Colonial War: The Spanish-American Conflict of 1898

Colonial War and Crisis of 1898: The War of Cuba

The war in Cuba is at the heart of the actions of Canovas' Conservative government, until his assassination at the hands of the Italian anarchist Angiolillo. When the new Cuban insurrection began, Spain found itself isolated due to the political alliances designed by German Chancellor Bismarck. Because of this lack of international support, the Alfonsino regime could barely sustain the confrontation, first indirect and later direct, with the United States.

Independence Movement

The second war was inspired by Cuban independence advocate Jose Marti. The movement's social base was composed of the peasantry, the native bourgeoisie, and the popular classes. The Cuban Revolutionary Party boosted the independence movement that broke out in 1895 with the Grito de Baire. With guerrilla tactics, they gained control of the countryside. The war forced the Spanish state to make a great effort, calling up citizens from the working classes. Martinez Campos was replaced by Valeriano Weyler, who concentrated the rural population in areas controlled by the army. After the assassination of Canovas in 1897, the liberal Sagasta, a supporter of an understanding with the United States, returned to chair the executive and replaced Weyler with General Blanco. The adoption of measures for political autonomy and amnesty aimed to redirect the conflict, but the event known as the bombing of the Maine radically changed the situation.

Participation of the United States in the Conflict

The United States intervened in the Cuban conflict starting in 1897, under McKinley's presidency. He offered Spain to purchase the island for $300 million, and when that was refused, issued an ultimatum for its immediate sale. The explosion and sinking of the US battleship Maine in unexplained circumstances was exploited by the American press to stoke the conflict, making it inevitable. The incident had the immediate effect of a declaration of war on Spain by the US Congress. The Spanish-American War ended swiftly due to the imbalance of forces. The battles of Manila Bay and Santiago de Cuba decided the capitulation of Spanish forces. On July 17, 1898, Santiago surrendered, Puerto Rico did so in the last week of that month, and Manila on August 14, 1898.

The Signing of the Treaty of Paris

The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in December 1898. Spain recognized the independence of Cuba, ceded the islands of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States in exchange for payment, and sold the Caroline Islands, the Marianas, and Palau to Germany in 1899 for 15 million. The effects of the defeat were enormous. For international policy, the resolution of this war was decisive. The United States emerged as a great military power, occupying Puerto Rico, reserving the right to intervene in Cuba through the introduction of the Platt Amendment into the Cuban constitution, and establishing a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

The Crisis of 1898

Spain ran out of steam. The colonial disaster of 1898 had consequences of all kinds, although neither the economic nor the political significance was as great as such a large-scale event might suggest. Among the economic consequences, two stand out:

• A negative one: the loss of colonial markets.
• A positive one: the repatriation of capital to Spain located in America.

The political consequences were twofold:

• The awkwardness of official policy was severely criticized, but the political system survived.
• In the field of reflection, Regenerationism erupted in politics.

The disaster had an enhanced impact on the collective psychology of the nation.

Regenerationism

Regenerationism was a political current that spread in the wake of the crisis of 1898, in response to the existing political system. From a social standpoint, Regenerationism represented the opinion of large sections of the middle classes and the petite bourgeoisie. It was an ethical approach to society and politics that expressed itself in different groups, times, and proposals:

• A critical Regenerationism, but from within the system, represented by Silvela or Maura, who limited their criticism to the most negative aspects of the system but accepted its general validity.
• A Regenerationism outside the system, with the likes of Joaquin Costa, Alba, or Basilio Paraiso, who criticized the entire political system of the Restoration.