Spanish-American War the conflict between Spain and the United States in 1898, culminating in the capture of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines under Spanish rule. With the exception of the War of Independence and the War of 1812, both waged against their former metropolis, Great Britain, this was the first American war against a European nation.
The conflict, which lasted approximately eight months, was also the United States' first major military victory over a foreign power. This war once again signaled Spanish decay as a world power and catapulted the United States to the forefront of global political disputes.
