E42 ANY Mercredi The Roosevelt Corollary

Doc 33: The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

Central quote: “Any country whose people conduct themselves well can count upon our hearty friendship. Chronic wrongdoing, however… may force the United States to exercise an international police power.” l. 4, 7-11

The Roosevelt corollary was mainly motivated by the fear of the US administration that European powers would use non-payment of debts as an excuse to intervene in Latin America (ex: Venezuela in 1902) and therefore violate the Monroe Doctrine.
In 1901 France, Italy and Belgium threatened to use force to collect payment of debts owned their citizens by the Dominican Republic. The Americans also feared the Germans might use a possible revolution in the country as an excuse to land troops for the enforcement of their business claims. This threat was the occasion for Roosevelt to issue the Roosevelt Corollary.
In 1905 a treaty was finally negotiated between the US and the Dominican Republic by which the US would manage customs houses and oversee payments of its foreign debts. This manifestation of “international police power” was widely criticized in the US and aroused great apprehension throughout Latin America.( 1916: a revolution threatened former treaty arrangements and American military intervention to maintain peace, 1924 new treaty and American forces left the nation).

Second main argument of the document: according to the Monroe Doctrine , Europe could not intervene on the “American Continents”, therefore the US stood as the only “civilized nation” (l. 9) left to police that part of the world.
American intervention justified by Roosevelt to maintain the independence of South American countries (cf. ref in the extract) yet up to these countries to “make good use” (l.25) of it, the proper use being defined by the US itself.

A commonality of interests is, however, stressed by the President : L. 14-15: American intervention also justified by the defense of American interests (CF. McKinley on the Philippines)


References:

l.14 The Platt Amendment: 1903 :
Cuba had no right to conclude a treaty impairing its independence
The US had the right to intervene to preserve Cuban independence
Land granted to the US so that it could set up “naval and coaling stations “ (Cf. Guantànamo)

l.27 “circumscribe the theater of war in the Far East”: Roosevelt was personally involved in the negotiations to put an end to the Russo-Japanese War. Treaty ultimately signed Sept 5, 1905.

Puerto Rico:
1900 unincorporated territory
1917 Puerto Ricans granted American citizenship
1952 New Constitution: voluntary association with the US as a commonwealth


US intervention abroad at the beginning of the 20th century was justified by the belief that only in orderly societies could the US find political cooperation and the long-term markets for the goods and capital its corporations produced (Cf. numerous references to “order”: l. 3, 6, 17). Also justified similar foreign policies from T. Roosevelt to W. Wilson: to create conditions for the overseas expansion of an ever-expanding American economy. Only noticeable change: shift from Roosevelt’s “big stick policy” (use of military force to decide world affairs) to Dollar Diplomacy. President Taft (1909-11913) was determined to use American money to foster American diplomacy abroad keeping in mind the idea that political stability was necessary to support a growing exporting power. President Wilson (1913-11921) continued the Dollar Diplomacy policy; for Wilson capitalism and open markets were necessary for the establishment of safe and democratic systems, though an anti-imperialist himself, he was also compelled to resort to the ‘big stick’ when the policy of Dollar Diplomacy failed (ex: Mexico and Haiti)

Yet Roosevelt, despite his aggressive handling of foreign affairs, had no desire to establish a formal American empire in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the world. The successive administrations during the progressive era saw the various interventions in Latin America and elsewhere as opportunities to back up and expand the American economy. (American overseas investments jumped from $800 million in 1898 to over $ 21 billion in 1909.)
With Taft the tactics changed but not the objectives, and Wilson, during the 1912 presidential campaign declared: “Our industries have expanded to such a point that they will burst their jackets if they cannot find outlets in the markets of the worlds.”

During the whole period then economic necessity (exports) and pattern of economic development (industrialization, monopolies and foreign investments, better products and better transportation) at home influenced American intervention and expansion abroad.


Further information


Haiti:
1915 : military occupation imposed by President Wilson, American control of finances, public works, sanitation, and the police force
1934: last military personnel and civilian administrators withdrawn

Nicaragua:
1916: American military intervention following political disorder and American banks took control of the collection of customs money to repay the debts owned European powers, the marines left in 1925, went back to quell civil disturbances in 1926 and withdrew in 1933.

Mexico:
intervention in 1916 following Villa’s raids in New Mexico, American troops failed to capture Villa and left after a few months.

E 42 ANY aide pour le ch.22

CH 22 CH 22 The Quest for Empire, 1865-19141

Imperial Promoters: The Foreign Policy Elite and Economic expansion

4 main reasons that justified expansion abroad:

2 Ideology, Culture and Empire (à lire)

Some aspects (cf. racial hierarchy) may ring a bell, and may be connected to what we studied about Manifest Destiny

3 Ambitions abroad, 1860s-1880s

One of the chief architects of overseas ambitions:
2 of his most prominent interventions abroad:
for ardent expansionists the ideal means to conquer the world:

4 Crises in the 1890s: Hawaii, Venezuela, and Cuba

The Frontier was officially closed in 1890

Main theory about the frontier experiment and its consequences:
CF. Document 31 in your dossier

Hawaii: situation in 1890:
Annexation forced by the commercial elite, officially passed in Congress in :

When McKinley became president in 1897 the sentiment in favor of annexation of Hawaii was strong in the US; the President himself was convinced that annexation was necessary because it would provide a naval base in the Pacific and would further American commercial investments in the Pacific. What’s more many Americans supported annexation out of the belief that the US was destined to control the Pacific and that the nation had a duty to take the American democratic institutions to the people of that area.

Venezuela:
the argument the US used to settle the dispute between Britain and Venezuela over the gold-rich territory of Guiana:
Cuba:
The main link between Cuba and the United States:
The US had debated the possibility of acquiring Cuba in the 1850s.

1868-1878: Cuban rebellion against Spain
The Cuban revolution against Spain: 1895: causes and consequences:

The Sinking of the Maine and its consequences:
The Teller Amendment:

5 The Spanish-American-Cuban-Filipino-War and the Debate over Empire

The war is known as the Spanish-American War
May 1898:
June 1898:
December 1898 Treaty of Paris; 3 major provisions:
Some examples of anti-imperialists and their arguments:
(some of them may remind you of the debates about the annexation of Texas)
Imperialists' arguments:

6 Asian Encounters: Open Door in China, Philippine Insurrection, and Japan

The other imperial powers present in China:

Many European powers controlled a sphere of influence in China: a geographic area more or less under the economic and political control of a nation.

The Open Door policy and its justification:

The Boxers rebellion: ultrapatriotic Chinese demanding that foreign powers be driven out from China. In 1900 they attacked members of the foreign community in the capital, prompting the US to organize an international relief force to rescue the besieged foreigners.

The ideology linked to the Open Door policy:

Philippines Insurrection quelled by the US in 1905; over 200 000 dead; “Americanization” of the Philippines; independence ultimately granted in 1946

Definition of Dollar diplomacy:

7 Latin America, Europe, and International Rivalry

Expansion of US economic and political interests in Latin America
Cuba: - major industries controlled by the Americans
- the Platt amendment (3 main provisions)

Panama:
- “method” used by the Americans to gain political control of the region
- completion of the canal:


1904 Roosevelt Corollary:
Doc 33
- motive:
- central argument:
central quote “Any country whose people conduct themselves well can count upon our hearty friendship. Chronic wrongdoing, however… may force the United States to exercise an international police power.”



Examples of US intervention in Latin America, 1900-1917:
Mexico:
- Examples of US control:

Brief conclusion (from the summary):