The Spanish-American War: Origins, Conflict, and Aftermath

Causes of the 1898 Crisis

In 1868, Cuba initiated autonomy movements. A popular rebellion, led by Manuel Céspedes ("Grito de Yara"), marked the beginning of the struggle for the abolition of slavery in plantations and sugar mills, alongside a political insurrection. The Cuban autonomy movement was significantly influenced by the example and encouragement of North America, where slavery had been abolished after the Civil War.

The Ten Years' War lasted until 1878 and concluded with the Peace of Zanjón. Through this agreement, General Arsenio Martínez Campos undertook to grant Cuba forms of self-government. Subsequently, the Cuban Liberal Party emerged, representing sugar landowners who largely opposed any kind of reform.

By 1895, insurgencies erupted again in Cuba and the Philippines, both seeking independence. Soon after, the United States intervened, providing materials and arms to the Cuban rebels. The underlying objective of this assistance was to eventually dominate the island.

American Expansionist Interests

The reasons for this American expansionist project included:

• Economic interest in Cuban mines and sugar plantations.
• Geo-strategic interest in strengthening military control over the Caribbean Sea.

The 1898 Disaster: The Spanish-American War

The alleged incident used as an excuse to declare war against Spain was the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Bay in 1898. This battleship sank, killing 260 crewmen. The definitive causes of the explosion were not known, but the U.S. government, without conclusive evidence, blamed the Spanish government, then led by the liberal Práxedes Mateo Sagasta.

These events were further exploited by major American newspapers, which unleashed an aggressive anti-Spanish media campaign. This sensationalism fueled calls for war, with the primary aim of selling more newspapers.

The war proved to be a swift victory for the U.S. military. The battles were very uneven, and the Spanish navy was decisively destroyed in two key naval engagements:

1. The first occurred on May 1st in Cavite, Manila Bay, where the overwhelming superiority of the U.S. Navy was demonstrated. Their precise targeting destroyed Spanish vessels in less than an hour.
2. The second decisive defeat occurred on July 3rd, at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.

During the conflict, the U.S. occupied the Spanish colonies of Puerto Rico and the Philippines, establishing a strategic hub for penetrating new markets in Asia. Recognizing the inevitable defeat, Spain surrendered, leading to negotiations that culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Paris between the two nations.