Spanish-American Relations in the 1890s in the Context of the Monroe Doctrine

Abstract

The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed in 1823, was successfully used by the United States throughout the 19th century to protect US territorial and political interests in the Western Hemisphere. One of the most obvious examples of its application in international relations was the Spanish-American War of 1898. The Russian ambassador in Madrid, Dmitry Shevich, was an unbiased witness of the application of the Monroe Doctrine by the Americans to Spain and Cuba in the 1890s. Based on his reports, we analyze the stages of the escalation of the conflict, examine the evolution of the aggressive US policy towards Madrid under the pretext of protecting the interests of Spain from Cuban «insurgents», we address the role and participation of Russia in the conflict. The Monroe Doctrine was applied where and when the position of the US government was absolutely strong. Whereas in the 1870s the situation in Cuba, and even in the United States itself, was not very appropriate, it is in the 1890 that the position of the United States in the international arena, the stabilization of the situation in the country as a result of the Reconstruction era and the chaos in the domestic political situation in Spain served as key factors for Washington’s confidence in the success of its enterprise. The United States used various methods of pressure on Spain in order to squeeze it out of Cuba and get the island into its undivided possession. At the same time, whereas in 1896–1897 the relations were dominated by diplomatic rhetoric about the need to «pacify» the situation in Cuba and the willingness to act as an intermediary between the metropole and the insurgents, the relations with Spain turned into threats and ultimatums after the explosion of the battleship Maine. Washington openly voiced its right to decide the fate of the states and nations of the Western Hemisphere.