Eisenstück affair
| Eisenstück affair | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A drawing by Hermann Penner published in Illustrirte Zeitung depicting SMS Leipzig, SMS Elisabeth, and SMS Ariadne at Corinto, Nicaragua, in March 1878 | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| German Empire | Nicaragua | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | |||||||
The Eisenstück affair (German: Eisenstück-Affäre, Spanish: asunto Eisenstück), codenamed Operation Nicaragua by the Imperial German Navy, was a diplomatic-military incident involving the German Empire and Nicaragua in 1877 and 1878.
In 1876, German consul to Nicaragua Christian Moritz Eisenstück was arrested following a shooting involving him, his brother Paul, and Paul's stepdaughter over a marriage dispute with Nicaraguan Francisco Leal. German foreign minister Bernhard Ernst von Bülow demanded the prosecution of the shooting's perpetrators, the payment of a US$30,000 indemnity, and for Nicaraguan soldiers to salute the German flag. The situation led to diplomatic tensions between Germany and Nicaragua that would involve the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, both of which sided with Germany.
In 1878, the Imperial German Navy deployed six warships to Nicaragua to ensure that Bülow's demands were met. Ships were stationed at the Nicaraguan city of Corinto and Grey Town, with German sailors landing at the latter. On 31 March 1878, the Nicaraguan government agreed to pay the indemnity and salute the German flag.