Casus Belly or "Remember Maine"!
When the aggressor wants to be good ...
Today, the world is constantly shaken by the disasters of both civilian and warships and airplanes, many of which very often look as if they were specially organized. The latest example is the catastrophe of the Asia Minor Boeing in the skies over the Donbas. No less interesting and all the obvious and backstage fuss that was raised around this tragedy. However, this is not the first example of how the death of people (accidental or non-random) is used as a pretext for the outbreak of hostilities, or some kind of denunciations. There is even a Roman law term called "Casus Belli" or a formal pretext for war. And in a number of norms of Roman law, it is one of the most remarkable. After all, the aggressor tries not to lose face in the eyes of public opinion and the aggressor does not look like! To this end, he is looking for such a pretext for an attack, which would present him as a victim and allow, therefore, to speak about the legitimacy of his actions. Well, if there is no such reason, then very often the aggressor creates it himself. Moreover, such examples have been known to us for a long time and one of the most remarkable is the explosion of the battleship Meng in 1898.
The armored ship "Maine" was not too large and of an impressive type of fighting ship, which is why it was attributed to the battleships of the 2 class, now to the armored cruisers. The main caliber - four 254-mm guns in two towers, spaced along its length, because of which the ship was prone to sharp pitching.
Auxiliary caliber "Maine" were six of these 6-inch guns.
Blast in the harbor of Havana
And it was so that ten minutes past nine in the night of 15 February 1898 of the year in the harbor of the capital of Cuba Havana there was a powerful explosion. Those people who were on the embankment at that time witnessed an eerie spectacle: a bright flash flashed over the bow of a large two-pipe warship anchored, and began to sink. In less than a few minutes, both at the place where the American armored cruiser “Men” had just stood, who had come to Havana on a friendly visit ten days ago, plunged deep into the water, but the fire and explosions continued there until only masts remained on the surface . Boats rushed from the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII to the scene of the tragedy. The sailors from the cruiser tried to help the victims as soon as possible, but very few were able to save them from the sunken “Man”.
Maine's age-mate battleship Texas had only two 305-mm guns in two towers in the center of the ship, so the pitching was smoother.
The details of the tragedy learned very soon. According to the ship's commander, the disaster occurred in 9 hours 40 minutes and caught his team by surprise. First, a strong explosion was heard on the ship, from which he even rose above the water. In this case, the commander was wounded in the head, but continued to command and lead the rescue of the crew. But nothing could be done. After the explosion, the ship sank so quickly that almost three quarters of the crew - 266 sailors remained on board and went to the bottom with him!
"Maine" passes under the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Maine" enters the harbor of Havana.
Outside or inside?
The Spanish authorities said that, in their opinion, "Men" was killed by an explosion of ammunition in the nasal cellar. It was possible to clarify the causes of the disaster by dropping the divers to the bottom. Moreover, the ship was located at a depth of just 14 meters, so it didn’t cause any difficulties. But for some reason the Americans decided otherwise. Without asking permission from Spain, to which Cuba at that time belonged as a colony, they sent to Havana a commission of four US Navy officers who were to investigate the catastrophe. The Cuban governor did not like such arrogance, and he expressed his official protest to the American side. According to the Spaniards, a mixed Spanish-American commission was to work on the investigation of the tragedy, which should have been conducted in the most impartial manner. However, the Americans and the proposal from the Spaniards rejected, and in a rather harsh, undiplomatic, form.
In addition, there were four more torpedo tubes located on the sides of the Maine.
When newspapers are more dangerous than dynamite ...
Meanwhile, while four officers were studying the wreckage of the ship, the American newspapers literally went on a rampage, literally real anti-Spanish hysteria broke out in the press, and this is just something weird. After all, what the commission would say, then no one knew. Meanwhile, the Americans were already preparing for war with Spain. The newspapers were full of such catchy headlines: “The Man’s warship was destroyed by the enemy’s secret infernal machine!”, “The Man’s battleship was treacherously destroyed by the Spaniards!” - And how could you not believe that all this is the work of the crafty Spaniards. "The destruction of" Maine "should be the basis for our order the fleet set sail for Havana! ” - immediately suggested the newspaper World Net Daily. Moreover, the opinion of the press was immediately supported by the future president, Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent supporter of the Monroe Doctrine ("America for the Americans"). Who in it was understood by the Americans is understandable. First of all, they were US citizens, and not at all some Spaniards there! As a result, the American government did not even wait for the results of the commission’s work, but immediately allocated $ 50 million to strengthen the “national defense” - as if Spain was about to attack the USA immediately!
But the New York newspaper The World with the material about the death of "Maine" on the front page. Date - February 17 1898 of the year, that is, this number came out less than two days after the explosion. No one knows anything yet, and only newspaper reporters have no doubt that the cause was the "hellish car or torpedo." But even more surprising to her illustration. It is amazing how the artist managed to complete the engraving that was so large and full of details in just one day, and then they managed to make a galvanic form from it and print the print run. The explosion on the engraving is shown very accurately, although the “nose” is a very relative place. Or maybe the artist started working on it in advance and she was ready when it all happened that way?
The report of the commission, published on March 21, added fuel to the fire. From it followed that the ship was blown up by an underwater mine or a torpedo. The commission did not directly name the perpetrators (as is the case now in the case of Boeing), but, of course, the Americans already understood that the Spaniards did it!
All that remains of the ship after the explosion.
Peace or war? War!
In turn, 28 in March was already a Spanish commission, although it was not given the opportunity to inspect the ship, published its own report based on eyewitness testimony. They all unanimously claimed that the explosion took place inside the ship. But the Americans did not want to take their materials into account. Moreover, in his message to Congress, US President William McKinley said so directly that "Men" was the victim of an underwater mine. Whose she could be? Well, of course, only Spanish! So the blame for the tragedy was laid on Spain, since the ship died in its territorial waters. And on April 11, President McKinley announced that it was the duty of the United States to oppose Spain, since "all this is being done on our borders." Then on April 20 Madrid from Washington was sent an ultimatum demanding to abandon Cuba, and withdraw the army and navy from its territory. And although his term was to expire only 23 April, the squadron of the American Navy took to sea the day before and headed for Cuba and the Philippines. Then thousands of volunteers were drafted into the army by 25, and the whole of America was filled with posters such as: “Join the Marines!”, Including the most famous among them: “Remember“ Maine ”! That is, the war has not even been declared, but in fact it has already begun! To show the world that this is not a colonial war, and that the United States is interested in Cuban independence instead of American colonization, Congress adopted the “Teller amendment”, which promised that America would not annex this precious island, would grant it independence.
"Maine" and his commander Sigby.
Well, the war ended, as is known, with the victory of the USA. Spain lost all of its colonies and lost its navy. Well, the mystery of the death of 266 seamen "Maine" on the background of triumphant reports and reports of other losses no one else has ever recalled.
"Remember Maine." American flag poster.
Mystery at the bottom of the sea
In 1910, the ship decided to raise, and chose a very unusual way for this. With the help of steam hammers, placed on platforms around the sunken ship, 30-meter iron piles were driven into the ground very close to each other. Then the space between them was sealed up, and the water from the resulting pool was pumped out, so that it was possible to “walk on the dry land” on the ship lying at the bottom. Immediately his inspection showed that the explosion on it, as the Spaniards said, happened inside, and not at all outside. That is, neither mine nor torpedo were anything to do with. But work on the ship was soon ceased, and all the materials were in the American archives, where even today you cannot reach them.
That's how it was raised ...
It turned out that fact. For some reason, the captain of “Maine” still 25 March 1898 of the year (that is, the American Commission has already published its report) for some reason began to ask permission from the Spanish authorities for permission to blow up the remains of their ship with dynamite, arguing that they interfere with navigation in the harbor! And they really interfered, why they were raised in 1910 year. But ... why was they to be blown up in 1898 immediately after the disaster? Well, and the raised nose of the “Maine” was immediately cut into pieces and sent to the smelter!
Conspiracy or accident?
Practically from the very moment the cruiser died, the version of the "conspiracy" was born, according to which the agents of the American government blew it up to provoke popular outrage against Spain, that is, to create a "Casus Belli". In fairness, we note that this version has not been proven, but remains, nevertheless, very popular. The main objections against it are that the American fleet at that time had very few modern warships and the destruction of “Maine” for the sake of provocation was too expensive for economical Yankees, and a serious degradation of the fleet’s combat capability. And the wound of the commander in the explosion? It is hardly pleasant when you are blown up, even if “for the sake of big politics” ... But, by the way, who knows?
The officer cabin-campaign "Maine".
Search who benefits?
However, if after all it was not just a disaster, then who was its organizer? Of course, not the Spaniards, their affairs with the fleet were even worse. Accident is also not excluded, since a warship is filled with explosive objects, and fools who smoke near the barrel of gunpowder are everywhere. And, nevertheless, the promptness of the press’s reaction to the explosion and its violent nature directly indicate that this explosion was not an accident, well, and then very skillfully used its results. It is quite possible that the so-called “ultra” and even the Ku Klux Klan may be involved in it, whose interests were connected with big business, although the “Klanites” themselves, of course, never advertised this. A number of US historians at one time expressed the idea that it could be those people who feared a peaceful settlement of the conflict that had long been brewing and acted at their own peril and risk besides the government, and those who were vitally interested in seizing the wealth of Cuba and the Philippines. Could it be that someone in the US got involved in this game besides the president? Yes, it could! Well, he only used the one provided to him. "history"A chance. In any case, the time since those events has already passed so much that we will never know the truth. However, today we see the same handwriting: good direction and strange consequences of the dramatic events that have taken place, and this can not but alarm, because history has a peculiarity to repeat itself!
Even on stamps the ill-fated "Men" was depicted.
Today, the world is constantly shaken by the disasters of both civilian and warships and airplanes, many of which very often look as if they were specially organized. The latest example is the catastrophe of the Asia Minor Boeing in the skies over the Donbas. No less interesting and all the obvious and backstage fuss that was raised around this tragedy. However, this is not the first example of how the death of people (accidental or non-random) is used as a pretext for the outbreak of hostilities, or some kind of denunciations. There is even a Roman law term called "Casus Belli" or a formal pretext for war. And in a number of norms of Roman law, it is one of the most remarkable. After all, the aggressor tries not to lose face in the eyes of public opinion and the aggressor does not look like! To this end, he is looking for such a pretext for an attack, which would present him as a victim and allow, therefore, to speak about the legitimacy of his actions. Well, if there is no such reason, then very often the aggressor creates it himself. Moreover, such examples have been known to us for a long time and one of the most remarkable is the explosion of the battleship Meng in 1898.
The armored ship "Maine" was not too large and of an impressive type of fighting ship, which is why it was attributed to the battleships of the 2 class, now to the armored cruisers. The main caliber - four 254-mm guns in two towers, spaced along its length, because of which the ship was prone to sharp pitching.
Auxiliary caliber "Maine" were six of these 6-inch guns.
Blast in the harbor of Havana
And it was so that ten minutes past nine in the night of 15 February 1898 of the year in the harbor of the capital of Cuba Havana there was a powerful explosion. Those people who were on the embankment at that time witnessed an eerie spectacle: a bright flash flashed over the bow of a large two-pipe warship anchored, and began to sink. In less than a few minutes, both at the place where the American armored cruiser “Men” had just stood, who had come to Havana on a friendly visit ten days ago, plunged deep into the water, but the fire and explosions continued there until only masts remained on the surface . Boats rushed from the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII to the scene of the tragedy. The sailors from the cruiser tried to help the victims as soon as possible, but very few were able to save them from the sunken “Man”.
Maine's age-mate battleship Texas had only two 305-mm guns in two towers in the center of the ship, so the pitching was smoother.
The details of the tragedy learned very soon. According to the ship's commander, the disaster occurred in 9 hours 40 minutes and caught his team by surprise. First, a strong explosion was heard on the ship, from which he even rose above the water. In this case, the commander was wounded in the head, but continued to command and lead the rescue of the crew. But nothing could be done. After the explosion, the ship sank so quickly that almost three quarters of the crew - 266 sailors remained on board and went to the bottom with him!
"Maine" passes under the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Maine" enters the harbor of Havana.
Outside or inside?
The Spanish authorities said that, in their opinion, "Men" was killed by an explosion of ammunition in the nasal cellar. It was possible to clarify the causes of the disaster by dropping the divers to the bottom. Moreover, the ship was located at a depth of just 14 meters, so it didn’t cause any difficulties. But for some reason the Americans decided otherwise. Without asking permission from Spain, to which Cuba at that time belonged as a colony, they sent to Havana a commission of four US Navy officers who were to investigate the catastrophe. The Cuban governor did not like such arrogance, and he expressed his official protest to the American side. According to the Spaniards, a mixed Spanish-American commission was to work on the investigation of the tragedy, which should have been conducted in the most impartial manner. However, the Americans and the proposal from the Spaniards rejected, and in a rather harsh, undiplomatic, form.
In addition, there were four more torpedo tubes located on the sides of the Maine.
When newspapers are more dangerous than dynamite ...
Meanwhile, while four officers were studying the wreckage of the ship, the American newspapers literally went on a rampage, literally real anti-Spanish hysteria broke out in the press, and this is just something weird. After all, what the commission would say, then no one knew. Meanwhile, the Americans were already preparing for war with Spain. The newspapers were full of such catchy headlines: “The Man’s warship was destroyed by the enemy’s secret infernal machine!”, “The Man’s battleship was treacherously destroyed by the Spaniards!” - And how could you not believe that all this is the work of the crafty Spaniards. "The destruction of" Maine "should be the basis for our order the fleet set sail for Havana! ” - immediately suggested the newspaper World Net Daily. Moreover, the opinion of the press was immediately supported by the future president, Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent supporter of the Monroe Doctrine ("America for the Americans"). Who in it was understood by the Americans is understandable. First of all, they were US citizens, and not at all some Spaniards there! As a result, the American government did not even wait for the results of the commission’s work, but immediately allocated $ 50 million to strengthen the “national defense” - as if Spain was about to attack the USA immediately!
But the New York newspaper The World with the material about the death of "Maine" on the front page. Date - February 17 1898 of the year, that is, this number came out less than two days after the explosion. No one knows anything yet, and only newspaper reporters have no doubt that the cause was the "hellish car or torpedo." But even more surprising to her illustration. It is amazing how the artist managed to complete the engraving that was so large and full of details in just one day, and then they managed to make a galvanic form from it and print the print run. The explosion on the engraving is shown very accurately, although the “nose” is a very relative place. Or maybe the artist started working on it in advance and she was ready when it all happened that way?
The report of the commission, published on March 21, added fuel to the fire. From it followed that the ship was blown up by an underwater mine or a torpedo. The commission did not directly name the perpetrators (as is the case now in the case of Boeing), but, of course, the Americans already understood that the Spaniards did it!
All that remains of the ship after the explosion.
Peace or war? War!
In turn, 28 in March was already a Spanish commission, although it was not given the opportunity to inspect the ship, published its own report based on eyewitness testimony. They all unanimously claimed that the explosion took place inside the ship. But the Americans did not want to take their materials into account. Moreover, in his message to Congress, US President William McKinley said so directly that "Men" was the victim of an underwater mine. Whose she could be? Well, of course, only Spanish! So the blame for the tragedy was laid on Spain, since the ship died in its territorial waters. And on April 11, President McKinley announced that it was the duty of the United States to oppose Spain, since "all this is being done on our borders." Then on April 20 Madrid from Washington was sent an ultimatum demanding to abandon Cuba, and withdraw the army and navy from its territory. And although his term was to expire only 23 April, the squadron of the American Navy took to sea the day before and headed for Cuba and the Philippines. Then thousands of volunteers were drafted into the army by 25, and the whole of America was filled with posters such as: “Join the Marines!”, Including the most famous among them: “Remember“ Maine ”! That is, the war has not even been declared, but in fact it has already begun! To show the world that this is not a colonial war, and that the United States is interested in Cuban independence instead of American colonization, Congress adopted the “Teller amendment”, which promised that America would not annex this precious island, would grant it independence.
"Maine" and his commander Sigby.
Well, the war ended, as is known, with the victory of the USA. Spain lost all of its colonies and lost its navy. Well, the mystery of the death of 266 seamen "Maine" on the background of triumphant reports and reports of other losses no one else has ever recalled.
"Remember Maine." American flag poster.
Mystery at the bottom of the sea
In 1910, the ship decided to raise, and chose a very unusual way for this. With the help of steam hammers, placed on platforms around the sunken ship, 30-meter iron piles were driven into the ground very close to each other. Then the space between them was sealed up, and the water from the resulting pool was pumped out, so that it was possible to “walk on the dry land” on the ship lying at the bottom. Immediately his inspection showed that the explosion on it, as the Spaniards said, happened inside, and not at all outside. That is, neither mine nor torpedo were anything to do with. But work on the ship was soon ceased, and all the materials were in the American archives, where even today you cannot reach them.
That's how it was raised ...
It turned out that fact. For some reason, the captain of “Maine” still 25 March 1898 of the year (that is, the American Commission has already published its report) for some reason began to ask permission from the Spanish authorities for permission to blow up the remains of their ship with dynamite, arguing that they interfere with navigation in the harbor! And they really interfered, why they were raised in 1910 year. But ... why was they to be blown up in 1898 immediately after the disaster? Well, and the raised nose of the “Maine” was immediately cut into pieces and sent to the smelter!
Conspiracy or accident?
Practically from the very moment the cruiser died, the version of the "conspiracy" was born, according to which the agents of the American government blew it up to provoke popular outrage against Spain, that is, to create a "Casus Belli". In fairness, we note that this version has not been proven, but remains, nevertheless, very popular. The main objections against it are that the American fleet at that time had very few modern warships and the destruction of “Maine” for the sake of provocation was too expensive for economical Yankees, and a serious degradation of the fleet’s combat capability. And the wound of the commander in the explosion? It is hardly pleasant when you are blown up, even if “for the sake of big politics” ... But, by the way, who knows?
The officer cabin-campaign "Maine".
Search who benefits?
However, if after all it was not just a disaster, then who was its organizer? Of course, not the Spaniards, their affairs with the fleet were even worse. Accident is also not excluded, since a warship is filled with explosive objects, and fools who smoke near the barrel of gunpowder are everywhere. And, nevertheless, the promptness of the press’s reaction to the explosion and its violent nature directly indicate that this explosion was not an accident, well, and then very skillfully used its results. It is quite possible that the so-called “ultra” and even the Ku Klux Klan may be involved in it, whose interests were connected with big business, although the “Klanites” themselves, of course, never advertised this. A number of US historians at one time expressed the idea that it could be those people who feared a peaceful settlement of the conflict that had long been brewing and acted at their own peril and risk besides the government, and those who were vitally interested in seizing the wealth of Cuba and the Philippines. Could it be that someone in the US got involved in this game besides the president? Yes, it could! Well, he only used the one provided to him. "history"A chance. In any case, the time since those events has already passed so much that we will never know the truth. However, today we see the same handwriting: good direction and strange consequences of the dramatic events that have taken place, and this can not but alarm, because history has a peculiarity to repeat itself!
Even on stamps the ill-fated "Men" was depicted.
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