Taft & TR Flashcards
Presidential aims
Looking for order and stability both home and abroad
Little time for revolutionary proletariats or the very wealthy
Change had to be slow and peacefully managed
TR background
President for 8 years
War hero after the Spanish-American War
Believed certain people needed civilising - this was the general consensus of the time
Matters abroad
Elites dominated nations - doesn’t want this or revolution either
Believed stability needed to be brought to Latin America & Asia
Willing to use force to obtain order
But US doesn’t want to colonise or expand like other nations did
Doesn’t mean they won’t stop intervening in Lat Am & Caribbean
Economic matters abroad
Concerned with markets and American trade - revolutions in America are not good for it
Big change - looking for new markets and to invest overseas e.g. China
So wealthy they are looking to invest: 0.7 billion 1897 // 3.5 billion 1914
Want to spread the American Dream abroad - want to improve the lives of those overseas but will also benefit too
Free capitalist system - believed it could work outside the US
Problem: if investments don’t create order you need to create order for investments
“Speak softly & carry a big stick”
Maintain order - willing to back up words with force
Increasingly looked to expand US, taking what McKinley had done, further.
As US interest expands, president’s role in foreign policy does.
TR believed the masses were not educated or sophisticated enough to have a say in foreign policy.
Foreign policy needs rapid decision making, cannot do it by committee or by asking the people
TR, Congress and Foreign Policy
Seeks to find own foreign policy
Bypasses Congress even though they have to ratify treaties
Increases role of president, makes executive agreements
Not so three equal branches
Panama Canal
didn’t want more territory. Wanted a Central American canal as San Fran to NY was 13,000 mile trip.
Hay-Paunceforte Treaty, Nov 1901 - get rid of European interests. GB and US had treaty since 1850 that GB would be involved in any isthmian canal projects, but by this point is too wrapped up in own problems (BoerWar) which leads to this treaty.
Allow to build and own but not fortify. This is not enough for senate and it is eventually changed so they are allowed to fortify too.
Where will it be built?
Columbian province owned by French and asking 100 million.
Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interoceanique - William Cromwell & Philippe Bunau-Varilla interested in connections with US in 1902. Dropped price to $40 million.
Columbian people not keen, wanted to wait until 1904 when treaty rights would revert to them.
Murmurings of a revolution in Panama with TR encourages. Cromwell and Bunau support US navy.
Panama Revolution
US stops Columbian ships reaching Panama
TR recognises Panama as a new nation 2 days after revolution
Gives 10 million to Panama plus 250,000 every year for a 10 mile strip which divides the nation in two.
Build a canal zone between the Pacific and the Caribbean - important for US trade
Views on Panama
Some are dissenting - crossed a line of international law.
Majority are happy about it - helps security and economy.
Reduces the journey to 5,300
More territory to worry about -> Roosevelt Corollary
Roosevelt Corollary
Monroe Doctrine underpinned ideology since 1823. Was it concern for those invading or more aggressively asserting their influence there?
By Corollary most interest was gone, so more aggressive stance
Threats to Monroe Doctrine
Germany is late to the party, wants influence in Africa, not as focused on WestHem.
Largest threat is LatAm - revolutions.
Venezuela - GB, FRA, GER all go in to collect debt
If US doesn’t do the same will look weak but appears to be in violation of MD
Lack of order in LatAm affects security and interests at home
Corollary 2.0
Will intervene if revolutions continue, blank cheque to intervene.
In true colonial sense this is not imperialistic, but trying to be the international policemen
Is TR’s policy a break from the past?
Walter La Feber in ‘American Age’ makes big case for this.
Gives 5 reasons:
1. Anti-revolutionary. Had supported revs against Europe in past, Corollary is anti-rev, will put them down.
- Interventionist - before had not been
- Economic Control. Had followed rules of country before, now TR trying to impose American way
- Military requirement. When non-interventionist they had not needed it.
- Executive Power. Monroe had not needed to involve congress, TR chooses to ignore when they disagree.
Can and will intervene across the period
Asia
Maintaining open door policy
Wants to work against nation that he sees as biggest threat - Russia. Supports Japanese rivalry and war with Russia.
TR mediates the peace talks - US growing importance in international affairs
Peace does nothing for democracy in Far East, Japan just takes over Russian imperial power and Korea.
Korea asks for help from US but they make deal with Japan - we’ll stay out of Korea if you stay out of the Philippines.
Japan
Becomes increasingly confident as an Eastern power defeating a Western power - this concerns TR.
Knows it would be a stretch of US power to threaten Asia
Sends Great White Fleet around the world to show US strength with a special stop in Tokyo.
‘Yellow Peril’ - increasing tensions between US and Asia
Taft background
Shift in emphasis.
Handpicked by TR, believes he will continue and build upon his policies. Doesn’t work that way.
TR runs against him later.
Basis of Taft’s foreign policy
‘Authored a new volume of American foreign policy’
Rejects war policies for peace and economic expansion (dollar diplomacy).
Doesn’t have much experience in foreign policy
Dollar Diplomacy
What TR wanted to achieve with force he wanted to achieve with trade and money.
US invest in developing nations > growth in their economy > US market for goods > increased living standards > less rev activity and disruption
Taft & Asia
Closing the open door in Asia.
Apparent that dollar diplomacy is not working
Rus and Jap controlling Manchuria
Attempt to keep door open fails - GB and FRA need support of Rus to contain Germany so don’t want to upset.
Japan formally annexes Korea
China - US struggling to keep up with European powers > Chinese revolution, slipping out of US control
Taft & Latin America
Instability and disorder - not improving
Military intervenes frequently into many parts
Not popular for intervening in domestic affairs
Stems from small group of elite owning a lot of land - dollar diplomacy not working, unequal distribution of land, wealth doesn’t trickle down.
To internationalism?
Cannot ignore obligations internationally
Increasingly involved in international co-operation
