The Spanish American War
Scholars have often endeavored to interpret the significance of the Spanish-American War in the larger historical context. The Spanish American War introduced the United States to military and political activity on a global scale. Historians have focused on questions related to the influence of the war on U.S. power, core motives, intentions, ideology and leadership. There are studies which focus on the fundamental shifts in the international system during the late 19th century. Certainly, the involvement of the United States in the global power game at the time was caused by an emerging global imperialist agenda. In the influential book The Rise and the Fall of the Great Powers (1987), Paul Kennedy argues that power shifts in the international system led to the United States claiming an increasing share at the expense of other powers[1]. There is an understanding that the anarchy of the international system created insecurity and caused the United States to intervene.
The Spanish-American War is the most defining conflict in the transformation of the U.S. as a world power[2]. Without the intervention in Cuba and the Philippines the United States would have been left out of the international race for territory. In addition, the United States would have been cut out of the mercantilist system and international markets that were crucial in its economic growth. Therefore, the war was a bold introduction to the international systems and the politics of global power status. President William McKinley made the decision to go to war for practical and imperial reasons. The historical impact of the Spanish-American War is the subject of investigation of this study. The current literature does not give a conclusive historical impact of the war. The decline of Spain as a global power coincided with the emergence of the United States on the international stage. The United States gained overseas territories and its role in the international politics changed forever. The U.S. had industrialized and became a great power. The war also caused a cultural transition towards imperialism and nationalism. The annexation of foreign territories led to the development of a foreign policy and the dispersion of U.S. Navy stations in East Asia and Latin America[3]. From then on the United States has looked outwards as much as it looks inwards. The Treaty of Paris (1898) official ended the war but it also resulted in the United States having a geopolitical position. The Spanish-American war led to the most significant imperial realignment in the United States which helped to make it a world power.
[1] Rick Baldoz and César Ayala. "The Bordering Of America: Colonialism And Citizenship In The Philippines And Puerto Rico." (Centro Journal 25, No. 1, 2013) 76
[2] Robert Gibbons,V., et al. "Dengue and US Military Operations from the Spanish-American War through Today." Emerging Infectious Diseases 18, no. 4 2012) 624
[3] Bonnie Miller, "The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War." (Journal Of American History 98, no. 3 2011) 950
The Spanish-American War is the most defining conflict in the transformation of the U.S. as a world power[2]. Without the intervention in Cuba and the Philippines the United States would have been left out of the international race for territory. In addition, the United States would have been cut out of the mercantilist system and international markets that were crucial in its economic growth. Therefore, the war was a bold introduction to the international systems and the politics of global power status. President William McKinley made the decision to go to war for practical and imperial reasons. The historical impact of the Spanish-American War is the subject of investigation of this study. The current literature does not give a conclusive historical impact of the war. The decline of Spain as a global power coincided with the emergence of the United States on the international stage. The United States gained overseas territories and its role in the international politics changed forever. The U.S. had industrialized and became a great power. The war also caused a cultural transition towards imperialism and nationalism. The annexation of foreign territories led to the development of a foreign policy and the dispersion of U.S. Navy stations in East Asia and Latin America[3]. From then on the United States has looked outwards as much as it looks inwards. The Treaty of Paris (1898) official ended the war but it also resulted in the United States having a geopolitical position. The Spanish-American war led to the most significant imperial realignment in the United States which helped to make it a world power.
[1] Rick Baldoz and César Ayala. "The Bordering Of America: Colonialism And Citizenship In The Philippines And Puerto Rico." (Centro Journal 25, No. 1, 2013) 76
[2] Robert Gibbons,V., et al. "Dengue and US Military Operations from the Spanish-American War through Today." Emerging Infectious Diseases 18, no. 4 2012) 624
[3] Bonnie Miller, "The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War." (Journal Of American History 98, no. 3 2011) 950