USS Maine Explodes in Havana, 1898

#shorts #history

[ila]

I'm spanish student of "2° bachillerato" (the pre-university course of Spain), and we saw the spanish american war several weeks ago (known here as "Desastre del 98" or "the disaster of 1898" in English).
I'm writing this coment to give the main american public of this channel the spanish view of the war.
We were in a context of extreme decadence both internationally and internally. With a political system that was very corrupt (although stable), with turnism and fake elections as the basis of spanish politics.
We had both Cuba and the Philipines in rebelion, and the spanish president Sagasta decided to put down the insurrections with war, and not with dialogue, as Cuba was seen as an integral part of Spain.
It was obvious that the US was going to get invloved eventually, demonstrated by the constant unsuccesful attempts to purchase the island by William McKinley's government and the american support to cuban rebels.
When the US Maine exploded and the US ultimatum was delivered, everybody supported going to war, a war that we knew we couldn't win, but at that time it was preferable losing the war than giving away spanish territory just like that.
The spanish fought bravely on land, but the naval defeats at Santiago de Cuba and Cavite decided the war, a quick war that lasted less than a year.
Everything the US wanted was conceded, even Puerto Rico was lost and it didn't revolt, a total humiliation. The defeat shocked the nation and made Spain realise that it wasn't the great power that it once was.
But everything remained the same, the government just changed hands from the liberals to the conservatives, and no revolts erupted against the corrupt system of "La Restauración", just a group of intelectual writers known as the "Generación del 98" protested.
The system will continue until general Miguel Primo de Rivera did a coup in 1923 and established a dictatorship during another disastrous war against the Rif tribes in northern Morocco.
I just wanted to give some feedback from the other side of the conflict, I just wish that american view of Spain has improved since media in the US demonized the spanish during the war (calling us brutal repressors among other things).
Greetings from your allies at the other side of the Atlantic.

[sld]

Family lore had it that my great-great-grandmother was happily sewing at home when the explosion happened. Her scissors "jumped" from one side of the living room to the other. This was in the village of Las Minas, a considerable distance away.

[podemosurss]

"To protect American interests" Translation: to intimidate Spain.

[podemosurss]

"Más vale honra sin barcos que muchos sin honra" (Casto Méndez Núñez)

[ShadoZP]

Imagine history if we annexed cuba after 1898

[chrisigoeb]

We all know why the maine was sent there and we all know why it exploded. The US seeked a reason for that war

[thatwolfdude]

And that is why I strongly dislike William McKinley. I know that Congress also agreed to go to war with Spain but McKinley was the President and he had the final say in this matter. And as a result of this we ended up taking Hawaii and Puerto Rico (along with a few other places). I’m glad we made Hawaii a state but I mean we just took them without remorse. A lot of Hawaiian citizens don’t actually like that they are part of the USA and want to become independent. As for Puerto Rico, they got screwed over even more. They are still a territory and roughly 50% of their citizens want to be independent.

[richardwilson]

Turns out it was a coal bin fire. It blew itself up.

[stephenparker]

Hi, Chris, very interesting, thanks for that.

[dell]

Similarly to the Gulf of Tomkin incident, Vietnam

[PopeSixtusVI]

My theory is that someone hung their hat on a release valve for the boiler.

[OTDMilitaryHistory]

It's not like boilers exploded all the time or anything.

[boxofturtles]

I’m from New Jersey and just want to say, our F tier is totally deserved!

[BHuang]

This is great example of yellow journalism gone amok!

[thomaswalsh]

William McKinley: Pain, but add an S at the beginning.

[tomascostanzo]

It was a time when American desires for expansionism were at their highest.

[pierredelasalle]

Why didn't Spain try to avoid the war?

[Silvvrninja]

Also why was there an American warship in Cuba to begin with?

[robertsandberg]

This is why I don't trust government....

[prathamshrivastava]

**REMEMBER THE MAINE, TO THE HE-**
Okay let's keep it cool