmed and transferred back to Haiti. Following this incident, Duvalier renamed the Coast Guard the Haitian Navy. In 1976, Haiti acquired five small patrol boats in Louisiana. By the end of the 1980s. The Haitian Navy was armed with the Henri Christophe tugboat, 9 small American-made patrol ships and the old presidential yacht Sanssouci. 45 officers and 280 sailors served in the navy. After the disbandment of the Haitian armed forces, the remnants of the fleet were renamed the Coast Guard and placed under the operational command of the Haitian National Police. Currently, the Haitian Coast Guard Corps carries out tasks to ensure the protection of the country's territorial waters, the fight against drug trafficking, all types of crime, compliance with laws and regulations in the field of shipping and fishing. The Coast Guard includes: a command post consisting of the Coast Guard Commandant, his assistant, and operational manager; three Coast Guard bases at Port-au-Prince, Cap-Antyenne and Jacmel. The Coast Guard is armed with 12 Vedette-class ships and 7 patrol boats.
The Haitian National Police currently performs a full range of functions related not only to the fight against crime and the protection of public order, but also to ensure the national security and defense of the country. The National Police was established in 1995, and since then over 8,500 police officers have been trained by American, Canadian, Brazilian, Argentine, Chilean and French instructors. An increase in the Haitian police force to 14,000 is currently planned. A significant role in the Haitian police is played by former servicemen of the army disbanded in 1995, some of whom insist on the revival of the country's armed forces. The Haitian National Police is currently headed by a Police Commissioner appointed by the President for a four-year term. The National Police of Haiti includes the following structural units: 1) Directorate General of the National Police of Haiti, 2) General Inspectorate of the National Police of Haiti, 3) Office of Additional Information, 4) Administrative Office. The police carry out tasks to ensure public safety, protect people and their property, protect state institutions, protect public order and peace in the country, and license the right to own firearms. Also part of the Haitian National Police is the Judicial Police, which performs the functions of the Criminal Investigation and Investigation Service. The police were initially recruited through the recruitment of former members of the Haitian army. The Haiti Police Academy, founded in 1994, is currently training national police officers.
Jamaica Defense Forces
Unlike the armed forces of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the paramilitaries of a number of other Caribbean states have their origins not in the struggle for independence, but in the history of the colonial troops and police. Jamaica, a former British colony, has one of the most efficient paramilitary forces. The Jamaican Defense Force includes the Army, Air Wing and Coast Guard. The training, organizational structure, armaments and traditions of the Jamaican armed forces inherit the experience of the British military model. It was Great Britain, as well as Canada and the United States, that played the main role in ensuring the creation of their own armed forces in Jamaica. The Jamaican Defense Force is the heir to the tradition of the British West Indies Regiment serving in the British colonies in the Caribbean. The West Indies Regiment existed from 1795 to 1926, then was transformed into the Jamaican Volunteer Infantry during the Second World War. Currently, the Jamaica Defense Forces include: an infantry regiment, a reserve corps, an engineering unit, an air wing and a coast guard fleet. The infantry regiment includes 3 infantry battalions. The air wing includes a training block, a base and an air wing itself. The Coast Guard includes naval and support and support crews. Among the functions that the Jamaica Defense Forces perform include not only protecting the country's maritime borders, but also helping the police in the fight against drug trafficking, smuggling and street crime. Defense Forces soldiers, along with police officers, are involved in patrolling Jamaican cities and fighting criminal groups active in urban slums. The current strength of the Jamaica Defense Forces is 2,830. The ground units - the Jamaican Infantry Regiment and the Engineer Regiment - serve 2,500 people. In service there are 4 armored personnel carriers and 12 mortars. 140 soldiers and officers serve in the aviation wing, 1 transport aircraft, 3 light aircraft and 8 helicopters are in service. The Coast Guard has 190 people, 3 speedboats and 8 patrol boats are in service.
Trinidad Army - 3rd in the West Indies
More significant military potential than Jamaica has another former British colony in the West Indies - Trinidad and Tobago. The history of the armed forces of this country goes back to the combat path of the 2nd battalion of the British West Indies, on the basis of which the formation of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Forces began in 1962. At present, the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Forces have a strength of 4,000, one of the largest armed forces in the Caribbean (after Cuba and the Dominican Republic and the Haitian police). The ground forces of Trinidad and Tobago number about 3,000 troops and include the Trinidad Infantry Regiment and a supply and support battalion. The Trinidad Infantry Regiment is the heir to the 2nd Battalion of the West Indies Regiment of the British Colonial Forces. Despite the status of the regiment, in fact it is an infantry brigade of 2,800 soldiers and officers. The regiment consists of 2 infantry battalions, 1 engineer battalion and 1 support battalion. The ground forces are armed with 6 mortars, 24 recoilless guns and 13 grenade launchers. The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has 1,063 officers and sailors and includes 1 patrol ship, 2 large and 17 small patrol boats, 1 auxiliary vessel, 5 aircraft. The Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard was created in 1966 as part of the Coast Guard, but in 1977, 11 years after its creation, it was separated into a separate branch of the country's Defense Forces. The Trinidadian Air Force is armed with 10 aircraft and 4 helicopters. The Trinidad and Tobago Defense Forces are responsible for homeland security, crime, drug trafficking and smuggling. In 1993-1996. Trinidadian soldiers performed peacekeeping functions in Haiti - as part of the UN peacekeeping contingent, and in 2004-2005 participated in the liquidation of the consequences of a terrible hurricane in another small island state - Grenada.
Defense Forces of Barbados
Another former British colony in the Caribbean with its own armed forces is Barbados. The Barbados Defense Force, created on August 15, 1979, has three main components - the Barbados Regiment, the Coast Guard and the Cadet Corps. The headquarters of the Barbados Defense Forces is located at Fort St. Anne. The Defense Forces are commanded by the Chief of Staff (currently occupied by Colonel Alvin Quentin). The Barbados Regiment is the historical successor of the Barbados Volunteer Forces, created in the colonial era - in 1902, to protect the island and maintain order after the withdrawal of the main contingent of British troops. Barbados soldiers participated in the First and Second World Wars as part of the West Indies and Caribbean regiments. In 1948, on the basis of the Barbados Volunteer Forces, the Barbados Regiment was created, which then became the basis of the Barbados Defense Forces (in 1959-1962, during the existence of the Federation of the West Indies, the regiment was part of the West Indies Regiment as its third battalion). The regiment is currently based at Fort St. Anne and is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Glen Grannum. The Barbados regiment consists of 2 battalions - a regular battalion (composition - headquarters company, engineering company, special operations company) and a reserve battalion (composition - headquarters company and 2 rifle companies). The regiment also included a military band of the Barbados Defense Forces, whose musicians still "flaunt" in the uniform of the West Indies regiment of the second half of the 19th century. The Barbados Coast Guard is based at the Pelican base and is engaged in the protection of the country's territorial waters, the fight against drug trafficking, humanitarian and rescue operations. The Barbados Coast Guard has about 150 officers and sailors. The Coast Guard is commanded by the commander, currently Lieutenant Peterson. The Barbados Cadet Corps is a paramilitary youth organization founded in 1904. The corps includes infantry and naval cadets, and a medical unit. The command of the corps is carried out by the commander - currently this position is held by Lieutenant Colonel James Bradshaw. In addition, the Royal Barbados Police, created in 1961 after the model of the London Police, carry out internal security functions in Barbados.
Defense of the "smallest"
The Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados have the largest armed forces in the Caribbean (excluding Cuba). But a number of small island states have their own defense forces and police formations. The Royal Defense Forces of Antigua and Barbuda has 245 people. They include: a headquarters service, an engineering platoon, an infantry company, a coast guard flotilla of several boats. But, despite the small number, the Antigua and Barbuda Defense Forces took part in a number of armed operations in the West Indies: the landing of American troops in Grenada in 1983, the suppression of the insurgency in Trinidad in 1990, the peacekeeping operation in Haiti in 1995. The main functions of the Antigua and Barbuda Defense Forces include homeland security, public order, crime and drug trafficking, fishing control, rescue and environmental protection.
Saint Kitts and Nevis also has its own Defense Force (pictured - parade). They were created in 1896 as a detachment to maintain order on the sugar cane plantations. Currently, their number reaches 300 people. The Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Forces include the Saint Kitts and Nevis Regiment, the Coast Guard and the Cadet Corps. The regiment is actually similar to an infantry company and consists of a command platoon and three rifle platoons. In the Cadet Corps, 150 young citizens of the country are undergoing military training. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, there is the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, founded in 1999, with 691 police officers and civil servants. The paramilitary units of the Royal Police are the Special Forces and the Coast Guard. In Saint Lucia, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force is active, numbering 947 police and civil servants. The Coast Guard and Special Forces are also paramilitary components of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.
Bahamas: the fleet on guard of the country
In the Bahamas, due to its geographic location, there is no ground and air force. But the country has its own Royal Bahamas Defense Forces, which consist of the Navy, which performs general functions of protecting the state, its territorial integrity, public order and internal security, and combating crime. The Royal Bahamas Defense Forces was established on March 31, 1980 as part of the Ministry of Homeland Security of the Bahamas. The commander-in-chief is officially considered the monarch of Great Britain (currently - Queen Elizabeth II). The Royal Bahamas Defense Forces is the largest Commonwealth navy in the Caribbean. Their number is about 1000 officers and sailors. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force is comprised of naval crews and a commando squadron serving as the Marine Corps. The commando squadron has about 500 troops undergoing training under the guidance of instructors from the British and American marines. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force has military ranks similar to those of the British Royal Navy.
Thus, we see that the overwhelming majority of the Caribbean countries do not have any significant military potential and use their armed forces, even if they do exist, as internal troops and border guards. In the event of serious military conflicts, they count on the intervention of their patrons - the United States or Great Britain.
