USII.5a
Notepage for Student
The Spanish American War: Reasons and Results
As the citizens of the United States emerged from the Civil War, the people
of Cuba began a struggle of their own. In 1868 Cubans began to demand
their independence from Spain. At first the United States chose not to get
involved. This changed when fighting erupted again in the 1890s.
As renewed fighting spread across the island nation in 1895, Spain forced
the citizens of Cuba to move to central locations where they would be under
the control of the Spanish army.
Unfortunately, these crowded living
conditions resulted in thousands of deaths due to lack of food and medicine
and unsanitary living conditions. Americans became sympathetic and
called for government support of Cuban rebels who were fighting for
their independence from Spain.
Eagerness for war increased as some U.S. newspapers published exaggerated
news reports of the events taking place in Cuba. Deceitful or dishonest
publishers saw the conflict as a chance to increase newspaper sales. They
used enormous black headlines, colored paper, and graphic illustrations of
the alleged brutality of the Spanish.
This yellow journalism caused
Americans to demand that the United States government get involved.
By the late 1890s, America had also become a big investor in Cuban sugar
and tobacco crops. Many of these investors became concerned as they saw
American property and interests being destroyed as the fighting increased.
Anxious to protect American business interests in Cuba, they urged the
government to intervene.
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2 Living conditions in Cuba
3 Yellow journalism
4 American business interests in Cuba
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Early in 1898, President William McKinley sent an American battleship, to
Cuba to protect American lives and interests.
The U.S.S. Maine
mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15 killing over 200
American sailors. Although Spain denied involvement, tensions between the
two countries increased. Two months later the United States declared war
on Spain.
Within four months, the Spanish American War was over. The war ended
400 years of Spanish rule over the island of Cuba. The United States’ main
goal had been accomplished. In addition, the United States emerged as a
new world power and gained possession of the Spanish territories of Guam,
Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
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5 U.S.S. Maine
6 U.S. as a world power/new possessions
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USII.5b
Notepage for Student
The Impact of President Theodore Roosevelt’s Foreign Policies
With the assassination of President McKinley in 1901, Theodore
Roosevelt became the youngest man to ever serve as President of the United
States. He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency as he led
the country for the next eight years. During this period, Roosevelt’s strong
foreign policy moved America out of its traditional isolationism of the 19th
century and into a position of global power for the 20th century.
Theodore Roosevelt’s motto was “speak softly and carry a big stick; you
will go far” He believed that a president should attempt to solve
international matters in a peaceful way but must be willing to use force when
necessary. He felt that if the United States made a show of force to the rest
of the world, other nations would think again before challenging America
militarily. As a result of Roosevelt’s motto, the press described Roosevelt’s
style of foreign policy as Big Stick Diplomacy. Many political cartoons of
the time show the president swinging a big club to make others do as he
wished.
Roosevelt demonstrated his strong foreign policy by declaring the Roosevelt
Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904. This addition to the Monroe
Doctrine stated that the United States had the right to interfere in the
economic matters of Latin American, South American, and Caribbean
nations.
This corollary also kept foreign governments from setting up
military bases in these areas. It claimed the right of the United States to
exercise international police power.
According to the corollary, that
meant that the United States would serve as the “policeman” of the Western
Hemisphere.
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2 Big Stick Diplomacy
3 Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
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USII 5b
Notepage for Student
One of the greatest accomplishments of Roosevelt’s foreign policy was the
building of the Panama Canal. After enlarging the U. S. Navy by adding
10 battleships and 4 armored cruisers, Roosevelt decided it was now time to
create a shorter passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to
minimize the time it took to sail from coast to coast. Roosevelt began
negotiating with the country of Colombia for the right to build a canal across
the Isthmus of Panama. When the Colombian Senate refused, Roosevelt
supported a Panamanian revolution in 1904. This revolution succeeded in
establishing the free nation of Panama. Less than two weeks later, the
United States and Panama signed a treaty which gave the United States the
use and control of a strip of land across Panama for the price of $10 million
and an annual payment of $250,000. It took ten years to build the $400,000
million canal. When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, it shortened the
voyage from New York to San Francisco by more than 8,000 miles!
During Roosevelt’s years in office, he transformed the United States into a
nation with influence around the world. He worked to strengthen the armed
forces and make them more modern. Due to the establishment and control
of the Panama Canal, the United States became the dominant power in
Central America.
Roosevelt’s foreign policies brought the country
international recognition and established him as a role model for later 20th
century presidents.
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4 Panama Canal
5 U.S. As a dominant power in Central America
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Note Page / USII.5c
World War I
As the United States entered the 20th century, it began to take on a leading role
in world affairs.
Because of this new position as a world power, or global
power, the United States found it more and more difficult to avoid involvement,
or remain neutral, in a growing European conflict.
The growing unrest in Europe was caused by a number of factors. One of these
factors was nationalism. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Europeans were
devoted to the interests of their own nations. Another factor was militarism. In
order to protect their colonies on other continents, many European nations
increased their military strength. For example, Britain built a larger navy, Russia
increased the size of its army, and Germany increased both its navy and army.
In order to protect themselves, their national boundaries, and their economic
interests, many European countries formed partnerships or alliances with other
European countries. Countries in an alliance promised to help each other if a
member of the alliance was ever attacked by another country. This promise of
protection led the European continent into war.
In 1914 two powerful alliances, the Major Allied Powers, or Allies, and the
Central Powers, marched into war. The Allies included the countries of Great
Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, and Belgium. The Central Powers included
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.
The
immediate cause of the war was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand,
the first in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne. He and his wife were killed
during a visit to the country of Bosnia. As a result, the Austro-Hungarian Empire
declared war on Serbia. Germany then declared war on Serbia’s ally, Russia.
Great Britain responded by declaring war on Germany.
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1 U.S. as a World Power
2 Nationalism/Militarism
3 Alliances
4 Allies/Central Powers
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Note Page / USII.5c
World War I
(continued)
At first the United States was able to remain neutral and maintain a policy of
isolationism, but there were many disagreements about how much the United
States should participate in world affairs. President Woodrow Wilson cautioned
Americans to stay impartial. On May 7, 1915 a German submarine, or U-boat,
launched a torpedo attack sinking the British passenger liner Lusitania. Over
1000 people lost their lives including 128 Americans. This angered Americans,
but President Wilson called for calm.
Over the next two years, Germany continued to strengthen its navy. It also
began a blockade to cut off military supplies to Great Britain and announced that
German U-boats would attack any ship that entered British waters. This
unrestricted submarine warfare resulted in the sinking of three American
merchant ships. It also threatened America’s commercial shipping and
its economic and political ties to Great Britain.
The final incident occurred in early 1917 when the German foreign secretary,
Arthur Zimmermann, sent a telegram to Mexico. The telegram asked Mexico to
become an ally of Germany. In return, Germany promised to help Mexico win
back lands it lost to the United States during the Mexican War. The Zimmerman
telegram was intercepted, decoded, and then printed in newspapers throughout
the country. The American people were outraged! Finding it impossible to
remain neutral any longer, the United States joined the Allies by
declaring war on Germany in April of 1917.
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5 Isolationism
6 Blockade
7 Zimmerman Telegram
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Note Page / USII.5c
World War I
(continued)
America played a major role in what would later be called World War I.
In
addition to manpower, America supplied the Allied armies with much needed
food and supplies.
Following four horrific years of war, the Central Powers
surrendered in November of 1918, and “The War to End All Wars” came to a
close. A month later a peace treaty was drafted in Paris, France. The Treaty of
Versailles required that Germany pay the Allies billions of dollars, take the blame
for the war, and limit the size of its military forces.
It also included a plan
prepared by President Woodrow Wilson, called the Fourteen Points, which
called for the formation of a League of Nations.
The members of this
peace-keeping organization would help each other settle disputes and agree
to respect the rights of other members.
Upon his return to the United States, President Wilson presented the treaty to
the U.S. Senate for approval, but they failed to ratify it. Many senators did not
want the United States to join the League of Nations because they believed it
would cause America to become involved in future European conflicts.
Even
though the United States decided not to join the League of Nations, the
stage was set for it to emerge as a global superpower later in the 20th century.
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8 Treaty of Versailles
9 U.S. decision not to join the League of Nations
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