Question

Prior to the start of the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy had formulated a strategic plan for weakening Spain in both the Philippines and in Cuba. However, these plans were not implemented as intended. Last minute changes seriously threatened the effectiveness of the strategy in the Caribbean. What factor led to this last-minute strategy change

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Although the question does not provide options, we can say the following.

The factor that led to this last-minute strategy change was that the public demanded the Navy to protect Florida from a Spanish attack.

Prior to the start of the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy had formulated a strategic plan for weakening Spain in both the Philippines and Cuba. These plans were not implemented as intended. Last-minute changes seriously threatened the effectiveness of the strategy in the Caribbean due to the above-mentioned reason.

With the victory of the United States Navy over the Spaniard Navy in 1898, Spain ended its colonial presence in the Caribbean. Finally, Cuba got its independence. As a result of its victory, the United States took possession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the island of Guam. The Treaty of Paris officially ended the Spanish-American War.