Crawford, Michael; Hayes, Mark; Sessions, Michael

The Spanish-American War - Historical Overview and Select Bibliography

The purpose of this publication is to encourage understanding and further study of the naval aspects of the Spanish-American War. Study of the sea services in this conflict is especially important because of the central role the Navy played in nearly every aspect of the war from logistics to diplomacy. American planners and leaders anticipated that the fight with Spain would be primarily a naval war. The U.S. Navy's victories at Manila Bay and Santiago de Cuba were pivotal events that turned the course of the war and America's future. Joint Army-Navy operations at Santiago, Puerto Rico, and Manila sealed the success won by the U.S. Navy's command of the seas. Naval History Bibliographies, No. 5., Naval Historical Center.