From the period of the Spanish American War through the end of World Essay

From the period of the Spanish American War through the end of World War two, why does the United States move from relative isol - Essay Example The initial consequence of this increased global involvement resulted in a psychological and cultural impact on the American society that established a sense of supremacy in the minds of the general population about their country’s standing in the world. Another consequence of America’s increased global involvement was the economic development that was observed as a result of its emergence and ultimate dominance on the international stage during the period between the Spanish American War and World War II. The reason why the United States went to war against Spain in 1898 was because from its early days, policymakers in the country believed that Cuba’s geographic location was of monumental significance to the United States. Moreover, Spain’s loss of the majority of its lands in Central and South America led some of the politicians to suppose that France or Great Britain may take sweeping action to take control of Cuba and cause a great measure of problems for the United States. As Cuba became an important producer of tobacco and sugar cane, North American investment in the island saw a tremendous increase; the great degree of these economic relations by 1895 between the two countries was becoming more and more significant, as the U.S became an importer of 90% of Cuba’s sugar produce1. 30 years before the Spanish American war broke out, the Cubans had begun fighting for independence2, and this quest for freedom reached its climax in the year of 1895 when General Maximo Gomez, with his inadequate militia rose against a powerful Spanish army. The persistence of the Cuban insurgents came as a surprise to the Spanish opponents, who vowed to answer with a much ruthless response, killing about one fourth of the island’s population by 1898. As the Spanish government carried out its bloody campaign to repress the Cuban uprising, secretary of state, Richard Olney faced rising public demands to intervene in the matter to which the U.S made it clear to Spain that with the onset of war between the two nations, the United States considered its interests in Cuba being in danger. The event which ultimately triggered the Spanish American War occurred on February 15th 1898 when USS Maine, a US navy battleship blew up Havana harbor, killing 266 people. The US media heavily speculated that this act had been performed on the part of the Spain and even though diplomatic intermediaries from both sides intervened to resolve the issue, Congress went on to declare Cuba independent upon President McKinley’s request, demanding Spain’s withdrawal from the island and empowering the US president to engage in a war with Spain if it refused to recognize Cuba’s independence. When Cuban nationalists had first cried for independence, their determination to seek their goal had been evident but the lack of personnel and resources on their part could never have compensated for the