Thursday, February 28, 2019
American Spanish war in 1898, Spain Loses Colonies
It is quite grueling to make a conclusion on the fall aparticular ensuant that lost 258 American sailors on board the battleship USS Maine, not because of the complexity of the incident still because of the lack of sufficient findings of the case. Even some writers address the incident as The USS Maine mysteriously blew up. The USS Maine was sent to Havana value with a mission to mastertect US citizens in Cuba. According to Phillip Oppenheim The Spanish immediately apologized that what evidence in that respect was pointed to an accidental explosion in the Ships magazine (p.101).The findings merely was, the cause of the tragedy was an accidental explosion as a settlement of spontaneous combustion in the coalbunker near the powder magazine. This finding was oddly concluded by Hyman G. Rick all over, a US Navy Admiral and a scientist, published in 1976. Hymans findings may be convincing, but hence Reckovers findings according to a wikipedia article have been disputed by US Naval History Center (Wikipedia).My conclusion on the Cuba incident was the USS Maine was intention solelyy blown up either by some pro Spanish group such as the Spanish Voluntarios or by Cuban independence fighter in order to spark the contendfare amid the join State and Spain. Citing superior Sigsbee, the commanding officer of the Maine, Evelina Gleaves Cohen pointed give away Captain Sigbees message reporting that the USS Maine was destroyed by a Mine. Sigbees message stated, I surmise that her berth was one deep-rooted previous to her arrival, perhaps long ago (Cohen, p. 63).It would be reasonable to suppose in the survivors account as they have witnessed in detail what exactly had happened. It was intentional as the mine could not be there if it was not planted for that purpose. The only thing that maybe difficult to establish was who were behind this incident. Nonetheless, it serves its purpose. The Origin of the fight The origin of Spanish American war cannot be attributed to the so called Cuba incident as the USS Maine were sent to protect US citizens from the hostilities that were orchestrated by pro Spanish Voluntarios which gave the United States a basis to launch in the warship USS Maine.According to Wikipedia article, the war started aft(prenominal) Spain spurned the American demand to resolve peacefully the Cuban struggle for independence. The explosion of the USS Maine may have ignited the already smoking employment but it was the interest of the United States on Spains overseas territories that led to them to enrol in the Cuban political struggles (Wikipedia). The USS Maine According to Oppenheim the USS Maine sailed provocatively into Havana harbor (p. 101).An internet article entitled Increasing Spanish-Cuban tensions Late 19th Century, mentioned that when the conflict broke out in Cuba in 1895, Spain sent 200,000 troops chthonic the infamous general Weyler, in addition known as the Butcher, to squash the insurrection. Wey ler intent large number in concentration camps under the harsh and merciless condition causing prisoners rapid death especially from disease. This outraged portions of the US public that called out for immediate action which the provoked the US to departure an ultimatum to the Spanish authorities.With Spains refusal to oblige, the US congress passed a declaration of was against Spain preliminary to the destruction of the USS Maine (The Spanish American War 1898-1901). Consequences of the Confrontation The consequences of the confrontations on the Spanish authorities were enormous as most of their remaining ships were destroyed digression from many lives that were lost in the battle. But most importantly, Spain losses all its overseas colonies including their most treasured possession, Cuba. It also marked the collapsed of Spains world power.However, the consequences of war on the United States were rather positive. The United States became a world power after it acquired the Spa nish colonies (Spanish American War). What loosing Cuba meant for Spain? Basically, it seemed that politically and economically Cuba does not rightfully have such importance for Spain than any of their colonies in Asia and all otherwise part of the world. Perhaps the importance of Cuba for Spain was that it was during the Cuban rebellion that led to war against the United States, which eventually led to the loss of the remaining overseas colonies of Spain.Cuba was the die hard image of Spanish greatness and pride thus Spain was determined to make the country under their control despite pressure from the United States to pass independence to the beleaguered colony. What other Colonies were lost by Spain The American mastery against Spain enables the United States to acquire Spanish colonies such as the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The Philippines was acquired by the United States after the Spanish forces in the Philippines surrendered manila to Admiral George Dewey in ba ttle of manila paper Bay (Spanish American War).The American forces needed the support of Filipino rebels particularly of Emilio Aguinaldo before finally subduing the Spanish forces in the Philippines. After American victory in the Philippines, Spain lost Guam to the United States with out a fight. Spanish authorities in Guam According to the internet article Spanish American War were unaware that the war had started until American warship arrived in Guam on June 20, surprise the authorities surrendered the island without a fight. Another colony that Spain lost to the United States due(p) to their defeat in the war was Puerto Rico.According to the article, the invasion of Puerto Rico began on good afternoon of July 21 from the Guantanamo bay. The invasion was spearheaded by battleship Massachusetts, Dixie, Gloucester, Colunbia and Yale, under the command of Captain of Frances J. Higginson with 3,500 U. S Army troops. Although the US Army encountered pierce resistance but they su bsequently over power the Spanish Forces depending the country. Other colonies lost by Spain through treaty and sale to the United States were Hawaiian Islands, The Guantanamo Bay, the Virgin Islands, and part of the Samoan Archipelago. ConclusionThe Spanish American war was the classic encounter between the declining super and the rising world power. The war seemed to be that turned over of power by the exiting world power to the United States as the uphill world power. But the lesson that the war may have taught Spain, and the United States was that war was not only a means for settling disputes, but it was also an expression of unsatisfied cravings for more. The Spanish American War (1898-1901) tp//www. sparknotes. com/history/American/spanishamerican/section1. html Spanish American war http//www. conservapedia. com/Spanish-American_War
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