Foreign Affairs Flashcards
1
Q
Spanish Civil War
A
- 1898 - sinking of USS Maine at Havana brought America into the war
- on the surface looks as if America was simply putting the Monroe Doctrine into effect but there was strategic + economic importance
2
Q
Causes of Spanish civil war?
A
- Idealism
- Desire to asset American Power
- Media
- Monroe Doctrine
3
Q
How was the Spanish American War a form of idealism?
A
- anti-imperialists suggest idealism was a cause of the war because they wanted to protect the people - however this could be used to hide their real intentions
- America had made moves to acquire Cuba from as far back as 1854 when they attempted to purchase it from Spain for $130 million
4
Q
How did the Spanish War suggest US was asserting power?
A
- Navy expansion
- Monroe doctrine = Cuba was very close
5
Q
How did media cause the Spanish American War?
A
- New York Journal + New York World competed to tell the most sensationalist stories about war - all of which were anti-Spanish
- accounts of mistreatment of prisoners in concentration camps by Spain provoked outrage
# idealism - desire to assert American power
6
Q
Why was Cuba of interest?
A
- Cuba’s strategic + economic position = it controlled the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean = would allow USA to trade with South America
- if the Panama Canal was built it would increase Cuba’s strategic importance
- part of manifest destiny for Cuba to be part of the US (only 200km away)
- US had $50 million invested in Cuba - tobacco + sugar - 86% of exports went to US - Cuba independence could damage American property + business
7
Q
What was the Treaty of Paris
A
- 1898
- USA acquired Philippines, Guam + Puerto Rico
- Cuba recognised as independent but American troops stayed for 4 years + an America governor was in charge
8
Q
What was the Platt Amendment?
A
- 1901
- gave the US the right to intervene to maintain the independence + stability of Cuba
- Cuba couldn’t make treaties which impaired that independence
- gave the US the right to maintain a base in Cuba - Guantanamo Bay
- American companies dominated the Cuban economy until fidel Castro
9
Q
Hawaii
A
- annexed in 1898
- important stopping station on the way to Japan + China + US had missionaries there
- since 1875 US had imported Hawaiian sugar duty free + Hawaii became increasingly dependent on US economy
- 1887 = US established first major naval base at pearl harbour
- 1890 = McKinley Tariff removed duties on raw sugar = Hawaiian growers lost their trading advances + began to suffer = competition from Cuba
10
Q
Philippines
A
- US acquired through Treat of Paris 1898
- Philippines wanted independence + there was strong opposition to the annexation
- took American 3 years to crush the rebellion
- 20-50,000 Filipinos died
11
Q
Was China an example of expansionism?
A
- US had no desire to expand territorially into China - still isolationist?
- instead an ‘open door’ policy - respecting each other’s trading rights
- china was 3 times the size of the US - trade potential was huge
- demonstrating the importance of trade to US expansionism
12
Q
How could the US be viewed as Isolationist?
A
- didn’t join WWI until 1917
- arguably to their advantage - not joining due to their success of selling weapons etc.
