The Banana Wars E73 Boots in the Cane Fields: Marines and the Sugar Wars of Cuba
What began as a limited intervention in Cuba escalated into a long-term pattern of rapid Marine deployments throughout Latin America. From the 1906 occupation of Cuba to repeated landings in response to political unrest, Marines proved capable of stabilizing volatile regions with limited resources. Their missions expanded from protecting American property to enforcing U.S. foreign policy, often in service of economic interests.
The Corps also matured operationally, executing coordinated deployments, adapting to complex political situations, and managing civil-military affairs with discipline. By the time Marines were sent to Nicaragua in response to revolution and the execution of U.S. citizens, it was clear that the Marine Corps had become the tool of choice for fast, flexible, and forceful action abroad.
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References:
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Ellsworth, H. A. (2014). One Hundred Eighty Landings of United States Marines, 1800–1934. Createspace Independent Pub.
Executive Order No. 969, Defining the Duties of the United States Marine Corps, 12 November 1908.
Executive Order No. 989, Marine Corps Officers’ Physical Fitness, 9 December 1908.
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Logsheet of Historic Marine Corps Dates, Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
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Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of Cuba Embodying the Provisions Defining Their Future Relations as Contained in the Act of Congress Approved March 2, 1901, signed 05/22/1903; General Records of the United States Government, 1778 - 2006, RG 11, National Archives.
U.S. Department of State. Right to Protect Citizens in Foreign Countries by Landing Forces, Memorandum of the Solicitor, 5 October 1912, Third Revised Edition with Supplemental Appendix up to 1933. Washington, 1934.