The American Century Pt II: Reluctant Power to Super Power
This American Century...
In the waning days of the 19th Century an new nation stepped onto the world stage. Before this, it had widely been regarded as a nation of upstarts, misfits and cowboys. Not, in otherwords, a nation that the 'civilized' world (read: Europe) needed to be concerned with. In 1898, that all changed. A conflict of interest over one of the worlds oldest empires propelled the US to world power status.
The United States entered into the 20th Century as a new world power, albeit a reluctant one. They had just won a war against a decaying and decrepit colonial power, Spain, and had gained new territories overseas. The next few years the US was busy pacifying the Philippenes and consolidating Puerto Rico and Hawaii...
The US was much more interested in domestic issues than in world affairs. Meanwhile, the Russians and the Japanese fought a major war over possession and influence in the Western Pacific, and the nations of Europe tried to out arm and out-ally each other. In 1914, things finally built to a head...the assassination of Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand sparked off a war that would decimate a generation.
The US, although sympathizing with Britain and France against the aggressive Central Powers, was determined to remain neutral. Soon, however, the US was drawn increasingly into the war. In April of 1917, President Wilson asked for, and received, a Declaration of War against Germany and Austria-Hungary. By the time that US troops arrived in Europe, the Allied armies were barely hanging on. Not so much in terms of their ability to hold ground, but in morale. French troops had actually mutinied when ordered to attack, and British units just refused to "go over the top." The French wanted US troops to be broken up, and used to reinforce existing units on the lines, but the American commander, General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing refused. The US troop soon made their prescence felt in effects out of proportion to their numbers. The final Allied assault of the war was primarily an American attack.
The end of the war brought about its own problems. President Wilson outlined his 14 Points of Peace, and called for a just peace. However, the incredible losses suffered by the British and the French made them demand enormous reparations from Germany, and French Pride, still reeling from their abject and humiliating defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, demanded that Germany utterly disarm.
Wilson disagreed with these demands, and as a result, the US never ratified the Treaty of Versailles, even though it included a League of Nations, one of Wilson's 14 Points. Following the withdrawl of occupation troops, the United States once again turned its focus inward.
The 1920's was a time of growth and prosperity in the US. Business boomed, and millions of people invested their money in the stock market. In 1929, disaster struck. The US stockmarket, already recognized as one of the premier stockmarkets in the world. suddenly collapsed from over-speculation. This collapsed plunged much of the world into the Great Depression. As the US struggled to rebuild its economy and confidence, Europe once again began to march towards war.
In Germany, preaching a platform of victimization and intolerance, Adolf Hitler began his rise to power. By the mid-1930's Hitler began obrogating Germany's obligations under the Versailles Treaty. He began to open re-arm, and re-occupied the heavily industrial Rhineland. Britain and France, shook their heads and did nothing. France, prior to this point, had built a web of alliances surrounding Germany. The strongest ally was the new nation of Czechoslovakia, created from the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following the First World War.
The Czech-German border was a rugged and hilly terrain that was heavily fortified by the Czechs. This area also contained a fair number of ethnic Germans, and was known as the Sudetenland. After the annexation of Austria, in the name of a Greater German Unity, Hitler demanded that the Germans of the Sudetenland be added into Germany. In one of the greatest diplomatic bungles of history, the German, British and French ambassador's allowed Germany to occupy the Sudetenland, while the Czechoslovak Ambassador waited outside to find out what would happen to his nation. Neville Chamberlain, assured by Hitler that this would be Germany's last territorial demand, declared that he had secured "Peace in our Time."
The US, rebuilding its economy, and recovering from a severe drought, shook its head at the European foibles and did resolved to stay uninvolved. When Germany, marched in, unopposed and occupied the remainder of Czechoslovakia, Britain and France did nothing, and the US refused to notice. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. France, finally realizing how its betrayal of Czechoslovakia had allowed this to happen. Immediately declared its support for Poland, which was too far away for France to help. A desultory French assault into the Saarland was easily rebuffed. Then France itself fell in a lightning assault that lasted a mere 6 weeks. The US, giving open support to Britain, France, and eventually to Russia. attempted to maintain a veneer of neutrality. This was shattered, not by Germany, but by Japan, in the early morning hours of a Sunday morning. At Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
By the end of the war, every allied nation would be using a fair number of American trucks, tanks and other equipment. With its industry undamaged, and indeed untouchable, the US became the "Arsenal of Democracy." After 7 years of bloody war on a scale unseen in history, the Western Allies were again triumphant. But at this point, the US knew, that in order to prevent another round of bloodletting, the US would see that a just peace enacted, and indeed, spents millions and millions of dollars to rebuild its war-torn former foes.
Up next...picking up the pieces and the Cold War...
Take care...and God Bless America!!!
Point to Ponder: Was the US justified in its isolationist tendancies during the inter-war period?
In the waning days of the 19th Century an new nation stepped onto the world stage. Before this, it had widely been regarded as a nation of upstarts, misfits and cowboys. Not, in otherwords, a nation that the 'civilized' world (read: Europe) needed to be concerned with. In 1898, that all changed. A conflict of interest over one of the worlds oldest empires propelled the US to world power status.
The United States entered into the 20th Century as a new world power, albeit a reluctant one. They had just won a war against a decaying and decrepit colonial power, Spain, and had gained new territories overseas. The next few years the US was busy pacifying the Philippenes and consolidating Puerto Rico and Hawaii...
The US was much more interested in domestic issues than in world affairs. Meanwhile, the Russians and the Japanese fought a major war over possession and influence in the Western Pacific, and the nations of Europe tried to out arm and out-ally each other. In 1914, things finally built to a head...the assassination of Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand sparked off a war that would decimate a generation.
The US, although sympathizing with Britain and France against the aggressive Central Powers, was determined to remain neutral. Soon, however, the US was drawn increasingly into the war. In April of 1917, President Wilson asked for, and received, a Declaration of War against Germany and Austria-Hungary. By the time that US troops arrived in Europe, the Allied armies were barely hanging on. Not so much in terms of their ability to hold ground, but in morale. French troops had actually mutinied when ordered to attack, and British units just refused to "go over the top." The French wanted US troops to be broken up, and used to reinforce existing units on the lines, but the American commander, General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing refused. The US troop soon made their prescence felt in effects out of proportion to their numbers. The final Allied assault of the war was primarily an American attack.
The end of the war brought about its own problems. President Wilson outlined his 14 Points of Peace, and called for a just peace. However, the incredible losses suffered by the British and the French made them demand enormous reparations from Germany, and French Pride, still reeling from their abject and humiliating defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, demanded that Germany utterly disarm.
Wilson disagreed with these demands, and as a result, the US never ratified the Treaty of Versailles, even though it included a League of Nations, one of Wilson's 14 Points. Following the withdrawl of occupation troops, the United States once again turned its focus inward.
The 1920's was a time of growth and prosperity in the US. Business boomed, and millions of people invested their money in the stock market. In 1929, disaster struck. The US stockmarket, already recognized as one of the premier stockmarkets in the world. suddenly collapsed from over-speculation. This collapsed plunged much of the world into the Great Depression. As the US struggled to rebuild its economy and confidence, Europe once again began to march towards war.
In Germany, preaching a platform of victimization and intolerance, Adolf Hitler began his rise to power. By the mid-1930's Hitler began obrogating Germany's obligations under the Versailles Treaty. He began to open re-arm, and re-occupied the heavily industrial Rhineland. Britain and France, shook their heads and did nothing. France, prior to this point, had built a web of alliances surrounding Germany. The strongest ally was the new nation of Czechoslovakia, created from the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following the First World War.
The Czech-German border was a rugged and hilly terrain that was heavily fortified by the Czechs. This area also contained a fair number of ethnic Germans, and was known as the Sudetenland. After the annexation of Austria, in the name of a Greater German Unity, Hitler demanded that the Germans of the Sudetenland be added into Germany. In one of the greatest diplomatic bungles of history, the German, British and French ambassador's allowed Germany to occupy the Sudetenland, while the Czechoslovak Ambassador waited outside to find out what would happen to his nation. Neville Chamberlain, assured by Hitler that this would be Germany's last territorial demand, declared that he had secured "Peace in our Time."
The US, rebuilding its economy, and recovering from a severe drought, shook its head at the European foibles and did resolved to stay uninvolved. When Germany, marched in, unopposed and occupied the remainder of Czechoslovakia, Britain and France did nothing, and the US refused to notice. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland. France, finally realizing how its betrayal of Czechoslovakia had allowed this to happen. Immediately declared its support for Poland, which was too far away for France to help. A desultory French assault into the Saarland was easily rebuffed. Then France itself fell in a lightning assault that lasted a mere 6 weeks. The US, giving open support to Britain, France, and eventually to Russia. attempted to maintain a veneer of neutrality. This was shattered, not by Germany, but by Japan, in the early morning hours of a Sunday morning. At Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
By the end of the war, every allied nation would be using a fair number of American trucks, tanks and other equipment. With its industry undamaged, and indeed untouchable, the US became the "Arsenal of Democracy." After 7 years of bloody war on a scale unseen in history, the Western Allies were again triumphant. But at this point, the US knew, that in order to prevent another round of bloodletting, the US would see that a just peace enacted, and indeed, spents millions and millions of dollars to rebuild its war-torn former foes.
Up next...picking up the pieces and the Cold War...
Take care...and God Bless America!!!
Point to Ponder: Was the US justified in its isolationist tendancies during the inter-war period?
posted by Mik at 6:26 PM
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