Best possible strategy for Spain in Spanish-American war .

As the title says clearly .What is the best strategy that the Spanish Admiralty could have followed in the war against the US ?I do not say how could they win as that might be a bit difficult seeing as how Spain far less ships and less men than the US .What I am asking is what is the best possible outcome to the war ?That is my question .
 
You know the tale of Peter and the wolf ?

That's an important prerequisite. Whatever Spain could do, it would face the consequences of defeat with or without war.

The US wanted to grab parts of the remnants of the spanish empire ans it prefered having it through war than without war.

So your question is : which strategy to fight an enemy far far stronger than yourself ?

Military, none, except aiming at the lowest casualties.

Politically, there is one : trying to build moral support in favor of your lost cause. But you won't escape military defeat.
 
Reminds me of the line in the movie "War Games" where the computer says the only way to win is not to play. There is nothing the Spanish can do to prevent the fall of the PI and Cuba (with Guam and Puerto Rico thrown in for good measure). If the Spanish accept the reality that most of their navy is doomed, rather than being sunk in harbor/making sortie in Cuba and PI they can get their ships to sea ASAP and conduct raids on US coastal cities. Sooner or later they will lose their ships, but in the meantime they will inflict some damage on cities and shipping. Unfortunately this will only piss off the USA even more and make the peace treaty even more onerous. I would expect the USA would take all of the Spanish Pacific Islands (which means they don't get sold to Germany and thus never get transferred to Japan) plus there will be a significant financial indemnity to pay for any damage to US.

The reality is that the Spanish navy was markedly inferior to the USN in numbers and the quality of the ships, and I suspect level of training of all ranks as well. IMHO different strategy/tactics could cause more damage to the USA/USN however not enough to make any real difference in the outcome. As far as a "lost cause" issue, the reality is that I doubt the inhabitants of any of the Spanish possessions lost in the Span-Am War would be longing for the return of Spanish governance. For all of the issues with US colonialism, and I'm not denying any of them, within a relatively short time the US made health improvements, infrastructure improvements, and the like the the Spanish had never attempted. The Cubans got independence, the Filipinos did not but the Filipinos did not fight the US to get Spain back but rather independence.

In a conflict if one party is markedly weaker assuming they can't come up with a miracle weapon or be facing a grossly incompetent opponent, they can either maintain the conflict until the stronger party decides to give it up (worked for the VC did not for the CSA), gets massive early victories and then makes the stronger party bleed so much they give it up as not worth it (did not turn out well for Japan), or somehow get enough allies willing to join in to change the balance. Spain for a variety of reasons can't do any of these.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Keep Cervera's squadron at home

As the title says clearly .What is the best strategy that the Spanish Admiralty could have followed in the war against the US ?I do not say how could they win as that might be a bit difficult seeing as how Spain far less ships and less men than the US .What I am asking is what is the best possible outcome to the war ?That is my question .


Keep Cervera's squadron at home. That at least saves four reasonably modern ships and their crews. That's about all they can realistically achieve.

Best,
 

Ramontxo

Donor
I think the choosen strategy was the worst possible, Cervera was an incompetent. Maybe give independence the next day to the declaration of war is a wise decision, trying to retain Puerto Rico and Philippines.
If you are interested there is an ucrony (in spanish) about the war in this page: http://www.militar.org.ua/foro/ucronia-espana-vs-ee-uu-duelo-de-aguilas-t36355.html

There were strong rumours that Cervera was sent to lost as swiftly as possible and allow the Spanish goverment to assk for terms beacouse the navy could not stage a coup.
 
The first thing to consider is the diplomatic isolation of Spain and lack of allies were decisive factors at the time of the war of the US against Spain.

The Professionalism and preparation of the Spanish military is without any doubt and recognized in the official histories of the US, at least those I read... and that given the differences in potential and the military policies and their actual investment capabilities from their governments, the Spaniards did better able to face a strategic and tactical nightmare.

The possibility of giving independence to Cuba was not feasible first because it would have meant the fall of the government that had accepted which preferred to sacrifice the lives of their military to lose power...

Besides that even with US aid, the rebels were not near triunfar.. there were large segments of the population, loyal to Spain and they did not want to change the Spanish government by one exercised by the rebels under the oppressive American influence ... which correctly foresaw that will give them a limited sovereignty and nothing of freedom of action would allow the US. both to the Cuban people and their future governments.

The Admiral Cervera strategic mistakes, hesitations influenced, I don't doubt ... but the Spanish was a fleet that was not ready to go fight overseas as it was in the process of modernization, including its most modern ship that was missing install their artillery.

But the fleet was almost doomed once for lack of coal and the condition of the hull of one of its ships, Admiral decided Cervera go to Santiago instead of the port of Havana, which was fortified and prepared for the eventuality of having to accommodate the fleet and defend against an enemy fleet.

In this situation the only options had been landing all men, weapons and ammunition that could spare to help defend the hills of San Juan... which would have increased the chances of rejected the assaults of the American Army, increasing the chances of a Spanish victory in that battle, at least and prevent the fleet had to be forced to leave the harbor.

Also their could make a surprise or at least try, at night or at least the evening out and using torpedoes besides the naval artillery against the American ships so that at least some boats survived to reach the port of Havana.




Bob Gump I think the choose strategy was the worst possible, Cervera was an incompetent. Maybe give independence the next day to the declaration of war is a wise decision, trying to retain Puerto Rico and Philippines.
If you are interested there is an ucrony (in spanish) about the war in this page: http://www.militar.org.ua/foro/ucron...as-t36355.html

I know and in my opinion at all fair: it is excellent but has a previous pod to war and while the war happened at the same toime and place than OTL..is a Spain better prepared and most importantly with a Navy commanded efficiently and with a different strategy to OTL, which faces the US. Navy and the collaborative TL, ending with a Spanish victory.


More specifically requested for the OP... there are a Spanish AH novella : Fuego sobre San Juan (Fire on San Juan) by Javier Sanchez and Pedro García Bilbao.


https://www.amazon.es/Fuego-Sobre-Pedro-Garc%C3%ADa-Bilbao/dp/8495820676/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461371524&sr=8-1&keywords=Fuego+sobre+San+Juan


(The above link is from the Spanish language section, because I fails to find links in English... which I think don't exist.)

It is a short novel that was awarded and originally published in the 1998 volume of the UPC awards, it is an intense and passionate work, which mixes science fiction, alternate history, military action and time travel. Your pod is show as 'a timely warning' would be possible victory in the hills of San Juan, possibility in which I agree.


The authors achieved after this that the Spanish fleet make a fence output following the strategy of Captain Bustamante managing to do it and escape the siege. After this the authors outline us to flight the following events that occur with the inevitability of the fall of a domino chips.

The rest of the narrative moves away quickly from the probable facts and becomes more speculative until the intervention of the powers to end the war.

The novel does not end here... but the rest of the argument has more to do with what was discussed.

Accepting the novelle as a work of science fiction with a temporal agency, development derived from that Pod has little credibility or historical cohesion .... but to be the first about this war in the genre in Spanish ... and fulfills its function of disseminating the AH gender among the readers from from the best collection of Science Fiction in Spanish at this moment.
 
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Xenofonte. I read " Fuego sobre San Juan". It was interesting but i think the end of the war, is quite surprising, because i don't think european countries will help Spain. Another good book is " historia logico natural" centered in a spanish-american war in 1905 with a pod in the glorious revolution.

About the outcome of the war, assuming american military will prevail, do you think, Spain could mantain the Phillipines islands or Puerto Rico, accepting a referendum in Cuba?.
 
About the outcome of the war, assuming american military will prevail, do you think, Spain could mantain the Phillipines islands or Puerto Rico, accepting a referendum in Cuba?.

I could see that happening if the Spanish government at the time was willing to accept a sane strategy in the first place.
 
http://www.militar.org.ua/foro/ucronia-espana-vs-ee-uu-duelo-de-aguilas-t36355.html

In this alternate history the point of divergence is the impact caused by the foreword of the book "Voyage of circumnavigation of the Nautilus corvette" of the Captain Fernando Villamil, which is prefaced by the Laureate Tte. General Valeriano Weyler, instead of composer and bullfighting critic Antonio Peña y Goñi.

Xenofonte. I read " Fuego sobre San Juan". It was interesting but i think the end of the war, is quite surprising, because i don't think european countries will help Spain. Another good book is " historia logico natural" centered in a spanish-american war in 1905 with a pod in the glorious revolution.

About the outcome of the war, assuming american military will prevail, do you think, Spain could mantain the Phillipines islands or Puerto Rico, accepting a referendum in Cuba?.

First thanks by share the links and welcome to the Board:

The TL in Spanish, one of which promptly shared his existence and location for those who might be interested, in at least two different threads but either for its subject, language or both, did not get, to my knowledge, greater interest among the Board members.

Reaffirm that I consider one of the best written and developed in both languages ​​and more than ever be posted here, I think that would give rise to intense debate and interest... it is for its depth and care to detail of the historical verisimilitude and political-estrategic one of the best TL I've read ever.

Regarding 'Fuego sobre San Juan'... For that reason among others is that the highly speculative qualify the outcome... but beyond that, the most important of the novel, for this discussion, is whether by the addition Infantry shipped in the Spanish navy fleet and its naval machine guns would be sufficient to reject the US assaults and after receiving reinforcements in OTL, they were en route to Santiago... could defeat the American army.

Another issue to be discussed is whether an evening out of the Spanish fleet combined with a torpedo attack, could be successful.

Another issue to be discussed would be the reaction of the American Fleet and political controls if they suffer a bloody defeat in the hills of San Juan, combined perhaps with a Spanish offensive with some success... at least they try to enter in the port of Santiago and try to destroy the Spanish fleet that took refuge there?


'Fuego sobre San Juan' Original edition in a highly recommend SF. antology in Spanish:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nova-Ciencia-Ficcion-numero-123/dp/B00FD0WJDI?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0



I could see that happening if the Spanish government at the time was willing to accept a sane strategy in the first place.


Finally the possibility of holding a referendum in Cuba was not feasible ... first by the lack of precedents on the matter, the motivations of the Spanish Government, which if they would remain in power could not accept the American Ultimatum ... besides that most likely the war had begun same as OTL.

We must take into mind when analyzing possible alternative scenarios that given the policies of the US administration and the war fever created and maintained by Hearst in connivance and support for the policies of the US ... in the unlikely event of accepting the Cuban independence, the conditions had been designed to be unacceptable for a sovereign nation.
 
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