Why didn't the Spanish American war become a much bigger conflict?

I was just thinking of the magnitude that would have resulted had the US in the late 1800's gone to war with the UK or Germany or perhaps France.

Why did the US and Spain declaring war on each seem to only result in a relatively short war with a limited scope?
 
Because by the time of the war, Spain wasn't a great power anymore
Seriously the war lasted three months only thanks to the conditions of the spanish army and government
 
I was just thinking of the magnitude that would have resulted had the US in the late 1800's gone to war with the UK or Germany or perhaps France.

Why did the US and Spain declaring war on each seem to only result in a relatively short war with a limited scope?
I don't think the UK, Germany, France or anyone really would have much interest in propping up a decaying empire to counter the interests of the United States, which remains of limited importance to them.

It simply isn't worth it.
 
Spain was pretty irrelevant by this time, and the war was quick. If you want a big war to blossom out of it though, there were apparently a lot of tensions between Germany and the US over the Philippines, which Germany desired for their own. If Germany doesn't back down, you might see a war start over that, though I'm not sure what it would look like.
 
Spain was pretty irrelevant by this time, and the war was quick. If you want a big war to blossom out of it though, there were apparently a lot of tensions between Germany and the US over the Philippines, which Germany desired for their own. If Germany doesn't back down, you might see a war start over that, though I'm not sure what it would look like.

Indeed. But I doubt Germany will keep pressing for the Philippines. They might as well look elsewhere rather than fighting an American Navy in a region not totally known by the Germans yet.
 
Nobody felt getting anything out of Spain so nobody supported it. If Spain had a little more influence among Great Powers, and preserved its Great Power Status then they would have some sort of backing. And the USA had more to offer to the Great Powers ie. trade.

If France remained a monarchy ruled by the Bourbons then it might have been even closer ties in the War with Spain.
 
Spain was pretty irrelevant by this time, and the war was quick. If you want a big war to blossom out of it though, there were apparently a lot of tensions between Germany and the US over the Philippines, which Germany desired for their own. If Germany doesn't back down, you might see a war start over that, though I'm not sure what it would look like.

Indeed. But I doubt Germany will keep pressing for the Philippines. They might as well look elsewhere rather than fighting an American Navy in a region not totally known by the Germans yet.

If a conflict ends up starting over it, I think that the British will insist on mediating and award them to the States. Germany isn't going to want to fight a war with Britain over them.
 
If a conflict ends up starting over it, I think that the British will insist on mediating and award them to the States. Germany isn't going to want to fight a war with Britain over them.

I guess so...

The war would be over before a battle is fought. Because I do not see the Germans sending an expedition all the way to the Pacific and the possibility of battles is in the Atlantic and close to Britain.
 
If a conflict ends up starting over it, I think that the British will insist on mediating and award them to the States. Germany isn't going to want to fight a war with Britain over them.

Maybe. Given both sides are really just looking for a center to facilitate trade with China and base a Pacific fleet out of though I could see, like in Samoa, Germany and The US both being allowed to "purchase" a chunk with a decent anchorage.
 
It didn’t hurt that Britain sympathized with us & they were the #1 power in the world
in 1898 IOTL.
By this time, the British were in the process of or soon there after, of reducing the Jamaican Fleet and leaving the full implementation of the Monroe Doctrine to the growing navy of the United States as well as wishing to be on friendlier terms in the area with the United States as a potential ally in case of war with Germany. US locality, its growing fleet, all make a potential US enemy not worth it to defend the last remnants of the once large Spanish Empire or try and maintain an English speaking "big brother" role in the western hemisphere.
 
By this time, the British were in the process of or soon there after, of reducing the Jamaican Fleet and leaving the full implementation of the Monroe Doctrine to the growing navy of the United States as well as wishing to be on friendlier terms in the area with the United States as a potential ally in case of war with Germany. US locality, its growing fleet, all make a potential US enemy not worth it to defend the last remnants of the once large Spanish Empire or try and maintain an English speaking "big brother" role in the western hemisphere.

Other than that, there is no chance in hell that Britain will fight to let Spain keeping its colonies. Unless they get it all after the war but Spain might sell it as well to the US then.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
I was just thinking of the magnitude that would have resulted had the US in the late 1800's gone to war with the UK or Germany or perhaps France.

Why did the US and Spain declaring war on each seem to only result in a relatively short war with a limited scope?

UK would be creating a permanent enemy all in order to protect a non-ally colony. While the RN would rule the sea an things like Hawaii are vulnerable, the USA has the ability to raise a fairly large army. We are not too far from WW1 where the USA had a million troops in France in 12 months, 2 million in 18 months. England is not really going to enjoy doing mass conscription to defend Canada. We are basically late enough in history for a UK versus USA war to be an exchange of Hawaii for Canada. Really good trade for the USA. Also come win or loss for the UK, there is a good chance the USA will have a large standing army going forward. And a navy as big as the UK.

While we obviously butterfly away WW1, let's imagine a good case for the UK with a OTL WW1. The UK has held Canada and prevent the USA gaining any Spanish lands. You can have Hawaii to either way. The USA will join the alliance system opposed to the UK. The USA will have a navy larger than OTL, and some reserve system that can quickly balloon to 2 million active men by month 3 of the war. If the UK sends the BEF to try to hold Halifax, then the Germans hold the Marne. The UK will still lose almost all of Canada in the first few months. The USA and conquered Canada will not be able to supply the UK with food. The USA will be sending cruisers and AMC to intercept food shipments to the UK. The Royal Navy will have to come to try to beat the USN back into port. If the UK send the BEF to France, All of Canada will quickly fall. Without the British Army, the Caribbean Islands will be hard to hold.

Germany navy is a joke in 1898 as far as power projection.

France. No easy to take territories by the USA. Probably a big enough navy and army to stop the USA from taking Cuba, but there are a couple of issues. If the French win, the USA will join the German alliance system. We are a natural fit with lots of German and Italian Americans. Also little issue of Germany. If France sends a couple million troops to the Western Hemisphere, France might look like a tempting target. In European politics, countries will try to take advantage of distracted enemies.

And of all the above, I am basically assuming a pretty short war where the USA is decisively defeated in under 6 months and gives up. Now imagine what a longer war does to the budget of the country which fights. Let's take the UK since they are the most capable. US Navy is defeated. Cuba held. USA does not leave war, so we see rapidly expanding British Army attack down from the base of either Halifax or out of Havana. A few states may be taken, but then the lines bog down. USA units are green and low on heavy equipment but rapidly growing in strength. British expenditures are rapidly approaching WW1 levels where the UK ran out of cash in under 3 years. USA finances a wreck too. Few years in, peace treaty is signed. It can be favorable to one side or the other. Besides, all the issues listed in previous paragraphs, the finance of the UK are wrecked. Probably have to devalue the pound. Royal Navy funding will be cut to pay down losses. How does the naval situation look like when we have OTL German Navy and the UK only build ships half as fast as OTL? When the Boer revolt yet again, will the UK be strong enough not to lose South Africa? Or the next crisis in China. Or Morocco.

So this is a lot of words to say that Great Powers often avoid pointless wars of lesser powers where there is nothing to be gained or lost.
 
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