Malcolm Rivera
Big Stick Diplomacy was a foreign policy approach used by US President Theodore Roosevelt, which emphasized diplomatic negotiation and the threat of military power to ensure that the national interest of the state was protected and the country's global influence was asserted. The policy emerged after the Spanish-American war in 1898, a conflict that demonstrated America's military power and marked the country's emergence as an imperial power. Roosevelt believed that diplomacy was more effective if supported by a strong military. He also believed that by maintaining strong military power, a nation can prevent adversaries from challenging its interests and it will also help to maintain peace and stability in international affairs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Negotiation and diplomacy | The first resort, to be used before the threat of military force |
| Military strength | To be used as a deterrent and to prevent adversaries from challenging national interests |
| Stability | To be maintained in the region to prevent European powers from reasserting control over former colonies |
| Balance of power | To be maintained among nations, as seen in the Russo-Japanese War |
| Foreign policy goals | To be achieved through the use of the "big stick" threat |
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What You'll Learn
The Monroe Doctrine
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine was a foreign policy approach that emphasized diplomatic negotiation and the use of military power if necessary to protect the national interest and assert the country's global influence. It was based on the idea of negotiating peacefully while having the strength to act if needed. This concept is reflected in the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far," which Roosevelt claimed was a West African proverb. The "big stick" in this context refers to the military. Roosevelt believed that diplomacy was more effective when supported by a strong military presence. He argued that by maintaining strong military power, a nation could prevent adversaries from challenging its interests and maintain peace and stability in international affairs.
A key principle of Roosevelt's Big Stick Policy was his belief that diplomatic and peaceful negotiation should be the primary means to protect national interests and resolve conflicts. He saw military force as a last resort if negotiation failed. Before resorting to military action, he ensured that all channels for diplomacy and dialogue were explored exhaustively. His diplomatic efforts involved mediation, peacekeeping, negotiating treaties, and trade. Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy also included a focus on deterrence, which emphasized that visibly displaying military power could discourage potential threats before they arose.
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine was applied in Latin America and the Caribbean, where Roosevelt sought to police small debtor nations with unstable governments. For example, Roosevelt grew concerned about a crisis between Venezuela and its creditors, fearing it could spark an invasion by European powers. He also intervened in the affairs of Nicaragua and Panama, which featured canal-related incidents of Big Stick Diplomacy. In 1901, Secretary of State John Hay pressed the Nicaraguan government for approval of a canal, offering $1.5 million in ratification, $100,000 annually, and a guarantee of "sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity." However, a problem of court jurisdiction arose after the deal was accepted, as the U.S. lacked legal jurisdiction in the land of the future canal.
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Latin America and the Caribbean
The "Big Stick" ideology, also known as the Big Stick diplomacy, philosophy, or policy, was a political approach used by the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. The "Big Stick" ideology was derived from the phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far," which Roosevelt claimed was a West African proverb.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, Roosevelt enacted the "Big Stick" policy to police small debtor nations with unstable governments. This policy was also known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine, issued in 1823, stated that the United States would not accept European intervention in the Americas. Roosevelt, wanting to increase the influence and prestige of the United States on the world stage, formulated the Roosevelt Corollary in 1904, which stated that the United States would use military force as an "international police power" to correct any chronic wrongdoing by any Latin American nation that might threaten stability in the region. This policy justified numerous and repeated police actions in "dysfunctional" Caribbean and Latin American countries by U.S. marines and naval forces, and enabled the founding of the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" policy in Latin America and the Caribbean was influenced by the region's growing debts to European and American bankers, which destabilized the region. Bankers in London and New York saw Latin America as an opportunity for investment, taking advantage of the region's newly formed governments' need for cash and exacting punishing interest rates on massive loans. This allowed creditors to lobby their governments to get involved and forcibly collect debts. Roosevelt did not want to encourage European policies of conquest in the hemisphere as part of debt collection, so he tried to balance this by demanding arbitration to resolve disputes. For example, in 1902, when Germany and Great Britain launched a naval blockade of Venezuela to force the Venezuelan government to repay debts, Roosevelt denounced the blockade and demanded arbitration.
Roosevelt also used the "Big Stick" policy to increase the United States' influence in Latin America and the Caribbean. He exerted U.S. control over Cuba, even after it gained formal independence in 1902, and deployed naval forces to ensure Panama's independence from Colombia in 1901 to acquire a U.S. Canal Zone. He also put troops in Cuba and stationed naval forces there to ensure "the respect of the Monroe Doctrine." The construction of the Panama Canal, which began in 1904, further increased the United States' impact in the region and made the United States the dominant military power in Central America.
Overall, Roosevelt's "Big Stick" policy in Latin America and the Caribbean was characterized by the use of military force and intervention to police debtor nations, increase U.S. influence, and maintain stability in the region.
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Military strength
Theodore Roosevelt's "big stick" ideology was a political approach that asserted US power and was used to describe his foreign policy positions. The term "big stick" is derived from the phrase "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far", which Roosevelt claimed was a West African proverb, although there is little evidence for that.
At its core, the "big stick" ideology was about negotiating peacefully while also having the military strength to threaten force if needed. Roosevelt believed that it was unnecessary to use force to achieve foreign policy goals as long as the military could threaten it. This belief was based on the country's recent military successes, which had established the US as a world power.
Roosevelt's predecessor, President McKinley, had engaged the US military in several successful skirmishes and used the country's superior industrial power to negotiate beneficial foreign trade agreements. Roosevelt, with his "big stick" policy, took this a step further by employing the legitimate threat of force to keep the United States out of military conflicts. He understood that maintaining an empire was complex due to changing alliances, shifting economic needs, and power politics.
Roosevelt's "big stick" diplomacy had five components. The first and most important was to possess serious military capability that would force adversaries to pay close attention. At the time, this meant having a world-class navy, as Roosevelt never had a large army at his disposal until the 1900s. The other components were to act justly towards other nations, never to bluff, to strike only when prepared to strike hard, and to be willing to allow the adversary to save face in defeat.
Roosevelt used his "big stick" policy in several instances to enforce the Monroe Doctrine and police small debtor nations in Latin America and the Caribbean with unstable governments. For example, in 1901, the US pressured Nicaragua for approval to build a canal, promising $1.5 million in ratification, $100,000 annually, and assurances of "sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity". After the deal was approved by Congress, a problem of court jurisdiction arose, and the US turned to Panama for the canal's construction.
Roosevelt also used his "big stick" policy in Asia to maintain a balance of power among the nations there. When Japan forced American business interests out of Manchuria in 1906-1907, Roosevelt sent the US Great White Fleet on maneuvers in the western Pacific Ocean as a show of force from 1907 to 1909. This action successfully protected US interests in Asia and reinforced the Open Door policy throughout the region.
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Diplomacy and negotiation
The "big stick" in Roosevelt's diplomacy refers to the threat of military force, which he believed could be used to achieve foreign policy goals without actually having to resort to military action. Roosevelt's belief in the power of negotiation and diplomacy was genuine, and he always advocated for peaceful resolution of conflicts. However, he also felt that diplomacy was most effective when backed by a strong military. In other words, it was necessary to "speak softly" and be respectful towards other nations, but also to maintain a strong military presence that could serve as a deterrent to potential adversaries. This idea of deterrence was a key principle of Roosevelt's foreign policy, and he focused on expanding the US Navy to project military power globally.
Roosevelt's "big stick diplomacy" was particularly aimed at maintaining stability in Latin America and preventing European powers from reasserting control over former colonies in the region. This was reflected in his assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean, which has been characterised as the "Big Stick" and became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 had asked Europeans not to increase their influence or recolonise any part of the Western Hemisphere, but by the 20th century, Roosevelt was concerned about the potential for European intervention in Latin America, especially in Venezuela and its creditor nations.
Roosevelt's "big stick diplomacy" also played out in Asia, where he sought to maintain a balance of power among the nations. During the Russo-Japanese War, he supported Japan's defence against Russia but later stepped in when Japan's victories threatened American interests in Manchuria. Roosevelt sent the US Great White Fleet to the western Pacific Ocean as a show of force, successfully protecting American interests in the region.
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Peaceful negotiation
The "Big Stick" ideology, also known as "Big Stick diplomacy" or "Big Stick policy", was a political approach used by the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. The term "Big Stick" came from a phrase Roosevelt often used: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far". Roosevelt first used the phrase publicly in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 1901, and it came to define his foreign policy approach.
The "Big Stick" ideology emphasised peaceful negotiation and diplomacy as the primary means to protect national interests and resolve conflicts. Roosevelt believed that military force should only be used as a last resort if negotiation failed. This approach is closely linked to events like the Spanish-American War and the expansion of American influence on the global stage. The policy emerged after the Spanish-American War in 1898, a conflict that demonstrated America's military power and marked the country's emergence as an imperial power.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy had five components. Firstly, it was essential to possess serious military capability that would force adversaries to pay close attention. This meant having a world-class navy, as Roosevelt never had a large army at his disposal until the 1900s. A strong military power, he believed, would also help to maintain peace and stability in international affairs. Secondly, Roosevelt believed that diplomacy was more effective if supported by a strong military. Thirdly, he emphasised that by maintaining strong military power, a nation can prevent adversaries from challenging its interests. Fourthly, Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy included a focus on military interventions and the expansion of a strong US navy. Finally, a key principle of the "Big Stick" policy was deterrence, which emphasised the idea that visibly showing military power can discourage potential threats before they arise.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy was also applied in Latin America and the Caribbean, where he policed small debtor nations with unstable governments. For example, in 1901, Secretary of State John Hay pressed the Nicaraguan Government for approval of a canal. The US accepted a deal that included a change to the contract draft, but a problem of court jurisdiction arose as the US did not have legal jurisdiction in the land of the future canal. Roosevelt was willing to intervene in the foreign affairs of Latin American countries to prevent European powers from reasserting control over former colonies or getting involved in military conflicts.
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