WI: U.S. Goes to war over Virginius

ok say the UK settles the issue as OTL, but the U.S. goes to war over it. Could we see a smack down of the U.S. Navy that would throw the U.S. back a few decades whilst causing the Spanish to place more of an emphasise on their Caribbean fleet, so as to protect their holdings?
 

Driftless

Donor
ok say the UK settles the issue as OTL, but the U.S. goes to war over it. Could we see a smack down of the U.S. Navy that would throw the U.S. back a few decades whilst causing the Spanish to place more of an emphasise on their Caribbean fleet, so as to protect their holdings?

It might well be a smackdown of the US fleet. I think though, it would accelerate the build of the "New Navy". Nothing gets your attention more than an unexpected beat-down, when you think you are an up-and-comer....

I'm not sure of the impact on Spain. It would be a great morale booster on the home front, but wasn't Spain's economic situation in the 1870's-1900 a bit rocky? The OTL Spanish American War had them with some nice ships, in varying states of completion, with a lot of old hulls in pretty decrepit condition (Much like the US fleet of 1873...)
 
ok say the UK settles the issue as OTL, but the U.S. goes to war over it. Could we see a smack down of the U.S. Navy that would throw the U.S. back a few decades whilst causing the Spanish to place more of an emphasise on their Caribbean fleet, so as to protect their holdings?

I doubt that the US would go to war over it. The Virginius Affair was part of what made people in the US government realized that America was unprepared for a war with Spain, and led to the shipbuilding programs that would enable the total curbstomp of 1898. So if it's obvious that Spain has the superior navy at the time of the incident, and the US is war-weary as hell (the Civil War ended only 8 years earlier), why would the US go to war over this?
 
It might well be a smackdown of the US fleet. I think though, it would accelerate the build of the "New Navy". Nothing gets your attention more than an unexpected beat-down, when you think you are an up-and-comer....

I'm not sure of the impact on Spain. It would be a great morale booster on the home front, but wasn't Spain's economic situation in the 1870's-1900 a bit rocky? The OTL Spanish American War had them with some nice ships, in varying states of completion, with a lot of old hulls in pretty decrepit condition (Much like the US fleet of 1873...)

Thanks that's all I wanted:D
 
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