THE MISSIONARIES TAKE A SPIN

    The Progressives sought to reshape American society and the world as well. Woodrow Wilson said that troops were stationed in Nicaragua, Haiti and Santa Domingo to bring law and order, democracy and prosperity to those poor people. For many they felt that it was nothing more than a continuation of the gunboat diplomacy of Roosevelt and the dollar diplomacy of Taft. Major General Smedley Butler, twice awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor as a marine commander, told Congress that "I helped in the rape of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street."

    Wilson was a missionary at heart, but discovered the world was quite a complex place. In Mexico he sought "to serve the Mexican people" but ended up killing Mexicans at Vera Cruz and sending General Pershing 200 miles into Mexican territory where his troops fought General Carranza's forces (the general whom we supported) on one occasion and didn't manage to catch Pancho Villa. His sanctimonious behavior reenforced the Latin American view of the United States being an imperialist country. His behavior also was noted by the German militarists. They noted his indecisiveness, his scruples and watchful waiting and based their actions, especially in the area of submarine warfare, on these observations.

    We sought to avoid involvement in World War I and yet we allowed the British to impose an embargo on the shipment of goods to the Central Powers. We made loans to the Allies. Then we couldn't understand why the Central Powers sank our ships and committed acts of sabotage and espionage against us. Why did we go to war against the Central Powers? How did the war affect the reform movement in America? What was the Creel Committee on Public Information? What effect did the war have on freedom?

    What was the Frozen War? How was it similar to the Vietnam War?

    What did Woodrow Wilson seek to do at Versailles? Why did he fail at home and abroad in reshaping a more perfect world?

     Copyright © 2005 Gary Brady