Comments by "WALTERBROADDUS" (@WALTERBROADDUS) on "The Impact of Mahan on Naval History - Decisively more than just battles" video.
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@stevevalley7835 Not possible, Happened......
TR’s hidden hand in Philippine history began when he was the assistant Navy secretary who lobbied, over and above the head of his superior, Navy Secretary John D. Long, to have George Dewey appointed commander of the Asiatic Squadron. Long, who took pride in not knowing anything about the Navy, was the opposite of his aggressive assistant secretary who authored “The Naval War of 1812” (published 1882).
Long did not believe in a war with Spain, but TR prepared for it, often issuing orders toward enhancing the capability of the Navy while Long was out of the office. Most famous was a coded telegram TR sent, without Long’s knowledge, instructing Dewey to engage the Spanish fleet in the Philippines. Remember, the first shot in the Spanish-American War did not occur anywhere near Washington or Madrid, but rang half a world away.
TR was vindicated after Dewey destroyed the antiquated Spanish fleet under Patricio Montojo, making the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, the greatest US naval victory in history.
When news of the victory in Manila reached Washington, President William McKinley could not decide what to do with the Philippines, because he couldn’t even locate the country on a map! His hand was pushed, no doubt, when informed that British, French, German, and Japanese warships were also in Manila Bay to protect their nationals, and could take over if the United States and Spain withdrew.
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