Context and Causes of the Spanish-American War (1898)
📌 The war took place between Spain, an old empire, and the United States, a young, expansionist nation, lasting less than 4 months.
🌎 The conflict arose from the global imperialist surge, with the U.S. seeking to establish influence in strategically important territories, directly clashing with Spanish holdings.
📰 Key causes included significant U.S. economic interests in Cuban sugar, the influence of yellow journalism (sensationalism), and the desire to expand U.S. power in the Caribbean and Pacific.

The USS Maine Incident and Declaration of War
💥 The sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, killing 254 sailors, was the immediate trigger for the conflict.
📰 U.S. sensationalist press, notably William Randolph Hearst's *New York Journal* and Joseph Pulitzer's *New York World*, immediately blamed Spain using explosive, unsubstantiated claims of sabotage.
🇺🇸 Despite contradictory investigations (U.S. commission suggested an external mine; Spanish suggested internal combustion), U.S. public opinion, fueled by media, pressured President McKinley to declare war in April 1898.

Military Confrontation and Key Battles
⚔️ The U.S. had a modernized Navy and rapidly mobilized over 125,000 men, while Spain faced an aging fleet and limited resources.
⚓ In the Pacific, Commodore George Dewey decimated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on August 13, achieving victory with zero U.S. casualties, cementing control over the Philippines.
🚢 The decisive naval action in the Caribbean was the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, where the Spanish fleet attempting to break the U.S. blockade was destroyed.
⛰️ Land battles were tougher; the U.S. suffered higher casualties than the Spanish in the Battle of San Juan Hill, notably involving Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders.

Treaty of Paris and Consequences
🤝 Peace was finalized with the Treaty of Paris (1898), brokered after Spain sought French mediation following its naval defeat.
🇵🇷 The treaty formalized the cession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the U.S., and stipulated Cuba's future independence (formalized in 1902).
🇩🇪 Remaining Spanish possessions in Oceania (Mariana, Caroline, and Palau Islands) were sold to Germany in 1899 for 25 million pesetas.
📈 For Spain, the loss marked the end of its overseas presence and caused political instability, though repatriated capital eventually aided industrial modernization.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The conflict marked the rise of the United States as an imperialist world power, shifting regional dynamics in the Caribbean and establishing a strong U.S. presence in Asia.
➡️ In the Philippines, the U.S. quickly shifted from allied liberator to colonizer, sparking the subsequent Philippine-American War against former Filipino allies.
➡️ Cuba gained formal independence in 1902, but under constraints like the Platt Amendment, granting the U.S. the right to intervene militarily.
➡️ Internal debate in the U.S. arose regarding the ethics of imperialism, exemplified by anti-imperialist movements led by figures like Mark Twain.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Dec 01, 2025, 01:44 UTC