A Historical Analysis of the Spanish American War; 1898

The sparking of warfare between two or more parties that tend to clash with each other upon the pretext of a particular contention in possible concern to racial, political or national ideological is something that the world has experienced frequently over the course of written history. More often than not, moreover, these wars have come to a grudging end as a result of the signing of various treatises and agreements based on propagating lasting peace between the number of parties involved in the particular war. We will, however, consider the chain of events leading up to and continuing during the war before addressing the relevance of such documents in concern to the Spanish American War. Take into consideration, for instance, the fact the Spanish American war; a war incepted primarily as a result of the [still unresolved] sinking of a US Battleship within the water of Havana on a peace mission.

Moreover, while it was the explosion of the USS Maine that basically triggered the consequences leading to the war, it must be considered that the US didn't go to war upon these grounds. Indeed, US president McKinley first demanded that Spain grant Cuba its unconditional freedom, something that the latter refused to do. It would be of even more relevance to consider here that neither of the nations really wanted to go to war with a vengeance; the problem was that Spain justified its stance in as much as the concept that God had granted Spain its empire as a reward for the conquest of the Moors. Spanish honor subsequently demanded defense of its overseas possession. These possessions happened to include the Philippine Islands and Cuba as key portions of the principal remaining area of this empire.

More on the Spanish American War: Documents & relevance to US foreign policy

It must be considered here that one of the most crucial aspects of the Spanish American War was that signified the development of the US into a political-military power of global relevance. [The Spanish American War] stood out as a 'turning point in the history of the United States, signaling the country's emergence as a world power.' The US stance in concern to the position of Cuba represents an ideological norm that has been of key relevance to the contemporary existence of the US as a significant super power with no parallel.

It reshaped the US foreign policy as a result of restructuring the nations interests in as much as illustrating humanity and morality as their norms. The support for Cuban revolutionaries, for instance, was something that the US claimed to be doing out of no self interest in Cuba other than the desire to see the people made independent and free of Spanish Rule. In order to emphasize upon the fact that its exclusive purpose at the beginning of the struggle was Cuban independence, moreover, 'U.S. Congress passed a resolution, the Teller Amendment, that foreswore any intention of annexing Cuba.' Named after Senator Henry M. Teller of Orlando, who proposed its inception, the Teller Amendment basically stated that the US control over Cuba [during the Spanish American War] would not be permanent.

The relevance of particular documents from the respective time frame

The amendment explicitly stated that [the US] 'disclaims any disposition of intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island except for pacification thereof, and asserts its determination, when that is accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people.' While the Senate passed the amendment on the 19th of May, it was followed by the Platt amendment, named for Senator Orville Platt who introduced it, in the second month of 1901. The Platt Amendment granted the US 'the right to intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty.'

Adherence to the Teller Amendment in as much as the self-termination of US occupation of Cuba approximately four years after Spanish troops left the island in 1898 and the revoking of the Platt amendment in 1934 were two events that were especially relevant. This is since these events were especially instrumental to portraying US foreign policy as one that was especially considerate of exploited nations and cultures in addition to being eager to expand its influence. The Platt amendment in particular, was instrumental in this concern. This is since the amendment 'severely limited its sovereignty and stimulated a dependent relationship that affected the evolution of Cuban society.' This situation has made for the frequent and negativistic assumption, on the part of many a historian that the Spanish American war basically brought forth nothing more than a transition of authority within Cuba; a transition from Spanish to American Imperialism. While the two documents discussed above are of especial relevance to the foreign policy of the US, another significant event to consider would be the treaty of Paris. Consisting of William R. Day, Sen. Cushman K. Davis, Sen. William P. Frye, Sen. George Gray, and the Honorable Whitelaw Reid on the American side and Don Eugenio Montero Rios and Jules Cambon from the Spanish side, this treaty was produced when the two peace commissions met in Paris to discuss initiatives for peace. The treaty, which was signed on the 10th of December 1898, resulted in Spain's eventual yielding of the Philippines in spite of the fact that they didn't want to do so; they had no choice. Furthermore, the US ultimately paid Spain 20 million dollars so as to smooth over its possession of the Philippines. 'The islands of Puerto Rico and Guam were also placed under American control while Spain relinquished its claim to Cuba.'

Contentious Generalities & further analysis of the war & its impact on US Foreign policy

It would be noteworthy to consider that the Platt Amendment was basically an imperialist initiative that was incepted in order to enable the US sovereign capacity over Cuba even after acting upon the Teller Amendment. This amendment was basically the only alternative that the US was offering Cuba on par with being under immediate US occupation and rule and as has already been illustrated, it gave the U.S. unconditional right to intervene in Cuba's internal affairs. However, even more significant in concern to perceiving the imperialist nature of this amendment is the fact that 'it granted the US perpetual rights to the coaling station at Guantanamo Bay.' In addition to this, moreover, the war also made for a scenario that was idealistically encouraging in concern to further collateral imperial conquests. Take into consideration, for instance, the fact that it was during this period that the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands [July 7, 1898] took place. In spite of the fact that U.S. interests had long coveted formal control of the islands, it was not until the government declared Hawaii territory to be crucial as a naval base that it was formally annexed. This is something that is relational to the sinking of the HMS Maine in as much as the fact that the disaster served as justification for America's [stated] need for a naval base within the particular territory.

Eventually, it turned out that the war had been especially advantageous to America and it's foreign policy. This, moreover, is something that is made even more apparent when considering that it was with the Spanish American war and its outcome that the US began to come through to the world as a power to be reckoned with. One of the more subtle reasons for this, it must be considered, was that one of the [little-noted] effects of this short war was that it served to further cement relations between the North and South regions of America. This is since they were compelled, in as much as the identification of a common enemy, to stand against the external foe united. The 1890s, it turned out, had marked a period of reconciliation between the American parties that had formerly been identified as Yankees and Confederates. Consequently, this era also saw an increase in the socio-political harmony and consistence between Northern and Southern politicians, something that would have been hard to imagine as less as a decade in the past.

It is quite apparent, thus speaking, that the Spanish American War was especially instrumental in concern to securing America's position as a world power capable of intervention and defeat. This, moreover, is something that is made even more apparent when considering it in light of the fact that the Spanish American War had been stewing a long time before the sinking of the battleship USS Maine. The reason for this, moreover, was wholly that the US desired to intervene into the Spanish Cuban situation upon the pretext of conceiving Cubans being unjustly robbed of their freedom.

This, moreover, is emphasized upon quite strongly when considering it in light of the implications of the Platt Amendment. One of the factors of relative relevance, moreover, is that the Spanish American War primarily consisted of Naval clashed between Spain and America due to the fact that the latter had only just pulled free of the political volatility caused by the civil war. The American military forces, as a result of this, were exceptionally scarce in terms of resources and manpower while the naval forces were in equally exceptional form. It would, moreover be conclusively relevant to acknowledge that the foreign policy that the US suggested in as much as incepting the war is something that the nation continues to adhere to. Take into consideration, for instance, the current conquests within Afghanistan and Iraq, both wars that reflect significant components of the contemporaneously waging war on terror.

Presently under the leadership of the Bush Administration, these conquests too, have been illustrated as being in the best interests of the particular cultures within the respective nations. Ironically, the current situation is similar to the Spanish American War in as much as the fact that even today, there are more than a few socialists and politicians who ascribe to the theory that these conquests have ulterior motives. These are they who state that the conquest [in Afghanistan and Iraq] are naught more than US imperialism under a farce of global overseeing and consideration.