| Hispano-Japanese War | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Japan
|  Spain
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji
| King Alfonso XIII
|
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The Hispano-Japanese War was fought between Spain and Japan in the early 20th century.[1]
During the 19th century, Spain's power and position in the world had gradually slipped, and they lost their colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean. By the dawn of the 20th century, Spain's power in the Pacific had dwindled down to nearly nothing. Japan, on the other hand, had begun asserting itself militarily and politically, began its course of expansion into the Pacific and Asia. As part of this expansion, Japan targeted Spain's remaining territories.
The decisive came when the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Spanish Pacific Squadron in Manila Harbor, destroying it and allowing the Japanese Army to land and engage the Spanish garrison there. Blockaded by sea and with no chance of receiving any reinforcements, aid or supplies, the Spanish Army within the city surrendered to the IJA, who subjected the POWs to torture and abuse.[2] After this major victory, the war was a foregone conclusion, and Spain surrendered in short order. In the ensuing peace, Japan stripped Spain of all its Pacific territories, including Guam and the Philippines.[3]
Japan's victory made the rest of the Western world stand up and take notice of her emergence as a modern military power. Never had an Asian country so completely defeated a European one. Indeed, Western journalists were forced to leave the Philippines before they could file complete reports on Japanese atrocities there. Skeptics were quick to point out that Spain was hardly a formidable opponent. Nonetheless, Europe had to concede that Japan had arrived as a player on the political scene, and would have to be dealt with as something like an equal.
Literary comment[]
This war has parallels to the OTL Spanish-American War (1898) and Russo-Japanese War (1904-5).
References[]
- ↑ Return Engagement, pg. 390, HC.
- ↑ American Front, pg. 336, HC.
- ↑ Return Engagement, pg. 390, HC.
