Jonah Patel
Theodore Roosevelt's big stick ideology and the Roosevelt Corollary are often considered to be one and the same. The 26th President of the United States, Roosevelt was known for his aggressive foreign policy, which he described as speak softly and carry a big stick. This meant that he would negotiate peacefully but would also be prepared to use military force if necessary. The Roosevelt Corollary, issued in 1904, stated that the US would intervene in Latin American countries to prevent European powers from recolonizing them and to ensure they fulfilled their obligations to international creditors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature | The Roosevelt Corollary was a statement by President Roosevelt that the United States would use military force to act as an international police power and correct any wrongdoing by any Latin American nation threatening the stability of the region.. Big Stick Diplomacy was a political approach used by Roosevelt, which involved negotiating peacefully but also having strength in case things go wrong. |
| Influence | The Roosevelt Corollary was used as a rationale for American involvement in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Haiti, and other Latin American countries. Big Stick Diplomacy influenced Roosevelt's decision to establish protectorates over Cuba and Panama, as well as to direct the United States to manage the Dominican Republic’s custom service revenues. |
| Rationale | The Roosevelt Corollary was motivated by the concern that European powers could use Venezuela's debt as an excuse to recolonize land. Big Stick Diplomacy was influenced by Roosevelt's belief that the United States should wield power in world affairs, and that its interests were global interests. |
| Implementation | The Roosevelt Corollary was implemented through military force. Big Stick Diplomacy was implemented through peaceful negotiation and the use of military muscle. |
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What You'll Learn
The Monroe Doctrine
While the Monroe Doctrine aimed to keep European powers out of the Western Hemisphere, President Theodore Roosevelt's Roosevelt Corollary, or Big Stick Diplomacy, expanded and inverted its original meaning. Roosevelt believed that the United States had a responsibility to protect countries in the Americas from recolonization and would intervene, including through military force, if he deemed it necessary. This policy shift reflected Roosevelt's desire for the US to wield power in global affairs, similar to European empires, and his belief that US interests were global interests.
The Roosevelt Corollary, proclaimed in 1904, stated that the US would intervene as a last resort to ensure that nations in the Western Hemisphere fulfilled their international obligations and did not violate US rights or invite foreign aggression. This policy led to US interventions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, often under the pretext of preventing European influence. Roosevelt's precedent of intervening in Latin America influenced subsequent presidents and resulted in a form of economic colonialism in the region.
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The Roosevelt Corollary
Roosevelt's use of the "big stick" in foreign policy had five components. Firstly, it was essential to possess a serious military capability that would force adversaries to pay close attention. Secondly, he used it to complement his diplomatic policies, such as enforcing the Monroe Doctrine. Thirdly, it was used to threaten other nations with military action, tying in with the idea of Realpolitik. Fourthly, it was employed to police small debtor nations with unstable governments. Finally, Roosevelt used the "big stick" to establish protectorates over Cuba and Panama and to direct the US to manage the Dominican Republic's customs service revenues.
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Big Stick Diplomacy
The phrase "big stick" is derived from Roosevelt's frequent use of the aphorism, "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far". This proverb, which Roosevelt claimed was West African, was first mentioned in a letter to a friend in 1900, and he would go on to use it in an address to the Minnesota State Fair in 1901. Roosevelt's foreign policy was indeed characterised by this peaceful negotiation coupled with the threat of military strength.
Roosevelt believed that the United States should wield the kind of power in world affairs that European empires did, and that its interests were global interests. He wanted to increase the influence and prestige of the United States on the world stage and make the country a global power. He also believed that the exportation of American values and ideals would have a positive effect on the world.
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US intervention in Latin America
The Roosevelt Corollary of December 1904 stated that the United States would intervene as a last resort to ensure that other nations in the Western Hemisphere fulfilled their obligations to international creditors and did not violate the rights of the United States. In practice, the United States increasingly used military force to restore internal stability to nations in the region. This policy was motivated by Venezuela's defaulting on debts owed to European powers, and the concern that these powers could use the debts as an excuse to recolonize the country.
The Roosevelt Corollary was an extension of President James Monroe's 1823 doctrine, which stated that European countries should stay out of affairs in the Americas. The Roosevelt Corollary took this a step further, asserting that the United States had a responsibility to protect countries in the Americas from recolonization by European powers, and that it would intervene militarily if necessary. This policy became known as "Big Stick Diplomacy", a phrase Roosevelt had first used in reference to increasing naval preparation to support the nation's diplomatic objectives. Roosevelt believed that the United States, as a global power, should wield the kind of influence in world affairs that European empires did, and that it was in the country's best interest to intervene in other countries' affairs.
The Roosevelt Corollary and Big Stick Diplomacy set a precedent for US intervention in Latin America, which continued well into the 20th century. This intervention took both economic and military forms and was often aimed at replacing left-wing leaders with right-wing leaders, military juntas, or authoritarian regimes. For example, the US invaded Haiti in 1915 to preserve its economic dominance and installed a military regime that ruled through martial law, committing numerous human rights violations. Similarly, the US supported the 1976 Argentine coup d'état that overthrew the democratically elected President Isabel Perón and installed the military dictatorship of General Jorge Rafael Videla. The US also helped to depose nine governments that fell to military rulers in the 1960s and backed the 1971 coup in Bolivia that toppled President Juan José Torres.
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Theodore Roosevelt's legacy
Roosevelt's desire to increase the influence and prestige of the United States on the global stage led to a more assertive foreign policy, known as the "Big Stick" ideology. This approach, derived from the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick", emphasised the need to negotiate peacefully while also being prepared to use military strength if necessary. In practice, Roosevelt's policy resulted in increased intervention in Latin America, with the United States assuming the role of "policeman" of the Western Hemisphere. This included establishing protectorates over Cuba and Panama, as well as interventions in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Haiti, often under the justification of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The Roosevelt Corollary, issued in 1904, stated that the United States would intervene as a last resort to ensure that nations in the Western Hemisphere fulfilled their obligations and did not violate American rights or invite foreign aggression. While Roosevelt himself did not use the Corollary to take military action in Latin America, his precedent influenced future presidents and led to a form of economic colonialism in the region.
Another significant aspect of Roosevelt's legacy is his role in the construction of the Panama Canal, a major engineering feat that facilitated travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Roosevelt's support for the Panamanian revolution and the acquisition of land for the canal's construction demonstrated his willingness to use American power to achieve his goals. The completion of the canal in 1914, five years after Roosevelt left office, enhanced American military dominance in Central America.
Roosevelt's belief in the global reach of American interests extended beyond the Western Hemisphere. He played a pivotal role in negotiating the treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War, marking a shift in the US presidency's recognition of global responsibilities. Additionally, Roosevelt supported the Open Door notes as an economic policy in China, although he lamented the lack of a strong US military presence in the region to enforce it.
In summary, Theodore Roosevelt's legacy is characterised by his ambitious foreign policy agenda, which sought to expand American influence and power worldwide. His "Big Stick" ideology, interventions in Latin America, and the construction of the Panama Canal all contributed to shaping the United States' global role and relationships with other nations. While Roosevelt's legacy includes achievements such as the Nobel Peace Prize and advancements in technology and engineering, it is also marked by a complex mix of assertiveness, interventionism, and the pursuit of American dominance on the world stage.
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Frequently asked questions
The Roosevelt Corollary of 1904 was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which stated that the United States would not accept European intervention in the Americas. The Roosevelt Corollary stated that the US would intervene in Latin American countries to protect them from European recolonization and to ensure they fulfilled their obligations to international creditors.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy, or ideology, was a foreign policy approach that involved negotiating peacefully but also having the military strength to intervene when necessary. The term comes from the phrase, "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far", which Roosevelt claimed was a West African proverb.
No, they were not the same, but they were related. The Roosevelt Corollary was a specific application of "Big Stick" diplomacy, in which Roosevelt used the threat of military force to justify US intervention in Latin America.
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