HISTORY 1DD3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 22: William Jennings Bryan, American Expeditionary Forces, Leon Trotsky
22 Jun 2018
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Chp 22 Identifications
John Hay, and the Open Door policy
● Background Info: As the campaign to suppress the Philippines went on, American
commercial expansionists looked farther west to Chinese Markets. As the Qing
Dynasty weakened, US and EU businesspeople watched carefully.
● Background Info: Europeans began forcibly securing Chinese trading rights. Russia
won the right to build a RR across Manchuria in 1896, while Germany secured a lease
on a Chinese port in 1897. The British also won various concessions.
● In Sept 1899, US Secretary of State John Hay asked the European powers not to
interfere with American trading rights in China, and requested them to open the
ports in their “spheres of influence” to all countries.
● The six major EU nations gave noncommittal answers, but Hay announced anyway
that they had accepted the “Open Door” policy.
● Hay’s policy showed American commercial considerations in foreign policy, as the US
did not desire territory, but rather open markets where they could export goods.
● (continued below)
The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1900)
● Background info: Anti-foreign feeling was growing in China.
● In 1899, a secret anti-foreign society known as the Harmonious Righteous Fists
killed thousands of foreigners and Chinese Christians.
● In June 1900, these so-called Boxers took the Chinese capital and besieged foreign
districts. This resulted in an international army that marched on Beijing.
● The Boxers were driven back, and occupants of threatened areas rescued.
● The defeat of the Boxers, whom the Empress had supported, weakened the Chinese
govt. further. This led to US fears that EU powers would carve China up for
themselves, and Hay issued a second series of Open Door notes in 1900.
● In general, China remained open to US business and religion.
● Hay’s policy had a lasting effect. For example, it shaped the American response to
Japanese expansionism in the 1930s.
The Panama Canal
● Background Info: Many had long dreamt of a canal across the 40 mile wide Panama
that would eradicate the long and arduous journey around South America.
● In 1879, a French company secured permission to build a canal across Panama, but
the company went bankrupt due to poor management and yellow fever.
● The US bought its assets for $40m in 1902, and the Colombian representative,
Tomas Herran, granted a 99 year lease at $10m + $0.25m every year.
● But the Colombian senate rejected the deal, outraging TR.
● Determined, TR found a willing collaborator, Philippe Bunau-Varilla.
● Varilla did not want to lose the $40m and worked towards a revolution in Panama.
● As the revolution went ahead as planned on Nov 3, 1903, John Hay quickly
recognized the new nation and signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty granting a
10mi strip of land across Panama on the same terms rejected by Colombia.
● The US canal builders’ first challenge was to over the yellow fever. Through direct
experimentation, Dr. Walter Reed of the Army Medical Corps found female
mosquitoes to be the source, and organized large-scale drainage, eradicating the
problem. This was a remarkable public-health achievement!
● The canal was finished in 1914.
Roosevelt Corollary, Big Stick Policy, and Dollar Diplomacy
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● After several Latin American crises in which the US intervened, TR in Dec 1904
declared that “chronic wrongdoing” (not clearly defined) by any Latin American
nation would justify US intervention.
● This has been called the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1823).
● Roosevelt summed up his foreign-policy: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
● Taft’s foreign polity was called “dollar diplomacy” and focused on advancing
American commercial interests abroad.
Japan and Russia in Manchuria
● In 1900, exploiting the weakness of the Chinese govt., Russian troops occupied
Manchuria, alarming Japan. This led to a war between the two, with Japan becoming
the first Asians to beat an European power.
● Roosevelt was pleased to see Russia checked, but did not want Japan to tip the
balance for the Asians. This resulted in TR calling a peace conference and winning
the Nobel Peace Prize!
● Meanwhile, US-Japan relations turned awry when Asian children were segregated.
Japan angrily protested and in 1908, negotiated a “gentlemen’s agreement”.
Tokyo pledged to half emigration, while America offered to reverse discrimination.
● Racist attitudes, however, continued to poison the US-Japan relations.
Foreign Policy under Wilson
● Woodrow Wilson criticized his Republican predecessors’ expansionist policies and
pledged never again to take over territory by conquest.
● But he too also intervened in Latin America, most seriously in the Mexican
Revolution.
● A bandit led by Pancho Villa murdered sixteen US mining engineers. Soon after the
gang killed 19 inhabitants while burning down Columbus, NM. Wilson dispatched
Gen. John J. Pershing, but Villa eluded Pershing and staged a raid, this time into
TX.
● Wilson ordered 150k National Guardsmen to the Mexican border, embittering
relations for years after. In such turbulent era, Wilson tried to promote good govt.,
protect US investment, and safeguard US citizens living in Mexico.
● Although rebellions were quickly overshadowed by WW1, the foreign-policy of
forming an international system based on democratic values and enterprise was
evident.
● Wilson’s vision of an American-based world order shaped the American response to
the crisis in Europe.
War in Europe and US neutrality
● Background Info: Many in Europe believed the 20th century would be an age of
peace, and military treaties occurred everywhere.
● When Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was shot by a Bosnian Serb, the
military treaties brought in all the major powers into a huge war. France, Russia,
and UK fought as the Allies, while Germany and Austro-Hungary fought as the
Central Powers. Italy abandoned the Central Powers and joined the Allies in 1915.
● Wilson proclaimed US neutrality and most Americans fervently agreed. A popular
song “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” summed up their view.
● But neutrality proved difficult as US had strong economic and traditional ties with
UK.
● In the beginning, Americans generally strived to stay out of the conflict, but soon,
Wilson’s idealistic vision conflicted with his neutrality. Wilson believed a world
dominated by Germany would make international democracy and capitalism
impossible.
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● Wilson gradually became convinced an Allied win would not ensure a transformed
world order either, and that US intervention in postwar settlement would be
necessary to ensure a transformed world order.
U-boats and unrestricted submarine warfare
● Background Info: Wilson called for neutral nations’ rights on the high seas.
● In late 1914 and early 1915, Britain’s determination to exploit naval advantage even
at the cost of American public opinion brought on intense protests from Wilson.
● But Germany ultimately pushed the US into war. Although Britain controlled the
waves, Germany controlled the deep sea with its U-boats, a torpedo submarine.
● Events quickly spiraled, with Germany declaring waters around UK a war zone in Feb
1915, and Wilson responding that Germany would be held strictly responsible for any
loss of US ships or lives.
● On May 1, the German embassy placed a small ad in US newspapers warning against
travel on Allied vessels. On May 7, a U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania off the
Irish coast, costing 1200 lives, including 128 American.
● US public opinion turned sharply anti-German.
● Sidenote: It was later proved that munitions destined for England were on board.
Contemplating War
● The Lusitania disaster exposed deep divisions in US public opinion. Many Americans,
now ready to fight, denounced Wilson’s “too proud to fight” speech.
● The National Security League made up of bankers and industrialists promoted a
US arms buildup and universal military training. They also organized “preparedness”
parades in major cities.
● Others took Wilson’s neutrality speeches seriously and deplored the drift toward war.
These people included Jane Addams, Carrie Chapman Catt, and other women
reformers that formed the Woman’s Peace Party.
● Divisions surfaced within the administration as well, with Secretary of State William
Jennings Bryan resigning in June 1915.
Wilson's Sussex threat and Germany's pledge
● Background Info: Idealistic Wilson insisted that neutral rights must be upheld.
● In Mar 1916 however, a German submarine sank French passenger ship - Sussex -
and injured several Americans. This brought about Wilson’s threat of breaking off
diplomatic relations, and Germany responded that they would not attack without
warning provided that UK does the same. This qualification was largely ignored.
● For the rest of the year, tensions eased.
Financial Ties with the Allies
● US bankers’ financial support to the war nations also undermined neutrality.
● By 1917, $2.3b had been lent to the Allies, in contrast to $27m to Germany.
Election of 1916
● The war dominated the 1916 election, with Wilson facing Republican Charles Evans
Hughes (future chief justice). Wilson ended each speech with “We didn’t go to war”,
while Hughes criticized Wilson’s lack of aggressiveness.
● Hughes did well among Irish and German Americans but Wilson won support from
women voters in western states and won by a close margin.
● The election showed the strength of peace as late as Nov 1916.
Entering the War
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Document Summary
Background info: as the campaign to suppress the philippines went on, american commercial expansionists looked farther west to chinese markets. Dynasty weakened, us and eu businesspeople watched carefully. Background info: europeans began forcibly securing chinese trading rights. Russia won the right to build a rr across manchuria in 1896, while germany secured a lease on a chinese port in 1897. In sept 1899, us secretary of state john hay asked the european powers not to interfere with american trading rights in china, and requested them to open the ports in their spheres of influence to all countries. The six major eu nations gave noncommittal answers, but hay announced anyway that they had accepted the open door policy. Hay"s policy showed american commercial considerations in foreign policy, as the us did not desire territory, but rather open markets where they could export goods. (continued below) Background info: anti-foreign feeling was growing in china.
