U.S. Global Involvements & World War I (1902-1920)

1. Chapter 22 Global Involvements and World War I 1902-1920

2. Introduction • We will focus on U.S. foreign policy from 1902 to 1920 • Concentrating on U.S. involvement in WWI • 1.) What objectives underlay U.S. foreign policy in Asia and Latin America? • 2.) Why did the United States enter WWI in 1917?

3. Introduction (cont.) • 3.) How did U.S. participation in WWI affect Americans at home? • 4.) During the war, how did the role of govt.in the U.S. economy and in people’s lives generally change? • 5.) What part did President Wilson play in creating the League of Nations, and why did the U.S. Senate reject U.S. membership in the organization?

4. Defining America’s World Role, 1902-1914 • The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market • American businessmen who dreamed of penetrating the Chinese market became alarmed at developments there • European powers were forcing the weak Chinese govt. to lease that country’s ports to them • Then they closed those ports to trade and investment by business of any country but their own

5. The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) • U.S. Sec. of State John Hay attempted to aid American business by sending his 1899 Open Door notes to the European powers involved

6. The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) • Hay asked them to keep their leased Chinese ports open to trade and investment from all countries on equal terms • He received noncommittal replies • Soon afterwards, the United States joined the European countries involved in China in putting down a Chinese uprising against foreign imperialists • the Boxer Rebellion • 1899-1901

7. The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) • Some of the countries wanted to use the rebellion as an excuse for carving China into colonies for themselves • Hay announced U.S. opposition to this plan in his 1900 Open Door notes • He asked all countries to respect the territorial integrity of China • Repeated the demand for equal trading and investment opportunities there

8. The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) • The Open Door notes became a cornerstone of U.S. policy in Asia • Helped shape the U.S.’s response to the Japanese drive to conquer China in the 1930’s

9. The Panama Canal: Hardball U.S. Diplomacy • For commercial and strategic reasons, the U.S. wanted to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama

10. The Panama Canal (cont.) • In 1902, the U.S. negotiated a treaty leasing a canal zone from Colombia • Colombia owned the isthmus at the time • The Colombian senate rejected the treaty • Hoped for more $$$$

11. The Panama Canal (cont.) • Pres. Roosevelt then conspired with the directors of a bankrupt French company that had been trying earlier to build a canal • The company hoped to profit from the U.S.’s taking over its land lease • Philippe Bunau-Varilla, an official of the company, fomented revolution in Panama • Roosevelt sent a U.S. warship in 1903 to see to it that the uprising succeeded

12. The Panama Canal (cont.) • The U.S. then recognized Panama’s independence and negotiated a treaty leasing the land • The U.S. Army was in charge of engineering the canal • It opened in 1914 • Historical pictures • The imperialist methods Roosevelt used to seize the area created lasting ill toward the U.S. in Latin America

13. Canal Today

14. Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia • Roosevelt and Taft believed that the U.S. had to play an active role in world affairs • Also they believed that they had to protect American interests in Latin America and Asia • Dollar Diplomacy • Taft concentrated particularly on promoting U.S. commercial interests abroad

15. Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) • Roosevelt Corollary • An addition to the Monroe Doctrine • Was given in response to a threat that European nations might invade Dominican Republic to collect debts • 1904 • The Corollary warned European nations not to intervene in the Western Hemisphere • The U.S. would act as policeman in Latin America • Keeping order there and seeing that finances were handled properly and debts repaid

16. Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) • Citing his corollary, Roosevelt had U.S. officials take over the Dominican Republic’s customs service and manage its foreign debt • Taft, also using the corollary, sent marines into Nicaragua to protect U.S. investors there • He also keep in power a govt. friendly to U.S. business interests • The marines occupied Nicaragua from 1912-1933

17. Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) • As part of his Asian policy, Roosevelt mediated an end to the Russo-Japanese War • Roosevelt used his influence to obtain a peace settlement that maintained the balance of power in Asia • Afterwards, he tried to improve U.S. relations with Japan by negotiating a gentlemen’s agreement • He hoped Japan would limit emigration of its people to the U.S.

18. Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) • Roosevelt hoped this would cool American prejudice • Discrimination against Japanese immigrants in the western states continued anyway

19. Wilson and Latin America • Wilson criticized Republican expansionism • But he proved just as interventionist in Latin America as Roosevelt and Taft • Wilson ordered marines to occupy the Dominican Republic and Haiti • To keep order and create a favorable climate for American investors • They stayed in D.R. until 1924 • And in Haiti until 1934

20. Wilson and Latin America (cont.) • Wilson repeatedly intervened in Mexico during its revolution • He tried to bring to power leaders who were liberal, democratic, and friendly to capitalistic enterprise

21. Part II Conclusion • U.S. foreign policy in Asia and Latin America from 1900 to 1914 showed that the U.S. was willing to become involved in foreign affairs to: • keep order • Encourage the kinds of govts. the U.S. approved • Protect U.S. economic interests • These same tendencies would later pull the country into WWI

22. The Perils of Neutrality • Pres. Wilson proclaimed U.S. neutrality as soon as the war began • He asked the American people to be neutral “in thought as well as in action” • Most Americans agreed with Wilson that the U.S. should not fight • But few had neutral feelings • Wilson and the majority of Americans had emotional bonds with England

23. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • In 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany • Reasons for this change: • 1.) Wilson became convinced that for the U.S. to shape the postwar settlement, it must participate in the fighting • 2.) Wilson’s handling of the issue of neutral rights on the high seas pulled the country into a war with Germany

24. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • The British violated our rights to trade by mining the North Sea and stopping ships and goods bound for Germany • Wilson’s protests were not vigorous enough to prevent the British from ending almost all German-American trade • Germany retaliated with unrestricted submarine warfare • This led to injuries and the deaths of civilians, including Americans, in the sinking of Allied ships (Lusitania and Sussex)

25. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • This led to injuries and the deaths of civilians, including Americans, in the sinking of Allied ships (Lusitania and Sussex) • History Channel video

26. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • In ever more threatening notes, Wilson warned Germany to stop unrestricted submarine warfare or the U.S. would break off diplomatic relations • Some believed Wilson’s policies would needlessly pull the U.S.A. into the War

27. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • 3.) American citizens between 1914 and 1917 developed a large economic stake in an Allied victory • Made neutrality much more difficult • U.S. trade with the Allies increased greatly • American investors lent them $2.3 billion to finance the items that the U.S. continued to depend on for prosperity

28. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • Between 1914 and 1917, the war on the Western Front in Europe degenerated into a bloody stalemate • British propaganda in the U.S. charged that the Germans were committing atrocities

29. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • The war was a major issue in the 1916 election • American public still had desires of peace • Wilson ran on reelection reminding voters he hadn’t gone to war • Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes, sometimes called for a tougher stand against Germany • Other times he criticized Wilson for having been too threatening

30. The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) • Wilson’s close victory seemed to indicate that the majority of Americans still hoped to avoid participation in the conflict

31. The United States Enters the War • Jan. 1917, Germany fully unleashed its U-boats • Germany decided that full use of its submarines would contribute more to its victory than keeping the U.S. out of the war • Wilson responded by breaking off diplomatic relations

32. The United States Enters the War (cont.) • During Feb. and March, Germany U-boats attacked 5 American ships • And the U.S. learned of the Zimmermann Note • On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany • It did so after a short, bitter debate

33. The United States Enters the War (cont.) • 3 important factors produced the declaration of war: • German attacks on American shipping • U.S. economic investment in the Allied cause • American cultural links to the Allies

37. Mobilizing at Home, Fighting in France, 1917-1918 • Raising, Training, and Testing an Army • After declaring war on Germany, Congress passed the Selective Service Act • About 3 million men were drafted • Both volunteers and draftees were sent to home-front training camps • War Dept. monitored their behavior • Warning them of the dangers of sex and alcohol

38. Raising, Training, and Testing an Army (cont.) • Psychologists administered their newly developed IQ tests • Measured educational attainment and not intelligence • 12,000 Native Americans served in the army • Integrated with white troops • 260,000 African Americans in the army • Assigned to all black units

39. Raising, Training, and Testing an Army (cont.) • The navy used blacks only in menial positions • The marines excluded blacks entirely • Racist civilians provoked clashes with African-American soldiers stationed in Houston

40. Organizing the Economy for War • To mobilize the economy behind the war effort, the federal govt. imposed an unprecedented amount of regulation on American business • It did this by creating thousands of special wartime agencies • War Industries Board, Food Administration, U.S. Railroad Administration, etc.

41. Organizing the Economy for War (cont.) • War Industries Board • Allocated scarce materials • Established production priorities • Introduced more efficient production practices • Food Administration • Encouraged farmers to increase output • Exhorting civilians to conserve food and fiber • U.S. Railroad Administration • Consolidated all the privately owned rail lines into one • Govt. ran them for the rest of the War

42. Organizing the Economy for War (cont.) • These govt. regulations were mostly dismantled after the armistice • The govt. regulations also did not prevent soaring wartime profits or corporate mergers

43. Promoting the War and Suppressing Dissent • Advertising the War • Wilson believed that the federal govt. must promote unanimous support for the war • Sec. of the Treasury William G. McAdoo pioneered in using advertising techniques and propaganda to sell war bonds • Posters • Parades • Movie stars • War bonds covered about 2/3’s of the war’s costs • The rest came from increased federal income tax and other taxes

44. Advertising the War (cont.) • Committee on Public Information • George Creel • Main job was to popularize the war • Posters • Advertisements • News releases • Films • 75,000 speakers around the nation

45. Advertising the War (cont.)

46. Advertising the War (cont.)

47. Advertising the War (cont.) • Many Progressive reformers, muckrakers, teachers, and religious leaders supported the war • The U.S. was in a struggle to spread liberalism, democracy, and other American values

48. Wartime Intolerance and Dissent • Fear and intolerance mounted • Anti-German hysteria • German-Americans were victimized • Hatred of anyone who questioned America’s participation in the war • Antiwar radicals were verbally and physically attacked

49. Opponents of the War • Despite all the “patriotic” pressure, some Americans continued to oppose the war • Some German-Americans • Religious pacifists • A minority of women’s rights and progressive leaders pointed out that the war was killing reform and unleashing reaction and intolerance • Jane Addams • Randolph Bourne

50. Opponents of the War (cont.) • Many socialists branded the war a crusade to protect capitalists’ profits • They also saw no reason for workers to die to enrich their bosses • There was also considerable resistance to the draft in the rural South