AP World History POD #25 – American Supremacy

1. AP World HistoryPOD #25 – American Supremacy U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America

2. Class Discussion Notes Bulliet – “American Intervention in the Caribbean and Central America, 1901-1914”, pp. 758-759 Bulliet – “Revolutions, Repression, and Democratic Reform in Latin America”, pp. 874-877 Beck – “U.S. Economic Imperialism”, pp. 816-821

3. Monroe Doctrine • 1823 – President James Monroe • “…the American continents…are henceforth not to be considered as subjects of future colonization by any European powers.” • USA did little until 1898 to enforce this policy

4. Roosevelt Corollary • 1904 – President Theodore Roosevelt • An extension of the Monroe Doctrine • Gave the USA the right to be “an international police power” in the Western Hemisphere • Used by the USA to justify intervention into many Latin American nations during the 20th century (was not applied to Canada)

5. American Foreign Policy • President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) – encouraged friendly regimes • President William Howard Taft (1909-1913) – sought influence in the region through loans from American banks • President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) – tried to impose clean governments by military means

6. Platt Amendment • “Having ‘liberated’ Cuba from Spain, in 1901 the United States forced the Cuban government to accept the Platt Amendment, which gave the United States the ‘right to intervene’ to maintain order on the island. The United States used this excuse to occupy Cuba militarily from 1906 to 1909, in 1912, and again from 1917 to 1922. In all but name Cuba became an American protectorate, U.S. troops also occupied the Dominican Republic from 1904 to 1907 and again in 1916, Nicaragua and Honduras in 1912, and Haiti in 1915. They brought sanitation and material progress but no political improvements.” (Bulliet, p. 759)

7. Panama Canal • Panama was province in Columbia and was the narrowest stretch of land separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans • With the United States having taken control of Hawaii and the Philippines, there was a need for a short, quicker trade route between the two oceans • 1903 the United States supported a Panamanian rebellion against Columbia (Columbia would not agree to give us the land) and quickly recognized their independence in exchange for the right to occupy a 5 mile wide zone on both sides of the Canal • August 15, 1914 – Panama Canal opened

8. Brazilian Solution • “Brazil was the first nation to experience conservative reaction to the Cuban Revolution. Claiming that Brazil’s civilian political leaders could not protect the nation from communist subversion, the army overthrew the constitutional government of Preside Joao Goulart in 1964. The military suspended the constitution, outlawed all existing political parties, and exiled former presidents and opposition leaders. Death squads – illegal paramilitary organizations sanctioned by the government – detained, tortured, and executed thousands of citizens. The dictatorship also undertook an ambitious economic program that promoted industrialization through import substitution, using tax and tariff policies to compel foreign-owned companies to increase investment manufacturing.” (Bulliet, p. 874)

9. Chile: Salvador Allende • Program of socialist reforms and nationalizing heavy industry in Chile • President Richard Nixon tried to subvert his government in an effort to protect the American copper companies in the region • Supported a military uprising led by General Augusto Pinochet, leading to the death of thousands and a rolling back of Allende’s programs

10. Argentina: Isabel Martinez de Peron & Dirty War • Became president after the death of her husband Juan Peron • Moved the nation towards dictatorship • Facing a guerilla insurgency, inflation and labor protests, she conducted a 7 year “Dirty War” against terrorism in which more than 9,000 lost their lives

11. Nicaragua: Sandinistas & Contras • Sandinstas – left leaning communists led by Daniel Ortega • Contra – non-communist • President Ronald Reagan was determined to support the Contras in their struggle to defeat the Sandinistas, even if this meant employing Machiavellian politics in an event known as the Iran-Contra Affair

12. Iran-Contra Affair • USA (CIA) sells weapons and military parts to Iran for use in their war against Iraq, despite the lack of diplomatic relations between the USA and Iran • Iran orders Hezbollah (its terrorist arm in the Middle East) to release western hostages held in Lebanon • USA launders the money earned selling the weapons to Iran and send the money to Nicaragua to support the Contras despite the Bollen Amendment preventing such support

13. FMLN • Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front • El Salvador • Guerilla movement • The electoral defeat of the Sandinistas and the collapse of the Soviet Union forced the guerilla rebels to negotiate peace and transform into a civilian political party

14. United States Military Intervention • “At the same time, the influence of the United States grew substantially. The United States had thwarted the left in Nicaragua and El Salvador by funding military proxies. It used its own military in a 1983 invasion of the tiny Caribbean nation of Grenada and again in 1989 to overthrow and arrest dictator General Manuel Noriega of Panama. These actions were powerful reminders of American power at a time when socialism was discredited by the collapse of the Soviet Bloc.” (Bulliet, p. 877)

15. United States Economic Agenda • Encouraged and pushed the nations of Latin America to reform their economies by encouraging foreign investment through the ending of restrictions, eliminating social welfare programs, and reducing public-sector employment • Many nations began selling public sector industries, manufacturing facilities and utilities to foreign corporations • These programs quickly lost popular public support as the world economy declined and corruption was deep rooted in these governments

16. NAFTA • North American Free Trade Agreement • Eliminates tariffs on goods produced in and shipped between the United States, Mexico and Canada • Benefit – with no import tariff, the price paid by consumers for merchandise declines • Unintended Consequence – manufacturing jobs have left the United States and Canada and relocated in Mexico to capitalize on lower wages and environment regulations