Chapter 7

Question 1

What were some aspects of the Roosevelt Administration’s foreign policy?

Answer 1

1. Creation of the Panama Canal and the resulting revolution by Panama against Columbia.
2. Intervention in the Russo-Japan War
3. Intervention in Venezuela and Santo Domingo
4. Acting as international “policemen”
5. Intervention in 6 Western Hemisphere states

Question 2

What is the primary aspect of the Taft administration’s foreign policy?

Answer 2

Dollar Diplomacy. Instead of military interventions, Taft preferred economic intervention in China and Latin America to control the people there. These attempts did not succeed.

Question 3

What were some aspects of the Wilson Administration’s foreign policy?

Answer 3

1. Foreign policy based on humanitarian goals rather than American self-interest.
2. Continued intervention in Latin America, intervention in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, support of a dictator in Nicaragua, engagement in a diplomatic crisis with Mexico (cognitive dissonance much???)

Question 4

What were the main causes of the Great War?

Answer 4

1. Germany’s Weltpolitik. With the rise of William II, Germany began to become more provocative regarding it’s European neighbors.
2. The End of the European balance of power. As Germany became a huge world power and Austria-Hungary began to collapse, Germany was pressured to make use of it’s new power before their ally (A-H) lost all of it’s power
3. The Entangling European Military Alliances. As countries began to make treaties and alliances with each other that ensured they would go to the other’s aid if a war broke out, a chain reaction resulted when fighting began.
4. The Arms Race. Germany and Britain both built up their navy at the same time. During this time, Germany revolutionized naval combat with the creation of the U–boat.
5. Germany’s Schlieffen Plan. This plan involved Germany quickly striking France and defeating them within 4-6 weeks and then attacking Russia while they still were mobilizing their troops. This is the only way Germany could win a two front war.

Question 5

What events caused the Great War?

Answer 5

Arch-Duke Ferdinand was assassinated in A-H by a Serbian gunman. In retaliation, A-H presented a list of demands to Serbia and, after Serbia agreed to all but one of them, A-H declared war on Serbia. Germany agreed to support A-H, Russia supported Serbia, Germany enacted the Schlieffen plan, declared war on both Russia and France, Britain then declared war on Germany. Fun stuff.

Question 6

What was the war pre-US intervention like?

Answer 6

A. Germany implemented Schlieffen Plan, but Russia mobilized faster than expected.

B. War bogged down in stalemates on both fronts. Both too strong to advance >2 miles.

C. Economies of France, Britain, Germany, A-H, and Russia devoted to wartime production

D. Britain borrowed heavily from US to pay for this

E. Central Power defeat Russia and send Lenin back to Russia (he had asylum in Germany at the time) to piss off Russia.

F.

Question 7

What were neutral shipping rights and how did they impact the war?

Answer 7

Neutral shipping rights is the idea that a country can ship to a country and not be allies with them. The United States claimed this right during the Great War so it could ship to both Germany and Britain at the same time. When the British cargo-ship, the Lusitania, was sunk by German submarines, the United States was outraged. This led to the United States entering the war.

Question 8

What is the Zimmerman note?

Answer 8

A note from a German diplomat telling Mexico that if they helped Germany fight us that they would get compensation including regaining land lost in the Mexican-American war. This note in conjunction with the sinking of ten American ships by Germany impacted our decision to go to war.