The Spanish-American War was launched in 1898 by the United States to seize the Spanish territories of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. It was the first imperialist war in which the great powers redivided the colonies. On August 12, the United States and Spain agreed to stop military operations.
Cuba and the Philippine Islands are both important economic values and strategic bases for the United States to expand into South America and Asia respectively. The emerging United States has strong economic and military potential, and has built a strong navy.
Spain has long been in decline and has been isolated internationally. In particular, the armed struggle of the people of Cuba and the Philippines against Spanish colonial rule has held down a large number of Spanish troops. The brutal suppression of the Cuban insurgents by the Spanish army angered the US government and endangered the economic interests of American capitalists there. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine, a warship sent by the United States to escort Cuban nationals, exploded in the port of Havana, and the United States used this incident as a pretext. Demanding punishment for Spain, Spain declared war on the United States first on April 24, and the United States declared war on Spain on April 25 the next day.
On August 12, the United States and the West agreed to stop military operations. In Cuba, Theodore Roosevelt led the 1st Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (the Reckless Cavalry) to victory, defeating a part of the Spanish army in Cuba, thus making the war on land favorable to the United States. In the Philippines, the fleet of Commodore George Dewey captured Manila in the Battle of Manila Bay. The Spanish Caribbean Fleet commanded by Admiral Severa was completely destroyed by the United States in the port of Santiago de Cuba. The city of Santiago surrendered to General Schaefter. Meanwhile, the US fleet from Hong Kong annihilated the Spanish fleet stationed in the port of Manila in the Philippines. The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris, France on December 10. According to the peace treaty, Spain gave up all Cuba, ceded colonies such as Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and transferred the sovereignty of the Philippines to the United States at the cost of 20 million dollars.