Banana Wars, 1898–1934

The Banana Wars were a series of United States military interventions and occupations in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico from the Spanish-American War era to the 1930s. They were justified through security, debt collection and political stability but also protected strategic and commercial interests.

Marines and naval forces operated in Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras and elsewhere. Occupation governments reorganised finances and armed forces while provoking resistance and leaving durable political consequences.

The interventions shaped the development of the United States Marine Corps and contributed to later criticism of American imperialism. The Good Neighbor Policy marked a partial shift away from direct occupation.