U.S. Interventions and the Cold War PDF

U.S. Interventions and the Cold War Goals: (1) Examine U.S. actions and policies toward Latin America before WWII; (2) Provide specific examples of U.S. intervention; (3) Focus on Cold War era Images selected herein for unique classroom presentation and may be subject to copyright President James Mo...

U.S. Interventions and the Cold War Goals: (1) Examine U.S. actions and policies toward Latin America before WWII; (2) Provide specific examples of U.S. intervention; (3) Focus on Cold War era Images selected herein for unique classroom presentation and may be subject to copyright President James Monroe: 1817-1825 John Quincy Adams: Sec. State, 2 then president (1825-1829) Overview of U.S. Intervention/Imperialism 1823 Monroe Doctrine. A policy of non-colonization of the Americas (mostly aimed at France and G.B. at the time); the US will eliminate problems “dangerous to our peace and security.” The implication: the U.S. considered itself protector of the Americas (for its own purposes). Was it meant to defend and promote democracy (U.S. perspective) or to justify U.S. intervention (L.A. perspective)? 3 Manifest Destiny and Mexican American War Manifest Destiny: John L. O’Sullivan, U.S. journalist, in an essay he wrote called “Annexation” (1845). He spoke of a “manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by providence…” Control of the west is part of God’s divine plan. God had given the US the mission to spread republican democracy. 1846-1848: Mexican American War. Mexico loses half of its territory to the U.S. 4 The U.S. and Colombia (Panama): Initial Forays 1855: New York financiers opened the Panama railway, a 47mile line connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans (a precursor to the Panama Canal). The world’s first transcontinental railroad. Inspired by the California gold rush. 5 Background info. on Panama Canal: French Failure 6 (The failed) Hay-Herrán Treaty Initial deal brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay and Colombia diplomat Tomás Herrán in 1903. Approved by U.S. Senate but rejected by Colombia, leading to war. 1902: Colombia rejects the U.S. offer of $10 for control over that strip of land. 1903: Panamanians declare independence from Colombia with U.S. assistance Completed in 1914 Reduced shipping time by 2 months and eliminated need for 8,000 nautical miles 8 9 Digging the Panama Canal: 40,000 Workers, mostly from West indies, especially Barbados 10 Thousands (5,609) died, especially from dysentery, yellow fever, and job accidents. Many more injured. 11 Considered a great engineering feat 12 About 14,000 transits per year; 8-10-hour crossing 13 14 Examples of U.S. interventions (usually under the guise to ‘protect U.S. lives and interests/property’), 1898-1934 Between 1898 and the early 1930s, the United States sent military troops into Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, and Mexico. The War of 1898 (“The Spanish-American War”) is examined in a later lecture. Long-term U.S. military occupations: Haiti (1915-1934) The Dominican Republic (1916-1924) Nicaragua (1909-1925) 15 “Big Stick Policy” and 1903 Roosevelt Corollary President Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The United States, he claimed, had the right not only to oppose European intervention in the Western Hemisphere, but also intervene in the domestic affairs of its neighbors if they proved unable to safeguard U.S. property and lives. 1901-1909 16 Dollar Diplomacy U.S. President William Howard Taft (1909-1913) Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor Policy” 1933-1945 Truman Doctrine, 1947 1945-1953 World War II (1939-1945): The Allied Powers Defeat Axis Powers 20 The Aftermath of World War II The United States and the Soviet Union (the U.S.S.R) were allies against Hitler The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. become the world’s 2 superpowers after World War II, and bitter enemies. The U.S. champions democracy and capitalism. The U.S.S.R. champions authoritarianism and communism. Each wants to control “its” sphere of influence. 1947 Truman Doctrine is usually considered the start of the Cold War (1945/47-1981) between the 2 superpowers. So-called ‘Cold War’ because these 2 superpowers did not fight one another directly, but by proxy. 21 Europe during Cold War: Western/US vs. Soviet Spheres of Influence 22 Notice U.S. & USSR Influence Around Globe 23 U.S. desperate to keep Soviet influence out of the Americas, which is considers its “backyard.” Implications of Cold War in Latin America U.S. fears potential growth of socialism in Latin America and tends to support dictators rather than progressives, such as Trujillo in D.R., Papa Doc in Haiti, Somoza in Nicaragua, Batista in Cuba, and Stroessner in Paraguay. Dictatorship (military or civilian) seen by the U.S. as the lesser of 2 evils. Traditional elites in L.A. made strong alliances with the military and the U.S. to maintain their privileged positions in society. 24 Did the Cold War represent a new era in U.S.-L.A. relations? Some scholars view the Cold War as just one part in a long series of U.S. interventions into the affairs of Latin America. They argue that the Cold War provided a convenient excuse for U.S. imperialism. That the U.S. has a long history of interfering and intervening in Latin America, such as… 25 Examined in later lecture Students should be familiar with red dot examples. 26 This timeline is meant to denote U.S. interventions in Latin America. The topics with red dots will be examined in future lectures. Slide provides examples of U.S. direct and indirect intervention in Latin American countries. No need to memorize non-red-dot areas. 27 This timeline is meant to denote U.S. interventions in Latin America. The topics with red dots will be examined in future lectures. Slide provides examples of U.S. direct and indirect intervention in Latin American countries. No need to memorize non-red-dot areas. 28 Recent U.S. government efforts in Latin America to topple unfavorable governments or assist one side over the other This timeline is meant to denote U.S. interventions in Latin America. The topics with red dots will be examined in future lectures. 29