The Spanish-American War of 1898 was an armed struggle between Spain and the United States of America at the end of the 19th century. It took place on Cuba and the Philippines from April 25 to August 12, 1898. It was caused by the direct American intervention in the Cuban strife for emancipation from Spain. In order to have an excuse to take part in the Cuban-Spanish feud, the US government, led by Republican President William McKinley, used a false flag event, which was the sinking of the USS Main (ACR-1). This American battleship was moored at a Havana dock, Cuba, when it was blown up on February 15, 1898. The conflict between the USA and Spain triggered in turn the Philippine-American War in the Pacific.
The Spanish-American War began during powerful Cuban revolts against Spanish colonial government. The armed rebellion against the Spanish empire had developed in Cuba (from 1895) and the Philippines (from 1896). As a result of these revolts the Spanish colonial regimes in these countries were undermined. In order to recruit the Cuban and Filipino rebels as their allies in the struggle against Spain, the US government hypocritically promised to support their struggle for independence. After launching a campaign against “Spanish brutalities” in Cuba, a campaign that intensified after the sinking of the American battleship Maine in Havana harbor on February 15,1898 (under unexplained circumstances), the US government issued an ultimatum to the Spanish government that in effect demanded that Spain give up Cuba. On April 21 the USA began military operations against Spain without a declaration of war.
The military operations were conducted in the West Indies (the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico) as well as in the Philippines. In April 1898, an American squadron under Rear Admiral William T. Sampson (two battleships, one armored cruiser, nine cruisers, and five monitors) blockaded the northeastern coast of Cuba, where about 200,000 Spanish troops were located.The western portion of Cuba was taken by detachments of the Cuban liberation army. In mid-May the blockading forces were joined by a squadron under Commodore W. Schley (two battleships, one armored cruiser, and three cruisers). A Spanish squadron under Admiral P. Cervera (four battleships and three destroyers), after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, entered the port of Santiago de Cuba on May 19. In trying to leave the port on July 3, the Spanish ships were destroyed by the American squadron. An American landing party together with the Cuban rebels captured Santiago de Cuba on July 16 and in early August totally routed the Spanish troops in Cuba. In July and August American troops occupied the western part of Puerto Rico.
In April an American squadron under Commodore G. Dewey (four cruisers and two gunboats) left Hong Kong and on the night of April 30 broke through into Manila Bay; the next morning it destroyed ten obsolete Spanish ships near the shore with artillery fire. An American landing party together with rebels laid siege to Manila, which was taken on August 13. Already in June, Spanish resistance on the Philippines was broken and the islands were occupied by American troops.
Stripped of its navy and unable to supply its troops in Cuba and the Philippines, Spain surrendered on August 13, 1898. The Spanish-American War lasted only three and half months. The brunt of the war on land was borne by the peoples of Cuba and the Philippines. However, the US ruling circles perfidiously betrayed their allies (the local population), securing from Spain under the Treaty of Paris (December 10,1898) the cession to the United States of Puerto Rico, the island of Guam, and (for $20 million) the Philippines. The Spanish colonial yoke in these territories was replaced by an American one. Cuba, which nominally was declared independent, was occupied by US troops. The Spanish-American War, which revealed the corruption of the Spanish monarchy and attested to the entry of the USA into the struggle for world hegemony, was one of the chief historical landmarks beginning the age of American imperialism.
 |
| Above, the USS Main sailing into the Havana Harbor. Her sinking was the spark that ignited the war. |
 |
| American troops from the First Marine Battalion that took part in the Spanish-American War. |