The Dominican Civil War—or April Revolution
It erupted in Santo Domingo on 24 April 1965, igniting a fierce conflict that redefined the nation’s destiny. The crisis began when a coalition of civilian and military constitutionalists overthrew the military-installed president, Donald Reid Cabral, aiming to restore the ousted, democratically elected president Juan Bosch to power. In response, loyalist military forces under General Elías Wessin y Wessin launched a brutal counter-offensive against the rebels.
Fearing the rise of a communist regime in the Caribbean, the United States intervened rapidly with a massive military invasion under Operation Power Pack. This intervention soon evolved into an Organization of American States occupation led by the Inter-American Peace Force. Though officially maintaining a neutral stance, U.S. forces strategically deployed troops to favor anti-Bosch factions, altering the course of the war until its conclusion on 3 September 1965.
Book cover design for Helion Publishing.