An A-Z encyclopedia covering the principal battles and campaigns, key military and political figures, and the political maneuvering during the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. This comprehensive new reference work provides in depth information regarding the facts and myths of the conflict that propelled the United States onto the world stage as an international and colonial power with the acquisition of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. America's adventure into colonialism began with the destruction of the U.S. battleship Maine in 1898, presumably by a Spanish mine. The four month war against Spain that followed-the shortest declared war in U.S. history-resulted in the U.S. acquisition of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The young giant of the Western Hemisphere was transformed into a colonial power, and the balance of power in the world was changed forever. In this chronicle of an era that has escaped the attention it deserves, military historian Jerry Keenan explores America's war with Spain and the violence that followed. He shows how the United States muddled the administration of the sprawling Philippine archipelago, guided by a policy that President McKinley called "benevolent assimilation." Within a year, the United States was fighting a war against Philippine nationalists-a three year conflict that would give American soldiers their first bitter taste of counterinsurgency warfare in an Asian jungle. This title analyzes all of the campaigns and principal battles of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars, along with their political and historical context; profiles key military and political figures in the United States, Cuba, Spain, and the Philippines; charts the chronological development of the confrontations from 1868 to 1903; generously illustrates the discussion with maps, tactical diagrams, and archival photos. The encyclopedia highlights a broad range of topics on two wars that are not usually studied together but that benefit from being presented in one volume. It includes coverage of both military and political events and incidents, including the sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor and the beginning of U.S. involvement in the Far East.

v. 1. A-L -- v. 2. M-Z -- v. 3. Documents.