The United States Military Government in Cuba (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Gobierno militar estadounidense en Cuba'' or ''Gobierno militar americano en Cuba''), was a provisional military government in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

that was established in the aftermath of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

in 1898 when

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

ceded Cuba to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. This period was also referred to as the First Occupation of Cuba, to distinguish it from a second occupation from 1906 to 1909.

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

forces involved in the garrisoning of the island during this time were honored with the

Army of Cuban Occupation Medal The Army of Cuban Occupation Medal was a military award created by the United States War Department in June 1915. The medal recognizes those service members who performed garrison occupation duty in the United States Protectorate over Cuba, follo ...

after its establishment in 1915.

Timeline

;1898 * 15 February: The USS ''Maine'' explodes in Havana harbor. * 20 April: President McKinley signs a congressional joint resolution declaring war against Spain. It includes the

Teller Amendment The Teller Amendment was an amendment to a joint resolution of the United States Congress, enacted on April 20, 1898, in reply to President William McKinley's War Message. It placed a condition on the United States military's presence in Cuba. Ac ...

asserting U.S. intentions in declaring war on Spain exclude exercising "sovereignty, jurisdiction or control" over Cuba, "except for pacification thereof". * 10 December: Spain and the United States sign the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

. ;1899 * 1 January: Military government installed by the United States. * 11 April:

officially ends. ;1901 * 21 February: 1901 Constitution of Cuba, Constitution of the Republic of Cuba is adopted. * 31 December: Tomás Estrada Palma, Estrada Palma is elected the first president of the Republic of Cuba. ;1902 * 20 May: The 1901 constitution takes effect. Birth of the Republic of Cuba.

Platt Amendment

The Platt Amendment defined the terms by which the United States would cease its occupation of Cuba. The amendment, placed into an army appropriations bill was designed to give back control of Cuba to the Cuban people. It had eight conditions to which the Cuban Government needed to adhere before full sovereignty would be transferred. The main conditions of the amendment prohibited Cuba from signing any treaty allowing foreign powers to use the island for military purposes. The United States also maintained the right to interfere with Cuban independence in order to maintain a certain level of protection of life, though the extent of this intrusion was not defined. Most significant, the amendment forced the Cuban Government to sign a treaty officially binding the amendment to law. The United States reasoning behind the amendment was based on the significant commercial interests held on the island. Spain had previously been unable to preserve U.S. interests and maintain law and order. At the end of military occupation, the amendment served as the primary method of ensuring a permanent presence. Due to the previously enacted Teller Amendment, The United States was forced to grant Cuba its independence after Spanish rule ended. Since the Platt Amendment was successfully incorporated into the constitution in Cuba, influence was maintained without direct U.S. involvement in the country.The United States, Cuba, and the Platt Amendment, 1901
. Office of the Historian. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 30 June 2015.

References

{{Territories of the United States History of Cuba Cuba–United States relations United States involvement in regime change Aftermath of the Spanish–American War by country, Cuba Banana Wars

Timeline

Platt Amendment

See also

References