Negative Effects Of The Spanish American War

One of many
At the end of the 19th century the united states would get involved with what the secretary of state would call a “splendid little war”. The Spanish American war is one of many significant wars in history. This war was one of the shorter and simpler wars that the United States flourished in. From the united states point of view this war had a few negative effects but also many small positive outcomes that made this war very significant. The total and utter destruction of Spain marked the point in history where they have lost all power over the Americas. It was also when the united states showed themselves as a worldwide military power. The Spanish American war was a brief issue with only a short time of actual military involvement,
it ended the rule of Spanish colonial empires, pushed through building of the panama canal, and showed the world what the united states had in terms of military force.

The Spanish American war started back in 1898, it was a little squabble between the United States and Spain. This war started out with the Cubans struggling for independence from spain. The united states joined in the fight for Cubans independence but also for there own issues with spain. The u.s. maine warship was sunk at the Havana harbor which made a more personal reason for united states to join the war against spain. The actual physical war only lasted for a matter of four months. The war started on april 25 and ended on august 12 ,1898. There were two main war grounds that this war occurred on, the Spanish controlled areas of Cuba and the Spanish controlled areas of the Phillipines also. At both places there was only one result, the total humiliation of Spanish forces. During these battles the Spanish suffered major infantry and supplys loss. After only four months of battles the Spanish gave up and finally signed a treaty with united states on December 10th, 1898. The treaty was signed on neutral ground in paris, france.

The Spanish American war ended what was once a big and overpowering empire.
The americans had seen many revolutions and coups that changed the regime of other countrys such as countrys in south America, central America, and mexico. When cuba needed support for there independence it had some deep roots for americans and put a lot of personal feelings into this war for all the American citizens who had to fight in it. The war would have been very different if the American population changed what they thought of cuba being under spain colonial empire. The united states navy destroyed the last of the ships trying to escape the carribean which was the unofficial ending to the war. The official ending was when the Spanish signed the treaty of paris and seceded from cuba. The Spanish American war was more than just another war for both the victors and losers. The united states was able to gain many strategic advantages and spain took there focus off of outward expansion and decided to look into there own economical system more scrutinously. The war ended the entire Spanish empire in
America.

The united states didn’t just fight this war for reputation, this war gave them many territories they wouldn’t of been able to aqurie any other way. The united states took control of lots of places in the western pacific and also latin America. The united states was a major power and acquiring these places in other regions just proved to everyone the immense space the united states had control over. The united states also quietly annexed Hawaii which was another one of the small positive outcome to come from this war.

The Spanish American war was one of the major reasons that the united states pushed through the building of the panama canal.
The American navy won the Spanish American war but soon realized during the war that cross oceanic travel would make a major difference in outcome and resource use. The extra time they would save by having cross oceanic travel would give them exceedingly more amounts of time to plan there attacks and setup the execution of them. After the Spanish American war the americans had a lot of say over the carribean and pushed through the panama canal building and finished it in 1914. The panama canal was a major feet in commerce and military action for the entire
globe.

One of the greatest things to come out of the Spanish American war is that the united states showed the rest of the world their true military power. Even with little planning they were able to obliterate the Spanish at both cuba and the phillipines. The victory over the Spanish gave the united states an international name as being a great military power. At the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century the united states finally noticed the power they could have over the rest of the globe. They had the best military around which meant they could use it correctly or even turn it around and take control of many other strategic places around the world. Having this power gave them a large say in European affairs that came later on throughout the next century. Having this reputation played a major role in many wars to come especially in the first world war.

The Spanish American war couldn’t have been more significant with as little bit of actual fighting occurred while accomplishing so much in the end. The united states won cuba there indeoendence, removed Spanish forces from the Americas and mexico, made a reputation around the world for there military, and finished many projects they had been pushing off. The war was not just a major win for the united states but for America and all the allied forces in the first world war, having the united states as your allie made the enemys trembe in there shoes as they even just thought about having to fight the immense military force of the united states.