Hispano American War : Incidents Would Nevertheless Raise Tension
Hispano-American War, often referred to Spain as the Disaster of 98 ("Desastre del 98")
, is an armed conflict which lasted from April to August 1898 between the United States of America and Spain and which had resulted in the independence of Cuba until 1901, and the takeover of former Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific by the United States.The position of Spain as a world power had declined. In the late nineteenth century only had a few possessions in the Pacific, Africa and India, much of its colonial empire had gained its independence, and a number of areas still under Spanish control was likely to do so. The guerrillas were operating in the Philippines and had been in Cuba for decades where a Ten Years' War between 1868 and 1878 was a first attempt to win independence for Cuba. This war called "Ten Year War" was declared when the Cuban planter Carlos Manuel de Cespedes freed his slaves and formed an army. This movement was followed by 37 other planters, and gave birth to the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba.
By 1894, the American capital invested in sugar plantations and refineries in Cuba is about 50 million and annual trade between the U.S. and Cuba a hundred million dollars. Sugar is by far the main export products and is up mainly to the United States. In addition, a number dadeptes Commodore Alfred Mahan, a famous theorist and strategist, saw in this island near the United States an area conducive to the establishment of naval bases.
But Cuba will experience problems. The small nation of peons lived in misery, even in times of economic prosperity. But after 1890, a series of difficulties making their situation even more intolerable: increased competition from European beet sugar, reduced sugar prices during the depression of 1893 and especially the Wilson-Gorman tariff (1894) which increased from 40 % tariffs on sugar and doing away with the privileged position of Cuban sugar on the U.S. market. Since sugar represented 80 of the resources of the island, the result was catastrophic. Social suffering that ensued and the latent discontent against Spanish rule - which had already led in the past a series of revolts, especially in 1868-1878 - provoked a rebellion in March 1895 which will be the beginning of the war of independence Cuban.
Here and else it showed cruelty. The Spanish general Valeriano Weyler, from February 1896, practiced a policy of forced relocation of a large portion of the population - including women, children, old - behind barbed son. Food and sanitary conditions are totally inadequate, thousands of reconcentrados died, it was the first modern case of a concentration camp. In two years, one eighth of the population, cest to say about 200 000 people died. For their part, the rebels practiced scorched earth policy, destroying and pillaging the properties and supporters Spain ravaging the sugar plantations. Their goal was to cause the defeat of the Spaniards in exhausting all their resources.
Some newspapers particularly eager for sensational, especially the New York World of Joseph Pulitzer and the New York Journal of William Randolph Hearst, made much of the barbarity of the Spaniards and their commander in chief, Weyler, nicknamed "the butcher". Protestant newspapers - perhaps in part by hostility legard Catholic priests in Cuba - in addition to an number Dorgan Republicans and Democrats declared themselves supporters dune Advocate insurgents for purely humanitarian reasons. Second, with supporters of the expansion as Theodore Roosevelt, Lodge or Whitelaw Reid of New York Tribune, also demanded a response.
These events in Cuba in the 1890s coincided with a battle for readers between the groups of U.S. news Hearst and Pulitzer. Hearst style, called "yellow journalism" could supplant that of Pulitzer, and he used the power of the press to influence American opinion in favor of the war. Despite the documentary evidence of atrocities committed in the island, and the reality of an insurgency that fought the Spanish yoke, Hearst often stories manufactured or blown up in a highly provocative language. Hearst published sensational stories about atrocities that the "cruel Spaniards" inflicted "the poor Cubans."
Outraged by the "inhumanity" of the Spaniards, Americans were encouraged to request an "intervention" that even the most jaded hawks, as the young Theodore Roosevelt, had considered a done deal. Hearst was known for his famous reply to his illustrator, Frederic Remington, who believed that events in Havana did not justify a war: "You provide the pictures and I'll furnish the war. "
However, newspapers reflecting the thinking of economic and financial highlights were quune war would jeopardize the economic recovery that began to emerge in 1897 and threaten monetary stability based on latalon gold.
Since the field thus values of passion and debate the nature of the struggle in Cuba, it was not easy for the U.S. government to maintain a neutral position. President Cleveland did everything possible to avoid being dragged into an adventure, despite pressure from Congress. His successor McKinley seffora follow the same policy of caution.
Lamorce dune political reforms in Cuba Spain - returning Weyler, obtained by the Cubans of the same political rights as Spaniards, a promise to the possible internal autonomy - was far from meeting the rebels but was well received U.S. government and part of the press. On November 6, 1897, the Washington Post headline: "No war with Spain. Everything leads to believe in peace. A series d incidents would nevertheless raise tension between the U.S. and Spain.
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