Download US Emerges as a World Power

US Emerges as a World Power
Imperialism and World War I
What led the Americans into War
• YELLOW JOURNALISM
• The De Lome Letter: Spanish
minister to the US called
President McKinley “weak”
and Cuban rebels leaked it to
the media
• USS Maine explodes in the
port of Havana, killing 260
American sailors
SPAM Facts
• By April of 1898, Pres. McKinley asked Congress to
declare war on Spain
• War on 2 fronts: Philippines and Caribbean
• Philippines: US navy destroyed Spanish navy
• Caribbean: US sealed Spanish fleet in ports; army
was made up of professionals
– Rough Riders: cavalry unit led by TR
– Battle of San Juan Hill: Cavalry units aided in the US
victory
Outcome of SPAM
• Treaty of Paris: ended the war by August 1898
• Spain freed Cuba and turned over Guam and
Puerto Rico to US
• Spain sold the Philippines for $20 million
Taft versus Taft
TR
Taft
Latin America
Roosevelt
Corollary, “Big
Stick” Policy
Accomplishments
Panama Canal;
Trustbuster
Dollar Diplomacy:
inserted US $
into Latin
America
Continues
trustbusting
Misc.
Avid hunter
Got stuck in tub
Wilson as President:
• Latin America: Moral Diplomacyspread
peace and democracy into the region
• Triple Wall of Privilege: tariff, the banks, trusts
• 16th Amendment: income tax
• Federal Reserve Act (1913)regulated the
nations’ banks to prevent an economic
depression
Isolation or Intervention…what’s a country to do?
U.S. IN INTERNATIONAL TURMOIL
4 M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI
• Militarism
• Alliances
– Triple Entente (Allies): GB, France, Russia
– Triple Alliance (Central): Germany, AustriaHungary and Ottoman Empire, **ITALY**
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
Meanwhile in the World
• Trigger Event: Assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand and wife in Sarjev, Bosnia in June 1914
– Austria issued a warning to Serbia to allow in Austrian
investigators
– Serbia was backed by Russia; Austria was backed by
Germany
– Eventually Austria declared war on Serbia, Germany
declared war on Russia and France
– Once Belgium was invaded by Germany, GB declared
war on Germany
Wilson’s Views…
• Wilson called for US neutrality in both thought
and deed (isolationism)
– Both sides tried to gain US support
– Immigrants in the US were torn as they watched
their home countries torn apart in war
– US Economy boomed via GB & French war orders
Causes that led to US entering WWI:
• US merchant ships were being sunk by
German u-boats
• Sinking of the Lusitania
• British blockade of European ports, but
American investors and business traded with
the Allies
• Russian Revolution
• Zimmerman note (last straw)
Wilson’s Re-election
• Wilson was re-elected in 1916 with a
campaign slogan of “He kept us out of war”
• Wilson asked for a declaration war on April 2,
1917 ending American policy of
ISOLATIONISM
The Big Four @ Versailles
•
•
•
•
France—George Clemenceau
GB—David Lloyd Garrison
Italy—Vittorio Orlando
USA—Woodrow Wilson
Wilson’s Plan (14 Points)
•
•
•
•
•
•
no secret alliances
freedom of the seas
free trade or little restrictions among the nations
Arms should be reduced
Self-determination for colonies
LAST POINT: called for a body of nations to
discuss and handle disputes (LEAGUE OF
NATIONS)
Results of the Treaty of Versailles
• new nations were formed
• $33 BILLION in war reparations were to be
paid by Germany
• Germany had to admit sole responsibility for
starting WWI
• US Senate refused to sign the Treaty of
Versailles b/c of League of Nations