When it comes to the experience of the United States in promoting democracy by force, people generally like to talk about President Wilson, who is regarded as the originator of the United States in promoting democracy overseas. In fact, before him, theodore roosevelt had expressed the necessity for the United States to play this role in the Western Hemisphere. He delivered a speech after taking over as President McKinley, expounding his views on the world responsibility of the United States. He said: "In the United States and other places, years of evil deeds and mismanagement are due to lax relations with civilized society and ultimately require the intervention of civilized countries. In the western hemisphere, the United States believes in Monroe Doctrine, so when there is obvious illegal behavior or incompetence in management, although the United States is very reluctant, it will certainly fulfill its rights as an international policeman. "
After Wilson was elected president, he pointed out more clearly that the United States only recognizes those democratic regimes in the United States, and any undemocratic regime will be sanctioned by the United States. Soon after, Wilson's creed was put into practice in Mexico.
19 13, the Mexican government was overthrown, Prime Minister madero was assassinated and General huerta seized power. Wilson refused to accept this fact and decided to restore order in Mexico by force, which caused an uproar in European countries.
In Britain, Foreign Secretary Edward Grey summoned the American Ambassador to Britain, Walter Page. The dialogue between the two countries was later quoted by many writers describing American diplomacy, which fully demonstrated the American views on the issue of restoring foreign democracy by force.
Gray: "Will you intervene in Mexico by force?"
Peggy: "We will force them to vote and force them to abide by the results of universal suffrage."
Gray: "What if they don't accept it?"
Peggy: "Let's go back and let them vote again."
Gray: "What if all this lasts for 200 years?"
Peggy: "Then we will stay there for 200 years until they learn to vote and manage themselves."
This dialogue fully shows how Americans are prepared to use force to force other countries to establish democracy overseas. With the end of World War I, Wilson's idea of promoting democracy overseas by force has a bigger stage. He wanted to establish a global democracy forum through the league of nations, but his idea was stillborn because of the opposition of the US Senate.
Why is the United States so keen on promoting democracy overseas? Is it out of an idealistic belief, like the slogan of the Soviet Union, trying to transform the world with a model? However, the historian Ferguson believes that the practice of forcing others to accept American democracy in the United States is actually not its own invention, and it has many similarities with the British. The British once established a global "empire where the sun never sets", but the British couldn't manage so many places, so they mainly adopted local autonomy, encouraged local elites to learn from British management, and then ruled those British territories around the world indirectly. In order to promote democracy overseas, the United States wants to impose its own management model on areas under its control overseas. It "needs not only a pro-American government in strategically important areas, but also an American-style government."
Wilson's decision to "help" Mexico restore democracy by force and power also has a profound background of defending American interests. 19 14, the United States lost patience with the huerta regime and sent a small group of marines to occupy the port and oil pipeline in Veracruz, eastern Mexico, to prevent German goods from being imported into Mexico from there. A handful of American-funded rebels keep causing trouble in Mexico, and American oil companies refuse to pay taxes to the huerta government. Under great pressure, huerta decided to resign and hand over power to opposition leader carranza. Two years later, American general Pershing led his troops across the Mexican border, claiming to hunt down a man named pancho villa, who was the leader of carranza's allied forces, but later became a rebel, led a group of guerrillas to constantly cause trouble to the carranza regime and killed some Americans. The American army went deep into Mexico and failed to find Vera, but unexpectedly exchanged fire with the regular Mexican army. Worried about a large-scale war between the United States and Mexico, Wilson ordered General Pershing to withdraw his troops to North Korea. Although carranza became president, he was forced to accept the opinions of nationalists and trade union representatives in the Mexican Parliament. The Constitution adopted in 19 17 fully reflects the provisions of these representatives on land ownership, natural resource management and labor and social legislation. At this time, the United States began to worry that the Bolshevik virus would spread to Mexico, because American oil companies were worried that the Mexican government would nationalize the investment of American companies according to the Constitution. 19 18, the carranza administration really controlled the oil in Mexico, and the relationship between Mexico and the United States became tense. Two years later, despite the opposition of military generals, carranza still tried to push his candidate to the next presidency. As a result, an armed rebellion broke out in the army, and carranza was betrayed and killed during his escape.
The United States regards Latin America as its backyard and has intervened many times in the name of spreading democracy, but each intervention seems to have a special background, and it can be seen that the United States is vying for strategic interests every time. Therefore, the US military intervention is not so "selfless". 1903, the United States took a fancy to Panama, which belonged to Colombia at that time, and wanted to lease this narrow space to build a canal to connect the traffic between the east and west coasts of the United States. But the Colombian Senate refused to approve the land lease case. When he saw that the hope of building the Panama Canal was about to fail, President Wilson sent the US Navy to support the separatist forces in Panama to rebel. The coup took only 90 minutes to succeed, and a China man and a donkey were killed in a gun battle. The United States immediately recognized the independent Panamanian government, and obtained a piece of land ten miles across Panama from it, and finally built the Panama Canal. Since the Panama Canal was opened in 19 14, the United States has been controlling the Panama Canal until 1979.
The United States has repeatedly intervened in its neighboring countries, such as Cuba, Haiti and the Caribbean Islands, but it has not been very successful. Democratic regimes in these places have never been consolidated, and coups and civil wars seem to be common. Historian Ferguson said that all attempts by the United States to establish an American-style government in China and the United States failed miserably. By 1939, only one country can be regarded as a democracy, and that is Costa Rica, where the United States has never intervened militarily. However, through these armed interventions, the United States established its long-claimed hegemony in the western hemisphere.
The most ridiculous example of American armed intervention in establishing democracy in Central America is Nicaragua. Since the 1920s, Nicaragua has been plunged into an endless civil war. From the late 1920s to 1930s, the US Navy entered Nicaragua many times to help the people there organize elections, but the newly elected leaders were often short-lived. 1932, American troops were involved in a guerrilla war against the Sandinists. Sandinis are simple in equipment and run around in the mountains. Although the American army is well equipped, it can't catch many guerrillas. With the constant ambush of American soldiers, American public opinion began to discuss the significance of sending troops to Nicaragua. Finally, at the beginning of 1933, the US Navy withdrew from Nicaragua. After that, Sandino himself came out of the mountain, but he was soon killed by the Nicaraguan National Guard, and the person who decided to kill Sandino was somoza, the leader of the Nicaraguan National Guard supported by the Americans. On 1936, somoza deposed President-elect Sacasa and declared himself "elected". Subsequently, the Somoza family ruled Nicaragua for two generations, three of which became presidents, and the rule of this family did not end until 1979. The United States has always tolerated the rule of such a dictatorial family in the name of "friendly neighbors." When franklin roosevelt thought the Somoza family was the last straw, he could only say "son of a bitch", but his Secretary of State added "our son of a bitch".
What is the purpose of American armed intervention in Latin America? And an American general, smedley butler, said it most clearly. He was the general who won the most medals at that time. He published an article in the American magazine Common Sense on 1935, saying:
I turned Haiti and Cuba into places where Citibank boys gathered their wealth, and I also helped Wall Street rob half a dozen Central American countries. The list of blackmail is long. I helped Brown Brothers International Bank to purify Nicaragua in 1909- 19 12. I brought light to Dominica for the benefit of American sugar industry in 19 16, and I solved Honduras for American fruit company in 1903. He can at most solve Honduras in one day.
Butler spoke bluntly about the real purpose of American armed intervention in Latin America, and all this intervention was under the banner of exporting democracy.