The Loss of Colonial Rule and the Crisis of 1898

Loss of Colonial Rule and the Crisis of 1898

International Historical Context

Restoration Spain coincided with a period of peace during the last third of the 19th century. While European nations experienced industrial revolutions, England and France boosted their imperialist ambitions. The United States turned its attention toward the final Spanish colonies. This golden age of imperialism occurred between 1870 and 1914, a time when Spain was a weak, internationally isolated nation, leading to the crisis of 1898.

Causes of the Cuban War

• Spain failed to fulfill the agreements of the Peace of Zanjón.
• The rejection of the 1893 project proposing Cuban autonomy by Maura.
• Cuba received constant support from the United States starting in 1891.
• The U.S. supported the Cuban independence movement.
• The rise of the independence movement led by José Martí and Antonio Maceo.
• Economic interest groups in Spain rejected any changes that might decrease their financial benefits.

The War in Cuba

José Martí founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in 1892. The conflict began with the Grito de Baire in 1895. Following Martí's death, Cánovas del Castillo sent General Valeriano Weyler to Cuba, who employed a hard-line policy. Weyler attempted to recover territory by dividing the island with fortified lines, earning him the nickname "The Butcher."

During 1896-1897, a fierce war of attrition took place, with guerrillas receiving American support. The U.S. denounced the living conditions of the Cuban people. In 1897, Cánovas was assassinated, and Sagasta formed a new government that proposed autonomy for Cuba. However, the United States interfered, and the explosion of the USS Maine in February 1898 served as the catalyst for war, despite the explosion likely being an accident.

The End of the Spanish Empire

In 1898, the U.S. government proposed buying the island, but the offer was rejected. By April, the U.S. threatened war. Meanwhile, a revolt led by Rizal had broken out in the Philippines in 1896. By 1898, the situation in the Philippines was critical, and the U.S. fleet supported the rebels there.

The war was short. Manila was conquered, and the Spanish fleet was defeated in Santiago. Spain requested a ceasefire, unable to continue the war. Spain renounced Cuba and ceded the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the United States. In 1899, Spain sold the Mariana, Caroline, and Palau islands to Germany, effectively ending the last remnants of the Spanish colonial empire.