Road to
Spanish American War
HIS 207
American involvement in the
Caribbean
► America
throughout the 19th century viewed the
Caribbean as an “American Lake”
 Monroe Doctrine
► Resented
presence of foreign powers
► Stability critical to American security
► Long-time
Spanish
interest in obtaining Cuba from the
 Several offers made to Spanish
 Heavy sugar and mining investments—US traded more
with Cuba than Spain did.
Cuba Libre
► Revolts
Spanish
throughout the 19th century against
 Ruthlessly suppressed
► 1895
new revolt breaks out
 Public support in America for revolt
 Guerilla War-damage to economic life of islands
General Weyler-detention “reconcentration” camp concept
similar policy used later in Vietnam-”Strategic Hamlets”
American Public Opinion
► Shaped
by popular press-Yellow Journalism
► New element in American society
► Needed to see papers to make profit
► “Circulation Wars”
 William Randolph Hearst—NY Journal
 Joseph Pulitzer—NY World
American
► Politicians
attempt to gain advantage by
supporting Cuban insurrection
 Some demand intervention by U.S.
►Opportunity
for U.S. in Caribbean
 President Cleveland was firmly opposed to
intervention
 President McKinley lacked the same firmness
and clarity of position
Events
► Two
events would push the U.S. towards
war with Spain
 DeLome Letter –Spanish minister to U.S.
►Stolen
letter from Havana
►Highly critical of McKinley
►Americans viewed as national insult
 Sinking of USS Maine
►Sent
to represent US interests
►Explosion of ship in Havana harbor
►Media portrayed it as Spanish treachery
USS Maine prior to explosion in
Havana
Ultimatum
► US
gov. sends set of demands to Spanish
 End reconcentration policy
 Grant general amnesty to rebels
 Allow US to arbitrate
► Spanish
willing to agree, just needed time
to sell to Spanish public.
Move to war
► US
public out of patience
 April 19 joint resolution
►Proclaims
Cuba is free and independent
►Gives President power to use military forces to
liberate
 Teller Amendment—US refuses all claims to
Cuba after liberation.
 McKinley signs the next day—
 Imposes a naval blockade.
Unprepared
► After
declaring war, Congress decides to:
 Double the size of the regular army
 Authorize the President to call for 125,000
volunteers. Number eventually raised to
267,000.
►Over
► When
1 million men offered their services.
war broke out 28,000 in army
 Widely scattered around nation
 Well trained, but ill-prepared for large unit
operations
Organization Problems
►
Army lacked the following
 Mobilization Plan
 Organized General staff
 Plan for combined operations (army/navy), (cavalry, artillery,
infantry)
►
National Guard consisted of 100,000 men
 Mostly infantry and poorly trained
 Each state had its own organization—in really each was a separate
small army
 Question of sending National Guard units overseas
 Would be taken into army as volunteers, not whole units
Confusion over mobilization
► Dispute
between Commanding General and
Secretary of War
► Army sent to four different locations
► Camps were a disaster-Utter confusion
 1,000s lacked essentials
►Basic
clothing, food, sanitation was lacking
► Tampa—primary
embarkation point
 Only one pier and single track railroad
Loading Troops
Camp in Tampa
Loading troops at Tampa
Lack of Plans
► Despite
long period of troubled relations, no
war plans for Cuba exist at start of war.
► Little intelligence about Spanish strength in
Cuba
 Cuban resistance
 Lacked basic maps
► No
training or preparation for amphibious
warfare
 Most difficult of all operations
Navy situation
► Much
better due to 1890’s construction and
modernization
► Institutes a naval blockade of Cuba
► Pressured to divide forces on Atlantic Coast
by public
 Little chance of Spanish attack
 Station antique civil war vessels off major cities
► Spanish
fleet sneaks into Santiago harbor
Manila Bay
► Small
American squadron in Pacific
 Six ships—USS Olympia
 George Dewey
► With
outbreak of war, ordered to attack
Spanish in Philippines
► Defeats Spanish fleet without the loss of a
single ship or life in combat.
► Must wait for reinforcements to take the
islands
Manila Bay
Cuba
► With
Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor, it
becomes the objective
► Marines establish advanced base at
Guantanamo Bay
► Attempt at bombarding forts-navy fails
► Mission turned over to army
Cuban Campaign
► Embarkation
was a disaster—amazing it happened
at all.
► Took 4 days to load 17,000 men
 Should have taken 8 hours
► No
coordinated plan, no staff to direct loading
► Men supplies and equipment loaded with no
regard to unloading
► Soldiers fought on the pier for supplies and space
on ships
Landing
► Select
site 18 miles east of Santiago—
Daiquiri.
► Spanish lose great opportunity by not
opposing the landing
► Landing more disorganized than Tamps
► No chance against determined resistance
► Troops land with and without supplies
March on Santiago
► General
Shafter moves a force of
approximately 6,000 toward Spanish
strongholds outside city
► Expected to met about 12,000 Spanish
ringing the city
 Size and location unclear
► Americans
wander blindly toward Santiago
El Caney and San Juan
► Keys
to Santiago defense was a series of
ridges known as San Juan and the village of
El Caney.
► Attack faces initial setbacks
 Poorly coordinated, bad communications
 Poorly equipped units-smoke gives away
positions
 Inaccurate artillery
 Extreme heat
Destruction of Spanish Fleet
► Admiral
Cervera’s fleet ordered to sea
► Relieve pressure from Santiago and avoid
capture.
► On July 3, Spanish fleet attempts to out run
the American fleet and escape to
Cienfuegos.
► In a dramatic running battle, the entire fleet
is destoyed.
Surrender of Santiago
► With
destruction of fleet, Santiago’s fate is
sealed.
 No hope for resupply or reinforcements
► Washington
demands unconditional
surrender of Spanish forces in the region.
 Spanish ultimately agree.
Puerto Rico
► Island
quickly seized by General Nelson
Miles, old Indian fighter.
► Americans experience considerable popular
support.
► Little bloodshed, no serious hardship, plenty
of fun.
Army in Cuba
► After
Santiago, situation becomes deadly from
disease.
 Malaria, typhoid and yellow fever.
 Situation so bad that many officers recommended the
evacuation of Cuba.
 35,000 troops sent home through a camp at Montauk
Point, NY
► Over
20,000 ill
 Spurred the military to increase study into the health of
its troops
 10 men died of disease for every man who died in
combat
Junior Officers
► Junior
officers save the day
 Overcome poor command decision
► New
Technology applied
 Use of Gatling Guns as offensive weapon
 Allows for establishment of fire supremacy
War in the Philippines
► 11,000
man force sent to Philippines to seize
islands.
► Philippine independence movement, Emilio
Aguinaldo.
 Early cooperation becomes strained
 Spanish willing to work with Americans
 U.S. Gov trying to determine what to do with the
islands.
► Need
to remove insurgents from seize ring around
Manila
► Mock capture of city devised
► Insurgents left with little
Problems with conflict
► War
revealed glaring defects in military
structure and command




Lack of planning
Poor coordination of services
General confusion
Poor quality of equipment
► Post-war
investigation, under General
Granville Dodge, reveals need for major
reform in army command structure.
Elihu Root
► Appointed
Secretary of War in 1899
► Sets out to reform army
► Heavily influenced by military advisors and
ideas of Emory Upton
► Seeks to create a unified command
structure
 Creates a General Staff and an army Chief of
Staff
 Creates Army War College