On February 15, 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out

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. Cuba and the Philippine Islands not only have important economic value, but also are 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 established a relatively strong navy. Spain has long since declined and is internationally isolated. In particular, the armed struggle between the people of Cuba and the Philippines against Spanish colonial rule suppressed a large number of Spanish troops. The Spanish army's brutal suppression of the Cuban rebels angered the American people and endangered the economic interests of American capitalists there. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine, a warship sent by the United States to Cuba to protect overseas Chinese, exploded in Havana Harbor. The United States used this incident as an excuse to take military action against Spain on April 25.