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Text Chapter 308 Taking advantage of the situation

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    (Thanks to book friend kngnjj for the reward! Thanks to book friend L.L and Cherubim for their monthly tickets!)

    The current U.S. government urgently needs a victory to divert the attention of the domestic public and enhance public confidence.  After being defeated by China last year, although William?  The McKinley administration adopted many methods to arouse public anger against China.  However, many Americans still have great doubts about whether they should embark on the path of external expansion.  If it can win a victory, it will be of great benefit to the United States.  Of course, if it fails again, the U.S.'s path to expansion may be completely closed.  Therefore, the target chosen this time is weak Spain.

    Although, a few hundred years ago, Spain was the world's largest power.  But after the Armada was defeated by the British, Spain quickly fell.  A large number of colonial colonies and domestic economic and industrial development are also very slow, making Spain now a weak country.  Therefore, the U.S. government has the courage to launch a challenge to this old colonial country.

    Got William?  After President McKinley agreed, the U.S. Army and Navy quickly prepared.  However, they also needed an excuse to go to war with Spain that was acceptable to all Americans.  However, such excuses are always easy to find.

    The USS Maine is an old armored cruiser that entered service in 1886.  However, as of today, the 'Maine' has completely lagged behind and can no longer play any role in the naval battle.  Because of the uprising against Spain that broke out in Cuba, this warship was sent to Cuba to perform missions to protect overseas Chinese.

    In January 1898, the Maine sailed from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba.  Three weeks later, at 9:40 pm on February 15, the Maine exploded while parked in Havana Harbor.  The explosion was so powerful that almost one-third of the front side of the ship was blown away, and the remaining wreckage quickly sank into the sea, killing 266 people, the vast majority of whom were soldiers. Almost all the ship's officers were on land at the time of the explosion, and only  Two officers were on board.  The United States accused Spain of planning the explosion of the Maine. On March 27, the U.S. minister to Spain proposed conditions such as a ceasefire in Cuba and the abolition of concentration camp laws.  In order to avoid war with the United States, Spain declared a truce on April 9.  However, the U.S. Congress issued a resolution: declaring Cuba's sovereignty, requiring Spain to withdraw from Cuba, authorizing the president to use force, and declaring that the United States had no intention of annexing Cuba.  On April 22, the U.S. Navy blocked Cuban ports.  On April 24, Spain declared war on the United States, and the next day, the United States also declared war on Spain.

    After the "Maine" incident, the Western government sent a fleet (six warships, commanded by P. Cervera) to defend Puerto Rico and entered the port of Santiago on May 19.  The U.S. North Atlantic Squadron (seven combat ships, commanded by W.T. Sampson) immediately imposed a blockade on the port and requested the army's cooperation to annihilate the Western Fleet in the port.  However, after the US Army's 5th Army (about 17,000 people, commanded by W. Shafter) landed east of Santiago, it insisted on capturing the city of Santiago; it suffered 1,700 casualties in the battle to capture the commanding heights east of the city.  On July 3, the Western Fleet was ordered to withdraw from the port of Santiago and was annihilated by the US fleet outside the port. 160 people died and 1,800 were captured (including Cervera).  The Americans suffered only one casualty each.  On the 16th, the city of Santiago was besieged by the Cuban rebels and the US military and ran out of food. About 23,000 western defenders inside and outside the city surrendered.  On the 25th, the expeditionary force led by U.S. Army Commander N.A. Miles landed in Puerto Rico.  The Western government sued for peace.  On August 12, the United States and Spain agreed to cease military operations.  In Cuba, the U.S. Army also won steadily, defeating the Spanish Army in Cuba, thus making the land situation of the war favorable to the United States.

    In Asia, when the United States declared war on Spain, China also issued a war threat against Spain.  On April 27, Wu Tingfang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Empire, sent a note to Li Mei, the Spanish Minister to China, expressing great indignation at the massacre of Chinese people in the Philippines by Spanish colonists and natives.

    Li Mei was shocked. Now Spain is at war with the United States. How can it have the strength to face the more powerful China?  The killing of Chinese people in the Philippines is a common occurrence.  China is making a fuss about this matter, and its intentions behind it can be imagined.

    "Your Excellency Wu Tingfang, I don't know about this matter. I will report it to the country and ask Mr. Basilio Augustine, the Governor of the Philippines, to give China a satisfactory answer!" Li Mei said immediately.  Now, Spain has decided to fight the United States with all its strength. If China takes the opportunity to invade the Philippines again, Spain will not be able to resist it.  The Chinese defeated the Americans last year, and they were simply not something the declining Spain could handle.

    "Okay, three days, I'll give you three days. If the empire cannot be satisfied, the empire will use all means to protect the lives and property of the people of the empire outside the country!" Wu Tingfang said firmly.

    "Okay, Wu Tingfang"Next, I will give you a reply as soon as possible!  "Li Mei replied bitterly. He could tell from Wu Tingfang's attitude that China was ready to swallow up this piece of fat meat in the Philippines.

    Li Mei contacted Spain immediately, and Spain was also shocked by the ruling and opposition parties.  King Alfonso XIII of Spain instructed LeMay to reach an agreement with the Chinese and to preserve Spanish colonies in Asia as much as possible.  At the same time, the Spanish ambassador to Britain and France also urgently met with the foreign ministers and ministers of foreign affairs of the two countries, requesting support from both countries.  Both countries expressed support for Spain.

    The British Minister to China Jules Dian and the French Minister to China Pierre asked to see Wu Tingfang and proposed to mediate the conflict between China and Spain.  However, Wu Tingfang sternly refused, stating that this was a matter between China and Spain and hoped that Britain and France would not interfere.

    Seeing Wu Tingfang¡¯s toughness, Britain and France naturally knew that China must swallow up Spain¡¯s Asian colonies.  And they have just decided to go to war with China in two years, and it is difficult to change their decision now.  In addition, this time the war against Spain was started by the United States, and it was even more difficult for them to say anything.  So they had no choice but to tell Spain that mediation had failed and then ignore the matter.

    At the same time, a fleet consisting of the heavy cruiser 'Xi'an', the light cruisers 'Mianyang' and 'Deyang', and the destroyers 'Dujiangyan', 'Pengzhou', 'Qionglai' and 'Chongzhou' had already  Set out to sea from Zhanjiang Port in Guangdong, preparing to cross the South China Sea and launch an attack on the Spanish fleet in the Philippines.  In addition, a large number of transport ships have loaded the 5th Marine Brigade and set off with the fleet.  Additional Marine Corps 8th and 9th Brigades will follow later.  This fleet is led by Rear Admiral Li Haitao, Chief of Staff of the Royal Chinese Navy's Home Fleet.

    On April 30, Spanish Minister to China Li Mei submitted a solution to the persecution of Chinese in the Philippines to Wu Tingfang. In the plan, the Spanish government proposed to improve the status of Chinese in Spain and protect their personal and property safety.  At the same time, we should compensate the families of the injured Chinese and ensure that this situation will never happen again.

    Frankly speaking, this plan is already very good, and Spain has made a big concession.  However, China does not agree with the solution proposed by the Spanish government.

    On the afternoon of April 30, Wu Tingfang formally declared war on Spain on behalf of China.  And Li Mei, the Spanish Minister to China, who had already guessed such a result, also declared war on China on behalf of Spain.  The war between China and Spain officially broke out.

    The Western world has criticized China for taking advantage of the situation.  However, China simply ignores this.  Anyway, in the eyes of the Western world, China is their enemy.  China naturally does not need to take into account their opinions.

    On May 1, the fleet led by Rear Admiral Li Haitao appeared in the offshore waters of the Philippines.  Facing the attack of the Chinese navy, the Spanish navy, which had been well prepared, did not hide, but chose to engage in a fierce battle with the Chinese navy.  That morning, the navies of the two countries encountered each other outside Manila Bay and started a fierce battle.  As early as after China declared war on Spain, the commander of the Spanish fleet Tang?  Patricio?  Major General Montojo was already waiting for war.  Even though Spain has seriously declined, Spain still has its own dignity and glory.  The Spanish navy he led was fighting to defend Spain's final glory.

    The Spanish Navy only has seven warships, and the most advanced warship is the 3,500-ton ¡®Reina?  The cruiser "Christina" has a main gun of 155 mm. The remaining one is the wooden-hulled cruiser "Castile", and there are five destroyers and gunboats with a displacement of 500 to 1,100 tons.  The Chinese navy's squadron has an overwhelming advantage over them.  Even the displacement of the heavy cruiser Xi'an surpassed that of the entire Spanish fleet.

    The naval battle broke out at 11 a.m. on May 1.  Don?  Patricio?  Rear Admiral Montojo knew the disadvantages of the Spanish fleet. He commanded the fleet and launched an attack on the Chinese Navy, hoping to shorten the distance between the two sides.

    At 11:20, when the distance between the two sides was still 6 kilometers, Rear Admiral Li Haitian ordered the fleet to open fire.  The two twin-mounted 280mm main guns of the heavy cruiser 'Xi'an' immediately fired at 'Reina?  The cruiser Christina opened fire.  Other warships also chose their targets one after another, basically adopting a one-on-one approach to attack the Spanish fleet.

    The old Spanish fleet is obviously no match for the Chinese navy.  However, like knights on the sea, they launched an attack on the Chinese Navy.

    PS: The second update is here!  Please subscribe, please give me a monthly pass!  (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to become a registered member of Piaotian Literature to recommend this work. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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