Spanish American War
The Spanish American War lasted for just four months in 1898. Three years earlier in 1895 Cuba had begun a revolution against Spain in order to gain their independence. American businesses had lots of money invested in Cuban sugar plantations. Many Americans also lived in Cuba running these businesses. Americans were concerned that the revolution could hurt the profits of their businesses. Americans also supported the Cuban rebels in their fight to gain independence, after all it had only been about 100 years or so since America had fought it’s own war for independence. The reasons for America getting involved and the results of the war are listed below.
Reasons for the Spanish American War
1. Protection of American business interests in Cuba
2. American support of Cuban rebels to gain independence
from Spain.
3. Rising tensions as a result of the sinking of the USS Maine
in Havana Harbor. (Spain was blamed for this.)
4. Exaggerated news reports of events (yellow journalism)
Results of The Spanish American War
1. The United States emerged as a world power.
2. Cuba gained it’s independence from Spain.
1. The United States gained possession of :
Guam,
The Philippines
Puerto Rico.
FACT YOU GOTTA KNOW
Economic interests and public opinion often influence US involvement in international affairs.
THAT MEANS THAT, money and what people think have a lot to do with if the US will get involved in something.
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
§ Asserted the United States’ right to interfere in the economic matters of other nations in the Americas.
§ Claimed the United States’ right to exercise international police power.
§ Advocated Big Stick Diplomacy. (building the Panama Canal)
Big Stick Diplomacy
Big Stick Diplomacy was how Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy was described. Roosevelt got the phrase from an African proverb – "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." – When he became president in 1901, several Latin American countries were behind on debt payments to European nations. Worried that European nations might threaten action against the countries, Roosevelt announced what became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904. Roosevelt promised to protect Latin American nations, and he said that the United States had the right to intervene to ensure Latin American states met their financial responsibilities to other nations.
After the U.S. Navy made an impressive showing in the Spanish-American War (1898), Roosevelt continued to expand the Navy. In 1907, a "Great White Fleet" of American ships went on a world cruise to demonstrate the "big-stick" side of Roosevelt diplomacy.
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a Proclamation in 1823 by President James Monroe. Basically it told European countries to stay out of the Americas & not to become involved in political matters in Central & South America.
The Panama Canal
World War I
World War I started in Europe in 1914. The United States did not join the war until 1917. Below is what you will be expected to know about this war.
Allied Powers Central Powers
British Empire German Empire
France Bulgaria
Serbia Ottoman Empire
Belgium Austro-Hungarian Empire
Russia (until 1917)
United States
The United States’ involvement in WWI ended a long tradition of avoiding involvement in European conflicts and set the stage for the United States to emerge as a global superpower later in the 20th century.
There were disagreements about the extent to which the United States should participate in world affairs.
Reasons for US involvement in WWI
1. Inability to remain neutral
2. US economic and political ties to Great Britain
3. German submarine warfare – sinking of the Lusitania
4. The Zimmerman Telegram
US leadership as the war ended
1. At the end of WWI, President Woodrow Wilson
prepared a peace plan called the 14 points.
The plan called for the formation of The League
of Nations, a peace keeping organization.
2. The US decided not to join The League of Nations because politicians were worried about being caught up in future European wars. Because of this the Senate failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles.
A new type of fighting was introduced during WWI. It was called trench warfare. At the beginning of WWI British and French generals were not sure how to stop the Germans. They decided to “dig in” and ordered the construction of the trenches to act as a barrier against the Germans. The trenches were not just for fighting, the soldiers stayed in them 24 hours a day. Trench warfare was not easy, there were many problems that came along with being stuck in the mud day after day. Some of them were body lice, rats the size of rabbits and trench foot. Many soldiers would become sick just from being in the trenches.
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