EMERGENCE OF THE UNITED EMERGENCE OF THE UNITED STATES AS A POWER IN STATES AS A POWER IN

LATIN AMERICALATIN AMERICA

From the Monroe Doctrine to the Cold War

Monroe DoctrineMonroe Doctrine

United States – neutral during the Latin American struggle for independence

Washington views the Holy Alliance as a threat President Monroe’s speech of December 1823

– Old and new world different– No new colonies– Threat to independence of Latin American countries

viewed by the United States as a threat to itself

Texas and the War with Texas and the War with MexicoMexico

Victory at San Jacinto (1836) leads to recognition of Texas independence

Boundary dispute leads President Polk to attack Mexico in 1846

Fighting is one-sided

U. S. assault Chapultepec Castle (Mexico City)

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)Mexico Loses 40% of its territory Mexico Loses 40% of its territory U.S. pays Mexico $15,000,000U.S. pays Mexico $15,000,000

• U

From the Civil War to the From the Civil War to the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War

Threats against the French intrusion into Mexico

Richard Olney and Venezuela boundary dispute with British Guiana (1895)

Spanish American War establishes U.S. hegemony in the Caribbean.

Platt Amendment raises more resentment

Final push for the Panama Final push for the Panama Canal -1Canal -1

Hay - Paunceforte removes the British in 1901– U.S. had right to build & control canal– U.S. had right to fortify canal (revision)

Philippe Bunau-Varilla swings TR and the Republicans to support the Panama route

Final push for the Panama Final push for the Panama Canal -2Canal -2

Colombia reacts negatively to Hay-Herrán Treaty (canal across Colombian province of Panama) – Too much land– Not enough money

Bunau-Varilla: funds/organizes Panama revolt

U.S.S. Nashville docks a Colon (Nov, 1903) – Revolt against Panamanian rule (Nov. 3)– TR recognizes new nation of Panama three days later

Panama Canal TreatyPanama Canal Treaty

U. S. – sovereign rights in the canal “in perpetuity”

Panama paid $10 million and $250,000 annually

TR “I took the Canal Zone and let congress debate”

Big Stick in the Big Stick in the CaribbeanCaribbean

TR: international police power

Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine

Occupation of Cuba

Taft and “Dollar Diplomacy”

Woodrow Wilson’s Woodrow Wilson’s “Civilizing “Civilizing Interventions Interventions

Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua & Mexico

Goal: Teaching the Latin Americas to elect good men

Increased dependency of Caribbean Basin governments on the United States

Post-interventionist policies Post-interventionist policies 1920’s1920’s

Elevated costs lead Republican presidents to dismantle Caribbean Basin protectorates

Example of Nicaragua– Marines leave in 1933– Somoza dynasty rules until 1979

Herbert Hoover abandons interventionist stance of his immediate predecessors – Clark memorandum repudiates Roosevelt Corollary– U.S. dominates the Caribbean Basic

Economically Militarily

Good Neighbor Policy of FDRGood Neighbor Policy of FDR(New spirit toward Latin America) (New spirit toward Latin America)

Substantive Change – Abrogates Platt

Amendment (1934)– Non-intervention when

Cardenas nationalizes holdings of U.S. petroleum companies

1938 Eighth Pan American Conference– Clash with ABC countries

over severity of axis threat– Commercial ties with

Germany/Italy maintained

World War II Increases U.S. World War II Increases U.S. Influence in Latin America Influence in Latin America Washington sends military advisors to

counterbalance their Axis counterparts After Pearl Harbor II most Latin American

countries declared war on the Axis powers– Massive amounts of military equipment went to Latin

America– Construction of Pan American Highway

Chaupultepec Agreement set stage for regional international reorganization

AFTER WORLD WAR II AFTER WORLD WAR II

Principal focus on strategic balance of power between the U.S. and USSR

In this context Latin America marginally important– Second level military powers, at best– Region relatively isolated from Cold War cockpit

Latin American perceptions of Latin American perceptions of their security needs changed their security needs changed

dramatically in the 1960’s dramatically in the 1960’s

Interests of the United States and Latin American countries began to diverge

Promise of economic development was unfulfilled

U.S. “limited” interpretation of of collective hemispheric security appeared increasingly limited to the Latin Americans

Factors that influenced changes in the Factors that influenced changes in the security perspective of Latin Americans Isecurity perspective of Latin Americans I

Emergence of Latin American nations as economic and entities with extensive international contacts

Long-simmering desire to assert independence for U.S. domination

U.S. pursuit of detente in 1960’s undermined the importance of Cold War alliances

Vietnam war lessened the attractiveness of the U.S. as a model

Factors that influenced changes Factors that influenced changes in the security perspective of in the security perspective of

Latin Americans IILatin Americans II

Emergence of North – South ties diminished importance of East-West conflict

Differences with U.S. over specific hemispheric policy issues– Arms transfers– Trade– Cuba– Economic development strategies

The views of official Washington The views of official Washington regarding U.S. Security Interests (in regarding U.S. Security Interests (in Latin America) during the early and Latin America) during the early and

middle phases of the Cold War middle phases of the Cold War

Economic interests increasingly important– L.A. provided 14% of U.S. exports/imports– Received 18% of U.S investment abroad

Tranquility in the region remained cornerstone of U.S. capability to project its power abroad

Inter-American system did not provide a satisfactory basis for regional collective security

The three sub-regions of Latin The three sub-regions of Latin America America (Caribbean Basin, (Caribbean Basin,

South Atlantic; South Atlantic; West Coast of West Coast of South America): South America): each presented each presented

a distinctive challenge for a distinctive challenge for United States national security United States national security

between 1947 and 1976 between 1947 and 1976

U.S. Security Interests in the U.S. Security Interests in the Caribbean Basin: highest Caribbean Basin: highest

concernconcernEconomic and commercial interests

– Raw material– Transport of energy– Naval traffic between Atlantic and Pacific

oceans

U.S. Security Interests in the U.S. Security Interests in the Caribbean Basin: Political and Caribbean Basin: Political and

Strategic Strategic Caribbean was a critical military link in U.S.

global defense purposes Fear of the Soviet Union’s blue water fleet – with

its Cuban bases High potential for anti-americanism and the fear

of more “Cubas” Decline in U.S. dominance would be interpreted

elsewhere as decline in U.S. power

Factors considered in Factors considered in assessing U.S. interests in the assessing U.S. interests in the

Caribbean Caribbean Strategic damage resulting from a denial of raw

materials Potential of anti-americanism to challenge concept

of hemispheric solidarity Signals that sub-regional developments sent to the

USSR Importance that the region remain secure for the

transit of U.S. vessels

U.S. Security Interests in the U.S. Security Interests in the South Atlantic South Atlantic

Economic and commercial interests– Importance of Cape of Good Hope in the event

of Middle East crisis– Development of deep seabed and offshore

petroleum exploration– Access to Antarctica– Commercial interests of Latin American allies

in the South Atlantic

U.S. Security Interests in the U.S. Security Interests in the South Atlantic: South Atlantic:

political/strategic political/strategic Political instability in Southern Africa and the

Soviet’s inclination to exploit the situation Dealing with the aspirations of South American

countries to have a naval presence in the South Atlantic

Growing capability of Soviet’s blue water navy Growing military capabilities of Brazil and

Argentina – and the problem of their nuclear rivalry

Constraints on Cold War Era Constraints on Cold War Era Cooperation between the U.S. Cooperation between the U.S. and South Atlantic Countries and South Atlantic Countries

Hesitancy of Latin Americans to take on additional military expenditures related to cold war considerations

Pressures from many nationalists (and leftists) to pursue a policy of non-alignment

European desire to provide high technology to increase the national power capabilities of South Atlantic countries

As the Cold War began to As the Cold War began to draw down official Washington draw down official Washington

began to rethink its national began to rethink its national security interests in Latin security interests in Latin

AmericaAmerica