Motives of Imperialism
What is imperialism?
A system in which a rich and powerful country desires to extend its power into other territories for either economic or political gain, and/or cultural or moral control. The goal of imperialism is to acquire resources which could be done through exploitation or force.
What is Yellow Journalism and how did it help gain support for the war?
It was sensationalized and exaggerated news stories, especially by well-known newspaper outlets, which inflamed public opinion and encouraged war. It also was carefully painted to villainize Spain and make Americans feel like they need to step in for Cuba.
What does the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick" refer to and why?
It refers to Big Stick Diplomacy which was an imperial policy done by Theodore Roosevelt. It emphasized the idea of peacefully while also enforcing the military to achieve its imperial goals, thus having its phrase. This tactic was demonstrated through the construction of the Panama Canal when the U.S. backed a Panamanian Independence Movement against Columbia.
What were the M.A.I.N causes of WWI?
Militarism - European nations were building up their armed forces, especially navies, and were stock piling on weapons, making the war much worse
Alliances - European nations had created confusing and entangling alliances promising to defend them if there was a conflict or attack, calling in the alliances once the war started
Imperialism - European nations were competing with each other for land and resources and this had actually almost started a war years before WWI. Imperial powers used their colonies as battlefronts and the colony people as soldiers in the war
Nationalism - Desire to unite nations/declare independence influenced involvement in the war with some territories (the Balkan states) wanting independence and siding against their colonial powers
What did the Treaty of Versailles do and include?
The treaty officially ended WWI and had a lot of punishments for Germany. They had to pay a lot of reparations, lost lots of land, had to reduce their army, and had to sign the War Guilt Clause which blamed Germany for the entire war. Germany was humiliated and the U.S. refused to sign the treaty.
What are some reasons that people were anti-imperialism?
People were worried about big business, didn't want wars to start happening, constitution doesn't allow this because they can only acquire land if they give people rights, citizenship, and statehood but they weren't doing that, didn't want naval bases because it could lead to naval wars, imperialism will only help the wealthy class and not all Americans
What was the Spanish-American war?
A war between America and Spain with America fighting with Cuba to help them gain independence from Spain. It initially started with a Cuban revolution against Spain and when Spain responded harshly, the U.S. knew they had to intervene. Due to the Monroe Doctrine, Yellow Journalism, and the U.S.S. Maine, the U.S. was able to gain support from the American people for them to go to war with Spain. The U.S. also had their own interests for the war because they wanted to protect the financial investments they had with Cuban sugar plantations.
Who used Dollar Diplomacy and how did it work?
Taft's Dollar Diplomacy aimed to expand the U.S.'s global influence through economic means rather than military ones. This coined the term "substitute dollars for bullets." He did this by protecting and encouraging American investments and businesses in Latin America and East Asia. With this policy, Taft hoped to promote stability and benefit the U.S. and regions involved. In addition, this tactic planned to replace European influence with American financial power.
What were America's reasons for joining the war?
What was the League of Nations?
A proposal originally introduced in Wilson's 14 Points, the League of Nations was supposed to be a way for country leaders to come together and resolve conflict so that another world war wouldn't happen again. It was also included in the Treaty of Versailles and was the reason that the U.S. didn't sign the treaty because they thought that the League of Nations would get them into future wars.
Where did the U.S. imperialize and why?
Hawaii - more resources and more to trade, sugar and other plantations can only grow in a tropical climate like Hawaii
Philippines - wanted to spread religion and "civilize the people/bring them up"
Cuba (Guantanamo Bay) - establish military control with military and naval bases, refueling ships and stationing troops
What was the Platt Amendment and what would it mean for Cuba?
Despite the Teller Amendment, which said that the U.S. would allow Cuba full independence after the war with Spain, the Platt Amendment was forced into the Cuban constitution saying that the U.S. could intervene in all of Cuba's affairs, control Cuba's treaties/foreign agreements, and that the U.S. could maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay. This made Cuba a U.S. protectorate meaning it was technically independent but under American influence.
Who used Moral Diplomacy and how did it work?
Woodrow Wilson used Moral Diplomacy as his tactic to promote democratic principles, seeking to support countries with democratic principles since they aligned more with American values. Wilson intended to reduce imperialistic practices and replace them with moral and ethical considerations in international relations. This tactic focused more on spreading democracy and peace, differing from the previous strategies with economic or military dominance.
What was Schenck vs. United States?
During WWI, the Selective Service Act forced men aged 21-30 to fight in the war. Charles Schenck didn't want to fight in the war and tried to get others to join him. He was arrested because he violated the Espionage Act by interfering with military recruiting efforts. Schenck challenged his conviction by using the first Amendment. His case went to the Supreme Court and unfortunately they declared that speech like Schenck's could hinder the war efforts meaning that free speech is limited during a time of war.
What was America's foreign policy after WWI?
They went back to being isolationist, reducing the number of immigrants allowed to come to the U.S. and not involving themselves in international trade
What was the Roosevelt Corollary?
An addition to the Monroe Doctrine not only saying that the U.S. would prevent the European Powers from intervening in the Western Hemisphere but also that the U.S. would police the Latin American countries.
Which imperialism strategy was the least successful and why?
Dollar Diplomacy because they ended up using the military anyways and trying to not use force wasn't efficient.
What were Wilson's Fourteen Points?
Wilson had people go and research the cause of the war to come up with a plan to bring long lasting peace for Europe in the future. His researchers came back with a lot of information and Wilson was able to get it to 14 main points for Europe.