Cultures of militarism: Preparations for war in the Progressive Era

This dissertation is a cultural history of militarism and preparations for war in the Progressive Era in America, 1900-1912. By militarism is meant the martial spirit among a people. The preparations for war are psychological, as well as concrete military steps taken to improve military forces.; The research problem is determining to what extent there was militarism and preparations for war between the Spanish-American War and the outbreak of World War I in Europe. The main source of information is the newspapers of the time, especially those now available in keyword-searchable databases. Information from contemporary magazines and books is also utilized.; Attention is particularly focused on the times and places when the United States Army interacted with the civilian public. This was a time of increased attention to the military, since America had acquired colonies that needed armed forces to maintain control. There was extensive coverage of the Army's activities during maneuvers, promoting military education in schools, participating in marksmanship contests, military shows and tournaments, National Guard encampments and establishing and improving the Coast Artillery. One important area of psychological preparation, where the Army did not usually participate directly, was the publication of novels and stories predicting future wars.; The dissertation concludes that militarism and preparations for war were widespread during the early twentieth century in America. It is commonly believed that the United States never prepared for war until it was attacked. This dissertation shows otherwise.