Aspects of the Spanish-American War

Introduction

The Spanish Empire experienced significant hardships in the second half of the 19th century. Spain was not able to save its dominant position at the global level and impact other nations. Cuba, one of the nations possessed by the Spanish empire, correctly realized the situation and wanted to become independent. At the same time, the USA was the rising regional power and wanted to use the situation to empower its positions. Thus, the Spanish-American war resulted from the clash between the US involvement in Cuban events, its imperial interests, and the Spanish Empire’s attempts to preserve its dominant role in the region.

Spanish Actions in Cuba

The Spanish used every effort to quell the uprising and maintain their hold on Cuba. Spanish forces developed the “Reconcentration” tactic, which involved removing people from their houses and ordering them to take just what they could carry before pillaging and torching the buildings (Brennan, 2021). Following removal, families were sent to reconcentration camps, essentially abhorrent places, for Spain to control them and suppress any attempts to rebel. The poor living conditions in those areas resulted in numerous diseases and deaths of replaced individuals (Brennan, 2021). Additionally, any attempt to escape was punished by death to preserve control over people. However, the number of individuals who tried to run remained high as the living conditions were unsatisfactory.

The US Interest in the Events

The events described above became a disputed and global issue. Thus, people in America were becoming increasingly enraged and eager to help Cubans because of the cruelty of the Spanish empire and the numerous deaths among the replaced individuals. In such a way, the humanitarian catastrophe, severe repressions, and homicides became the key factors that pushed America into a conflict with Spain (de Quesada, 2007). Moreover, American companies invested significant financial resources in Cuba and sought to preserve that investment. Thus, Spain’s inability to preserve control over Cuba would provide America with additional economic benefits. Additionally, the US army had a long period of inactivity, meaning it required a new battle to prove the nation’s power (de Quesada, 2007). Finally, the US Navy had similar moods, which supported the idea of the necessity of war with Spain.

Moods within the USA

In such a way, most Americans favored the idea of starting a war with Spain. However, President McKinley was against direct conflict with the powerful empire and avoided confrontation (Silbey, 2017). At the same time, the newspapers helped to support military moods in society by describing the misfortunes of Cuba’s people and crimes committed by the Spanish Empire. These moods impacted McKinley, who decided to dispatch the USS Maine to Havana Harbor (Silbey, 2017). He informed the Spanish that this was not an act of war but a precaution to ensure the Americans’ safety in Cuba (Silbey, 2017). It was an intimidation tactic to demonstrate the US support of Cuba and emphasize its concerns about the problem.

Escalation of the Conflict

However, the situation was gradually escalating toward the declaration of war. While residing in the US, a Spanish ambassador De Lome sent a secret message to a colleague in Cuba (“De Lôme Letter (1898),” 2022). Cuban insurgents acquired the letter and provided the information to the US press (Silbey, 2017). Its publication became another critical factor for promoting military moods in US society. Most citizens were irritated by De Lome’s disrespectful attitude toward McKinley and the nation (“De Lôme Letter (1898),” 2022). As a result of dominant moods in society, the United States refused to accept Spain’s apology and De Lome’s dismissal.

Declaration of War

The events described above made the war almost inevitable. Senator Redfield Proctor believed that fighting was the only option because of the peculiarities of the global discourse (Miller, 2021). Following his remarks, the opponents of war changed their views and accepted the necessity of war. Eventually, the US Congress declared Cuba free of colonialism and ordered Spain to leave the island (de Quesada, 2007). Moreover, the USA encouraged Cubans to resist Spain vigorously and fight for freedom. This declaration and the outspoken support to Cuba ended diplomatic relations between the USA and Spain. The declared war was characterized by severe battles in strategically important locations such as the Philippines and Cuba (de Quesada, 2007). Moreover, the conflict had far-reaching effects, costing many lives and causing extensive damage to infrastructure and property. At the same time, the war was a defining moment in US history as it facilitated its transformation into a global power.

Results

Following the war, America increased its involvement in world politics. The USA had significant expansion in its population and infrastructure while also making economic progress. The Spanish Empire also experienced serious consequences from the war. The civil war because of the crisis within the state can be viewed as one of the most important aftermaths of the described conflict (de Quesada, 2007). Moreover, the USA acquired some lands that were previously a part of the Spanish Empire. Finally, the conflict helped to unite the Northern and Southern states. They banded together to combat their adversaries for the first time since the American Civil War.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Spanish-American War became a significant event in the history of the USA and Spain. The first one acquired new lands, united as a single nation, and transformed into a global power. The second one was not able to recover and collapsed. Spain’s status as a colonial power in the New World was terminated mainly by the Spanish-American War. With major territory claims from the Caribbean to Southeast Asia, the United States emerged from the conflict as a global force.

References

Brennan, D. (2021). The butcher and the arson: How Spain’s generals lost her empire and destroyed her crown jewel. Penn History Review, 27(1), 5. Web.

De Lôme Letter (1898). (2022). National Archives. Web.

de Quesada, A. (2007). The Spanish-American war and Philippine insurrection: 1898–1902. Osprey Publishing.

Miller, B. M. (2021). Did fake news unite the home front behind a war with Spain? A reconsideration of US press coverage, 1895–1898. Home Front Studies, 1(1), 1-31. Web.

Silbey, D. (2017). A match is nothing without a fuse; A fuse is nothing without a bomb: Starting two wars, 1898-1899. Center for the Study of America and the West. Web.